Preaching and teaching the word is the Antidote: Insights from 2 Timothy 4:1-5

Preaching and teaching the word is the Antidote

Insights from 2 Timothy 4:1-5

“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” 2 Timothy 4

A few weeks ago God spoke to me from 2 Timothy 4. Since that time I keep seeing it everywhere, it seems. Every time I read it I find more and more treasure. Here are some insights.

First of all, 2 Timothy 4 seems to be a conclusion or summary of the first chapters. For example 1:6-7 Paul talks about Timothy’s gift, while encouraging him that fear is not of God. Why did Paul say that? Persecution comes as we preach the truth (2 Timothy 4:5).

And what about preaching the truth? Paul expounds that preaching the truth includes telling people when they are wrong and convincing them otherwise. (2 Timothy 4:2) This is fulfilling his ministry—telling people when they are wrong. We can find this also in 2 Timothy 2:24-26 “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”  

2 Timothy 4:3 sounds like 2 Timothy 3:1-9 talking of the condition of mankind in the end-times.

Here are some further insights:

Ø Jesus will judge the dead and the living at His appearing (this word is only used 6 times: of the return of Christ—5 times and His first coming—1 time.)

Ø His Kingdom is also at this time.

·      That means when we are told to pray “Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” we are literally being told, by God, to pray for wrapping up this age so that the Millennium reign of King Jesus will come. At that time King Jesus will literally sit on the Throne of David and rule the earth from New Jerusalem.

Ø In view of this we are to

·      “Keep our sense of urgency” and

·      “Preach the word in season or out of season”

¨    Preaching the words means: (Greek Lexicon)

This will not sit well with those who think Jesus is always “nice Jesus” speaking in soft mono-toned voice, hands folded, saying “just love and get along; unity is what we want. Don’t cause division by your doctrine.”

·   Convince: to convict, refute, confute—generally with a suggestion of shame of the person convicted, by conviction to bring to the light, to expose; to find fault with, correct, by word, to reprehend severely, chide, admonish, reprove, to call to account, show one his fault, demand an explanation

·   Rebuke: to admonish or charge sharply

·   Exhort: to call to one’s side for the purpose of straightening them out verbally. It includes entreating, begging, encouraging, comforting, all the way to admonishing.

·   With longsuffering and teaching: denotes constancy and endurance in teaching to convince others of the truth concerning doctrine.

¨    Why urgently preach and teach the word?

Preaching and teaching the word is the Antidote

“For the time will come when they will not endure <hold up> sound doctrine <teaching>.” Why? “Because they have itching ears according to their own desires.” Due to this they will:

·   heap up for themselves teachers that tell them what they want to hear

·   and turn their ears away from true doctrine and instead they will

·   be turned aside to fables <fiction, myths>.

Ø But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions (maybe added because afflictions come as the truth is preached), do the work of an evangelist (Timothy’s calling), fulfill your ministry (probably reference to 2 Timothy 1:6-7).