In 2 Timothy 4, Paul is giving some of his final written instructions to his young protege, Timothy. Paul, the famous Apostle to the Gentiles, was presently imprisoned and (according to verse 6 of chapter 4) felt that his life would soon be ending. Paul, the former persecutor of the faith, was now it’s chief proponent and defender. And, upon the realization of his impending death, he felt it necessary to write to Timothy words of encouragement and instruction concerning the continuing work they had started together. He says:
I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:
The image is that of a courtroom scene. Paul, wanting to give Timothy these final instruction, has called witnesses to watch. The witnesses are identified by Paul as “God” and “Christ Jesus.” The translation “solemnly charge” is in the present tense in the Greek, indicating the continuing nature of the charge or command. This command to Timothy was not for only one event, but it was to literally be definitive, or the chief-identifier of Timothy’s ministry. At the end of Timothy’s life, his ministry, when summarized, should have looked identical to the command that Paul is here giving him. Paul’s command for Timothy is to:
preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction
“kerusson ton logon” is the transliteration of “preach the word.” Not only is the Greek an imperative (meaning a command, not an option), but it is in the active voice. This means that the subject (i.e.: Timothy) is the one who is performing the action (i.e.: preach). This was Timothy’s personal responsibility before God the Father and God the Son. He could not lay aside this task, place it upon the back burner behind other priorities. This WAS Timothy’s chief priority. The word for “preach,” properly translated here, means to “herald, announce publicly, to proclaim.” A herald worked for the king. His primary task was to convey messages or proclamations from the king. He didn’t write the message, he didn’t change the message, he only proclaimed the message. And it wasn’t a conversation with the listeners, it was a proclamation. It carries the idea of loud, public delivery amongst many hearers. I am not belittling conversations. There are times for conversations (i.e.: personal evangelism, small group Bible study) but there must be this aspect of public proclamation in our ministries. When Paul told Timothy to preach the word, he was telling him to, loudly and publicly, proclaim the word. In context, “word” can only be understood as the Holy Scriptures. This is affirmed in chapter 3 vs. 16 where Paul explains the divine nature of Scripture. In other words, “logon” (in 4:2) is synonymous with “graphe” (in 3:16). We are not to preach our experiences or our feelings. We are not to preach what we think or even what we want. We are to preach the Scriptures. Many of the Word/Faith/Prosperity Gospel errors and heresies are because many so-called preachers do not preach the Scriptures, but their own emotional experiences. Yet we cannot trust our experiences or our emotions, because they are bound to our sinful flesh. The writer of Hebrews, though, reminds us what we can trust above our emotions and experiences in Hebrews 4:12:
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Verse 3, in context, equates preaching with “sound doctrine.” “Sound” is from the Greek meaning “healthy” and refers to the healthy teaching and instruction from God’s word. It is only God’s word that provides the nourishment and nutrients needed to equip, edify, and reprove the saints. This is why Peter longed that the believers would crave the word of God like an infant craves breast-milk (1 Peter 2:2). Only by God’s word, will believers grow in holiness and appreciation for Christ.
But Paul warns Timothy that there is coming a day when people will not “endure sound doctrine.” Endure literally means “to accept, to be patient with.” Make no mistake, people (because of the love of their wickedness) will grow increasingly impatient with good, healthy doctrine. A quick perusal of sights like A Little Leaven or Defending and Contending will wake you up to the reality of this fact in the American church. These same people, because of their own itching ears (indicating their animalistic-like desire to hear what THEY WANT to hear), will find teachers that will teach what they want to hear. Check out Oprah Winfrey and her New-Age apostate religion that is daily being beamed into the homes of America. People in America are wandering off into “myths,” showing their active rejection of the One True God and of His Righteous Son.
Yet it is for this very reason, along with obedience to Christ (from vs. 1) that Paul urges Timothy to remain faithful and to “fulfill your ministry.”
But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry
Preaching is hard work. For the faithful preacher, his task is costly. Paul endured hardship, and commanded Timothy to as well. Preaching is the last bulwark against the unbridled tide of secularism and heretical spirituality that is growing in America’s churches. If the church of the Lord Jesus in America desires true, heart-felt revival accompanied by repentance and faith in the Savior, godly men will renew their commitment to rightly divide God’s word and to publicly proclaim it from the pulpit.
My charge to you, pastor, is to “preach the Word.”
