Preach the Word

The preaching of the word of God is the most important means for sinners to hear, believe, and be saved, and for believers to grow in faith. The importance of preaching is stated in Romans 10: “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Rom. 10:14–15). And Romans 10:17: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Thus we see the central importance of preaching and hearing the word of God.

In 2 Timothy 4:1–5, the aged apostle is giving Timothy, his son in the faith, his final charge. Soon Paul would be beheaded for his faith in Jesus. This final charge is in three words: “Kêruxon ton logon” (“Preach the Word’). Timothy is to preach the word that alone is mighty to make a person, Jew or Gentile, wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus who alone made atonement for the sin of the world. He alone destroyed our death by his death and brought to light immortal life.

This is also God’s charge to every pastor commissioned by Christ. “Preach the Word” means preach the gospel, the word of God, the word of truth, as we are given in 1 Corinthians 15:1–8. Without preaching the word, sinners cannot be saved.

The Final Apostolic Charge

The apostle Paul, through his inspired letter, is putting Timothy under oath to preach the gospel. He calls upon God and Christ Jesus as witnesses to this apostolic charge. He gave a similar charge in 1 Timothy 5:21: “I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism,” and in 1 Timothy 6:13: “In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you.”

Now, in 2 Timothy 4:1, Paul writes, “In the name of God and Christ Jesus, who is about to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his epiphany [appearing] and his kingdom, I put you in charge – I put you under oath – to preach the word.” Paul is giving Timothy a charge with great solemnity. He must fulfill this charge without fail or he will be judged by Christ himself. Paul gives this commission in the presence of God the Father who is witnessing this charge. He is saying, “Timothy, I have fulfilled my ministry and I am about to depart from this world. Now you take over the ministry.”

Paul also gives this charge in the presence of Christ Jesus, who already fulfilled his mission and declared from the cross, “Tetelestai (It is finished)”—Christ Jesus, who is about to judge the living and the dead. The Father has given him all authority to judge everyone. He is coming to judge, as the following scriptures tell us:

• Romans 2:16: “This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.”
• Romans 14:9: “For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.”
• 1 Corinthians 4:5: “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.”
• 1 Peter 4:5: “But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”
• Acts 10:42: “He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.”
• Acts 17:31: “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”
• 2 Corinthians 5:10: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

We also read about this judgment in Matthew 25:31–46 and Revelation 20:11–15. Everyone who died will be raised up together with the living and be judged by Jesus, who knows everything we ever did. He will judge men’s secrets and motives. That is one reason Timothy must be very earnest in preaching the word.

All man’s ways of salvation are false. Only by faith in Christ can a sinner be saved. Jesus is the only Savior of the whole world. And he is coming a second time, as he has promised, in great glory. He is coming to judge. He is the Savior and he is also the Judge of the whole world. Paul writes, “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming” (2 Thess. 2:8).

Christ Jesus also is coming in his kingdom. His kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit to all who are born of the Spirit. Those who refuse to trust Jesus will face the rod of his direct rule. Paul writes, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9–10). Such people will experience the mighty rod ministry. And the psalmist warns, “You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery. . . . Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Ps. 2:9, 12). Timothy must preach the word, therefore, with fear and trembling.

The Five Imperatives of 2 Timothy 4:2

Paul uses five imperatives, commands, in 2 Timothy 4:2. Paul’s use of aorist imperatives shows the urgency of these commands.

1. PREACH THE WORD

The Word stands for the promise of the Old Testament and the fulfillment in the gospel in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the word of God, the word of truth. It is the sound teaching. It is the faith objectively considered. It is the deposit Timothy must guard. It is the holy Scripture. It is the apostolic doctrine. It is not just any word; it is the word of God.

Timothy must preach the word of God, not his opinion, not human philosophy, and not doctrines of demons. He must study the word, interpret it correctly and preach it loudly, publicly, and fully as Christ’s ambassador, and with all authority. He must urge sinners to repent, believe, be baptized, and be saved from the coming wrath of God. Timothy must be Spirit-filled, word-filled, and fearless as he preaches the Word.

2. BE ON DUTY ALWAYS

The second imperative is to be on duty always, not only when it is convenient but also when it is not convenient, when we are free, and when we are thrown into a dungeon. A minister’s food is to do the will of God by preaching the gospel and he finishes when he dies. He cannot have any vacation or retirement. He is always on the job. He must not worry when they arrest him, flog him, or put his feet in the stocks. Jesus said, “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say” (Luke 12:11–12).

As a minister, Timothy had to be on duty always. Elsewhere Paul says to make “the most of every opportunity because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:16). Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28).

