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: 2 Preach the word! Be ready
in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all
longsuffering and teaching. 3 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; 4 and they will turn their
ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in
all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your
ministry.
The charge/command the Apostle Paul gives here is given in the light of his previous exhortation on the fact that all of Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness etc. (2 Tim 3:16-17). Therefore the Apostle Paul's imperative here is to do just that! "Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." vs .2
And so the Apostle commands us to convince people of the gospel and or their need for it, rebuke those who are sinning, exhort all to receive the life of Christ while they can, and to strive to obey the gospel, for that is where true wisdom is found. And this do with all longsuffering and teaching. For Spiritual truth sometimes takes time to take root in someones heart. Now this is given as an exhortation before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and Kingdom. Thus there is an urgency, but also a responsibility not to drift from the Word of God but to preach it, period. Let the political and worldly pundits preach politics and the worlds affairs (consider 2 Tim 2:4). But you and I are charged to preach the Word of God! Not seasonally; that is not just on Sunday at church, or at a home meeting, or Bible study, or Bible conference somewhere, but everywhere, all the time, as doors open and opportunities present themselves. That is what Paul is emphatically saying: "Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season." For that is the preachers job, to be ready to preach the Word of God at a moments notice, and thus to be ready at all times to bring Scriptural Knowledge, Wisdom and Light, and thus Spiritual truth to anyone, in anyplace, at anytime. For that is what Jesus did. Everywhere He went, and every encounter He had with someone, He always introduced Kingdom truth and reality into it. As He said: It is for this reason I have come forth, so that I might preach the gospel of the Kingdom (consider Matt 4:23; Luke 4:18-19; 4:43; 8:1 etc.). And that is what Jesus commands of us all who follow Him. To go into every place and unashamedly and urgently preach the Kingdom of heaven to everyone, everywhere in everyplace. To simply share the Good News about Him; (consider Matt 10:27-33; 11:1; Mark 16:15; Luke 9:60; 24:46-48). And that is just what the early church did. They went out and preached the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. You want a return to 1st century Christianity; a return to a pure and unadulterated and unworldly faith, then begin by preaching the Kingdom of God. That by repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, crucified and raised from the dead, anyone can have remission of all their sins and everlasting life; all by faith in Jesus (John 3:16; Rom 10:9-10; 13). For it is when the Lord Jesus Christ is both preached and believed on, that those who believe, then receive the life and transforming power of God, by the Spirit of God, into their own lives as well! And so it's not just the preachers "job" or "burden" to share the Gospel, though there are burdens to be born in sharing it, it is a great privilege. And thus all of our responsibility who believe to share the Lord Jesus Christ through our own unique persons; personalities and experiences.
Now in order to effectively do just that one must know the Scriptures as the Apostle Paul previously told Timothy to do (see 1 Tim 4:15-16). For preaching the King and the Kingdom of God means you must first know Him and what it is He teaches and commands of us all; because as the end draws near there will be those professing believers who will fall away from the true faith, as Paul warns here and elsewhere (consider 2 Thess 2:1-4; 1 Tim 4:1-3; Titus 1:14 etc.). "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; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. vs. 3-5
Therefore everything begins with sound doctrine. For one cannot evangelize, nor make sound disciples unless you preach, teach, and live out sound doctrine. Therefore everything starts there. Yet as the Apostle Paul warns the time will come when professing believers will not endure sound doctrine. But according to their own desires (not God's) because they will have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers. That is they will raise up for themselves so called "teachers" who will teach and preach to them what they want to hear; "entertaining" them with new "spiritual" ideas, fables as the Apostle Paul refers to them here. And thus be turned away from the Gospel! Therefore in light of such perilous things he commands Timothy, and us all who believe, to first be watchful in all things, (not just watchful for the Lord's return). But watchful in all things, knowing that there will be an apostasy and apostates within the House of Faith. And thus to be personally watchful of not only ones own life and doctrine, but also of where ones church assembly is going. For if it is not going faithfully forward with the Lord Jesus Christ by preaching and teaching His gospel of His Kingdom, and thus keeping His and His Biblical Apostle's commandments, it will not go anywhere. Therefore we must always ask ourselves are we staying with Christ or straying into fables and otherwise fruitless and useless so called "spiritual" things? Therefore be watchful!
