Preach The Word
PREACH THE WORD
2 TIMOTHY 4:1-5
Speaking the word is an urgent matter. Whether the occasion is convenient for us or not, we are always to be on duty for the gospel.
From what Paul has been saying Timothy should be active in God’s service. There is no point in having a servant of God who is “complete and equipped for every good work” if that person sits down and does nothing. So having pointed to the use of Scripture that will enable Timothy to become the sort of person he should be, Paul immediately goes on to urge him to make the greatest use of the training he has had. This is no light matter and Paul introduces it with a solemn charge before God and Christ. He describes Christ as Judge, which will remind Timothy that he is responsible, that he will one day give account of himself to the Jesus before whom Paul charges him.
The content of the appeal boils down to one pithy command “preach the word” (4:2). All else is simply commentary. Today people are often filled with the importance of modern knowledge and with the necessity for Christians to be aware of the contributions of science, philosophy, etc to our understanding of life and the universe. It is good in such times to remember from where the essential Christian message comes. We must not be obscure, and we certainly cannot hope to preach the gospel with any prospect of success if we ignore the world in which we live or insist on using the thought patterns of a past age. But it is still the case that the essence of the gospel is a given message. We are not at liberty to manipulate its terms (see eg Galatians 1:6f.).
Paul points out that Timothy will face a time when people will prefer another message. In every age faithful preachers of the gospel have found that this is the case. There is something about the gospel that puts down human pride, and leaves people utterly dependent on the grace of God. This does not appeal to people in their natural state and their ears “itch” for someone who will flatter their ego more. In this frame of mind such people will listen to any myth rather than the gospel. But this does not mean that the servants of God are to go along with the demand. They are to be constant to follow what they know to be right. It means steadiness, and it means enduring suffering (see also 3:12). But it also means that God’s servants fulfill their ministry (4:5). And there is no greater satisfaction on earth than that.