3. REPROVE/CORRECT

The third imperative is reprove. We must convict people who are wrong in their teaching and ethics, such as worldly people, legalists, antinomians, hyper-grace people, and those who reject the authority of Scripture and the deity of Christ. Correct them and reprove them with biblical arguments proving their sin. Do so in reliance on the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “When [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8).

Paul says a minister “must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:9). He also says, “This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith” (Titus 1:13). That is the job of a pastor. (PGM) More than fifty percent of his ministry is to rebuke, correct, and straighten out. And if a pastor loves people, he will correct them, rebuke them, teach them, and train them in righteousness. Paul says, “Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning” (1 Tim. 5:20).

4. COMMAND/REBUKE

The fourth imperative is rebuke. In other words, we must give a sharp rebuke. Censure, rebuke people even publicly so that they stop doing wrong. We reprove and rebuke people because we love people. We do the same to our children because we love them. Parents must rebuke and correct them. We want them to stop doing wrong and start doing right so that they will please God and be blessed by him.

5. ENCOURAGE

The fifth imperative in 2 Timothy 4:2 is encourage. We are to encourage people with all patience and doctrinal expository preaching of the Scriptures. Urge them, encourage them, exhort them, and admonish them with great patience. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit will give you patience. And not only do we encourage them with great patience, but we must also encourage them with sound (careful) teaching. Expository preaching of the Bible will fulfill all these imperatives.

The Reason for These Commands

What is the reason Paul is giving these commands? The first reason is the coming apostasy of God’s people. In verses 3 and 4, Paul prophesies about the coming apostasy of believers who are second and third soil temporary believers, who are the non-elect and therefore not truly born again. There are such people in every visible church.

Of them the Hebrews writer says, “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace” (Heb. 6:4–6). He also writes, “How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ and again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:29–31).

The apostasy of believers is true in the life of every visible holy church where God’s word is clearly preached and practiced. This has been true throughout church history, even in apostolic times. For example, Judas Iscariot, Ananias and Sapphira, and so on, were apostates.

In verse 3 Paul says, “For a time will come.” Paul had already spoken about a future time of apostasy. He wrote, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days” (2 Tim. 3:1). And in his first epistle to Timothy he said, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron” (1 Tim. 4:1–2).

Now Paul was saying a time of great apostasy will come and even now is. “The last days” is the period between the first and second coming of Christ. But one thing is certain: some professing believers will become apostate. They will not tolerate the hygienic, salvific, health-giving Bible teaching. They cannot put up with God’s word of truth that saves sinners. They hate the confession, “Jesus is Lord.” They hate holy living. They have a doctrine that favors antinomianism and hyper-grace. They love the pleasures of sin and hate the gospel. They hate God’s truth and God’s holy people.

Governed by their sinful lusts, apostates gather around themselves a multitude of false prophets like Jannes and Jambres, who were governed by demons. These false prophets will faithfully preach to the apostates what their itching ears want to hear—an antinomian gospel of moral filth. They do so for a fee, of course.

In time, these people will leave their orthodox church, and orthodox and holy people and pastors, and go to become faithful members of synagogues of Satan. And the pastors of these satanic churches will entertain them and tell them lies. Of such people Isaiah says, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Isa. 5:20). See the total twistedness of their minds.

These immoral pastors will preach what apostate people want to hear. They will say evil is good and good is evil. About such preachers Paul writes, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!” (Gal. 1:8). Simply put, “Go to hell.” He also says, “For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. . . . For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve” (2 Cor. 11:4, 13–15). That end is hell.

Jeremiah declares, “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?” (Jer. 5:30–31).

Such people are trapped by the devil to do his will (2 Tim. 2:26). They are always obeying the will of the devil. In time, they will turn away from the truth of the holy Scriptures forever and turn aside to embrace myths, the lies of the devil. They do so, not because of the fault of the orthodox minister but because of their own sin. They are children of the devil. “You belong,” Jesus said, “to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of all lies” (John 8:44).

These apostates are like Ahab and Jezebel, who hated the Lord’s commands and turned to follow false prophets, who with one accord prophesied what Ahab and Jezebel desired to hear. They hated the prophets of the Lord, as we read: “Jehoshaphat asked, ‘Is there not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?’ The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, ‘There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah’” (1 Kings 22:7–8).

Then four hundred false prophets, inspired by a lying spirit, prophesied in unison. We read, “All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. ‘Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,’ they said, ‘for the LORD will give it into the king’s hand’” (1 Kings 22:12). But through the Holy Spirit, Micaiah prophesied, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace’” (1 Kings 22:17). Micaiah also said, “So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you” (1 Kings 22:23). Then we read, “Micaiah declared, ‘If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.’ Then he added, ‘Mark my words, all you people!’” (1 Kings 22:28). And Micaiah’s words came true. Ahab was wounded and later died.