The second thing the Apostle Paul says is to endure afflictions. For as he said earlier all who desire to live godly will suffer persecution, and thus there will be those kinds of afflictions to endure (2 Tim 3:12). But here the Apostle Paul lays particular stress on personal ones. Afflictions born out of living for Christ and believing in Him, surely, but also, afflictions of life as it were. For nowhere does God promise believers lives void of having to endure these things; whether physical pain, hardships or distresses, of whatever sorts. Whether born out of illness, injury or injustice. Nonetheless when these things occur, as they surely will, we do not "throw in the towel" when we get a little beaten up, whether by the world or Satan or anything or anyone else. Rather we learn from these things, we grow, and we continually carry on, always looking forward to what is ahead (2 Cor 4:16).
The finial exhortation the Apostle Paul gives is for Timothy to do the work of an evangelist, to fulfill his ministry. Something that you and I can also take to heart whether we are Spirit equipped for evangelism or not. For we all have ministries from the Lord. Whether in the home, or workplace, or in some sort of volunteering capacity, inside the church, or elsewhere. We all have God given ministries and purposes for our lives, and it is incumbent upon us all to do and pursue those things.
To fulfill the ministries that we have been given, and not hinder others, but to encourage and strengthen all, so that all might succeed in whatever calling God has placed on their lives.
Now it all begins with ones faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. By first believing; and thus trusting in His Crucifixion death and Resurrection from the dead, one receives the life of Christ into their own (Rom 10:9, 10; 13; Gal 2:20). Everything else then that comes under the grand "tabernacle" of discipleship (or following Jesus) is born out of having first received the grace of God by faith in Jesus Christ (Titus 3:4-7). Therefore begin there, by first seeing your need for your sins remission; and thus your own helplessness to either atone for your sins, or bring the life of God within you, and God will bring His life; Christ's Life by the Spirit of God within you the moment you believe (Eph 1:13-14).
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982
The charge/command the Apostle Paul gives here is given in the light of his previous exhortation on the fact that all of Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness etc. (2 Tim 3:16-17). Therefore the Apostle Paul's imperative here is to do just that! "Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." vs .2
And so the Apostle commands us to convince people of the gospel and or their need for it, rebuke those who are sinning, exhort all to receive the life of Christ while they can, and to strive to obey the gospel, for that is where true wisdom is found. And this do with all longsuffering and teaching. For Spiritual truth sometimes takes time to take root in someones heart. Now this is given as an exhortation before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and Kingdom. Thus there is an urgency, but also a responsibility not to drift from the Word of God but to preach it, period. Let the political and worldly pundits preach politics and the worlds affairs (consider 2 Tim 2:4). But you and I are charged to preach the Word of God! Not seasonally; that is not just on Sunday at church, or at a home meeting, or Bible study, or Bible conference somewhere, but everywhere, all the time, as doors open and opportunities present themselves. That is what Paul is emphatically saying: "Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season." For that is the preachers job, to be ready to preach the Word of God at a moments notice, and thus to be ready at all times to bring Scriptural Knowledge, Wisdom and Light, and thus Spiritual truth to anyone, in anyplace, at anytime. For that is what Jesus did. Everywhere He went, and every encounter He had with someone, He always introduced Kingdom truth and reality into it. As He said: It is for this reason I have come forth, so that I might preach the gospel of the Kingdom (consider Matt 4:23; Luke 4:18-19; 4:43; 8:1 etc.). And that is what Jesus commands of us all who follow Him. To go into every place and unashamedly and urgently preach the Kingdom of heaven to everyone, everywhere in everyplace. To simply share the Good News about Him; (consider Matt 10:27-33; 11:1; Mark 16:15; Luke 9:60; 24:46-48). And that is just what the early church did. They went out and preached the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. You want a return to 1st century Christianity; a return to a pure and unadulterated and unworldly faith, then begin by preaching the Kingdom of God. That by repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, crucified and raised from the dead, anyone can have remission of all their sins and everlasting life; all by faith in Jesus (John 3:16; Rom 10:9-10; 13). For it is when the Lord Jesus Christ is both preached and believed on, that those who believe, then receive the life and transforming power of God, by the Spirit of God, into their own lives as well! And so it's not just the preachers "job" or "burden" to share the Gospel, though there are burdens to be born in sharing it, it is a great privilege. And thus all of our responsibility who believe to share the Lord Jesus Christ through our own unique persons; personalities and experiences.