This will happen to all who turn away from the truth and turn aside to myths. They will die eternal death in hell. Therefore, be warned. These apostates, governed by their lusts, will choose pastors who will preach a gospel promoting immorality. They will choose pastors who will entertain them, who will lie to them, and who will do their bidding for a fee, for power, and for popularity. Such pastors are found especially in mega-churches, but they are also in small churches. They can be found on the radio, on television and on the Internet.

Apostates multiply for themselves teachers who will lie. They do so because they hate the truth. In fact, they will put their fingers in their ears as they did when Stephen was preaching. They cannot tolerate sound doctrine. They get up and go out, because they are condemned by Christ himself. And as they go, they will say, “We are looking for pastors who will never preach the word of God but only lies, myths, the teachings of the devil. We want pastors who will always scratch our continually itching ears,” and they will find them. Most pastors in this country are of that ilk.

Verse 4 tells us that these former believers who had confessed Jesus as their Lord to live for his glory and their eternal happiness, who were baptized and joined Christ’s holy church to live under Christ’s teaching, will turn away from the truth and turn aside to myths, that is, to one lie after another—lies that come from the mouths of the devil’s agents called false pastors. So Paul writes, “Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk” (1 Tim. 1:6). He also warns, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith [the gospel] and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron” (1 Tim. 4:1–2). He also says, “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly” (1 Tim. 4:7).

These myths tell people that Jesus loves them unconditionally. They say, “So go and sin more and have your fill of pleasures of sin. Don’t worry; be happy. There is no judgment and no hell. Jesus is love.”

Four More Commands

In verse 5, Paul gives four more commands.

1. BE SOBER, SELF-CONTROLLED (NÊPHE)

Paul instructs, “But you, Timothy, in contrast to all false prophets, be sober,” meaning be sober in all situations daily. He must always be aware of reality, always be Spirit-filled and Scripture-filled, and always be controlled by the Spirit and the Scriptures. He must be self-controlled and God-conscious.

Elsewhere Paul writes, “So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. . . . But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet” (1 Thess. 5:6, 8). Peter says, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. . . . The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. . . . Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet. 1:13; 4:7; 5:8). This is true of me. There is always a roaring lion trying to swallow me up, and he wants to swallow you up also. Therefore, Peter says, be alert. Do not be confused about anything. Instead, be Spirit-filled and Scripture-filled.

2. SUFFER HARDSHIP (KAKOPATHÊSON)

Then Paul commands, “Suffer hardship.” A pastor should not expect to live a soft life. In fact, Paul tells us to rejoice in problems and sufferings. We should rejoice in tribulations because they will build up our character (Rom. 5:3–4).

Paul says, “Do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. . . . Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. . . . . This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained [Preach the Word!]. . . . If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us” (2 Tim. 1:8; 2:3; 2:8–9; 2:12).

Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). We also read, “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple’” (Luke 14:25–27).

We are called not to a soft life but to suffer hardship. The Hebrews writer says of believers, “Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground” (Heb. 11:35b–38). Go to other parts of the world and you will see how people are suffering for the gospel.

3. DO THE WORK OF AN EVANGELIST (ERGON POIÊSON EUANGELISTOU)

The third imperative in verse 5 is, “Do the work of an evangelist.” We must keep preaching the gospel so that sinners may hear, believe, and be saved. And we are to do so always—not only the preacher but every believer must also evangelize.

Paul writes, “But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel” (Phil. 2:2). He also says, “We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith” (1 Thess. 3:2). Jesus promised, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). We also read, “Now those who had been scattered by the persecution [ordinary people] in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:19–21). It is the responsibility of every Christian to do the work of the evangelist by sharing the gospel. It is the job of ministers as well as every believer.

4. FULFILL YOUR MINISTRY (TÊN DIAKONIAN SOU PLÊROPHORÊSON)

The fourth command Paul gives is, “Fulfill your ministry.” Jesus himself said, “My food is to do the will of God and to finish it” (John 4:34). He prayed, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4). And we read, “When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “Tetelestai – It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:30).

Paul writes, “Tell Archippus: ‘See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord’” (Col. 4:17). We must learn to start, continue, and complete tasks. This is what Paul did. He writes, “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:6–8).

Everyone abandoned Paul. But he writes, “The Lord stood at my side and gave me strength [to finish the job], so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth” (2 Tim. 4:17).

What about you? Have you completed the ministry that God gave you? Paul says, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13). He also says, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. . . . Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Eph. 6:10, 13), meaning to stand as a believer in Jesus Christ. Paul also says, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. . . . But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me’” (2 Cor. 9:8. 2 Cor. 12:9) to finish the work God has given me.

May God help us to love truth, abide in truth, and fulfill the task of living and proclaiming the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit until Christ comes or until we go to him to receive the crown of life.