Now in order to effectively do just that one must know the Scriptures as the Apostle Paul previously told Timothy to do (see 1 Tim 4:15-16). For preaching the King and the Kingdom of God means you must first know Him and what it is He teaches and commands of us all; because as the end draws near there will be those professing believers who will fall away from the true faith, as Paul warns here and elsewhere (consider 2 Thess 2:1-4; 1 Tim 4:1-3; Titus 1:14 etc.). "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; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. vs. 3-5
Therefore everything begins with sound doctrine. For one cannot evangelize, nor make sound disciples unless you preach, teach, and live out sound doctrine. Therefore everything starts there. Yet as the Apostle Paul warns the time will come when professing believers will not endure sound doctrine. But according to their own desires (not God's) because they will have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers. That is they will raise up for themselves so called "teachers" who will teach and preach to them what they want to hear; "entertaining" them with new "spiritual" ideas, fables as the Apostle Paul refers to them here. And thus be turned away from the Gospel! Therefore in light of such perilous things he commands Timothy, and us all who believe, to first be watchful in all things, (not just watchful for the Lord's return). But watchful in all things, knowing that there will be an apostasy and apostates within the House of Faith. And thus to be personally watchful of not only ones own life and doctrine, but also of where ones church assembly is going. For if it is not going faithfully forward with the Lord Jesus Christ by preaching and teaching His gospel of His Kingdom, and thus keeping His and His Biblical Apostle's commandments, it will not go anywhere. Therefore we must always ask ourselves are we staying with Christ or straying into fables and otherwise fruitless and useless so called "spiritual" things? Therefore be watchful!
The second thing the Apostle Paul says is to endure afflictions. For as he said earlier all who desire to live godly will suffer persecution, and thus there will be those kinds of afflictions to endure (2 Tim 3:12). But here the Apostle Paul lays particular stress on personal ones. Afflictions born out of living for Christ and believing in Him, surely, but also, afflictions of life as it were. For nowhere does God promise believers lives void of having to endure these things; whether physical pain, hardships or distresses, of whatever sorts. Whether born out of illness, injury or injustice. Nonetheless when these things occur, as they surely will, we do not "throw in the towel" when we get a little beaten up, whether by the world or Satan or anything or anyone else. Rather we learn from these things, we grow, and we continually carry on, always looking forward to what is ahead (2 Cor 4:16).
The finial exhortation the Apostle Paul gives is for Timothy to do the work of an evangelist, to fulfill his ministry. Something that you and I can also take to heart whether we are Spirit equipped for evangelism or not. For we all have ministries from the Lord. Whether in the home, or workplace, or in some sort of volunteering capacity, inside the church, or elsewhere. We all have God given ministries and purposes for our lives, and it is incumbent upon us all to do and pursue those things.
To fulfill the ministries that we have been given, and not hinder others, but to encourage and strengthen all, so that all might succeed in whatever calling God has placed on their lives.
Now it all begins with ones faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. By first believing; and thus trusting in His Crucifixion death and Resurrection from the dead, one receives the life of Christ into their own (Rom 10:9, 10; 13; Gal 2:20). Everything else then that comes under the grand "tabernacle" of discipleship (or following Jesus) is born out of having first received the grace of God by faith in Jesus Christ (Titus 3:4-7). Therefore begin there, by first seeing your need for your sins remission; and thus your own helplessness to either atone for your sins, or bring the life of God within you, and God will bring His life; Christ's Life by the Spirit of God within you the moment you believe (Eph 1:13-14).
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982
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