Click here for the 2 Timothy 4:1-2 PODCAST
1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. ~ 2 Timothy 4:1-2
We now approach the apex of the Apostle Paul's second letter to Timothy. From the loneliness of his prison cell in Rome, and in view of his approaching death which he knows is coming, Paul gives a crescendo command to Timothy.
The Apostle begins with: "In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus." Paul flings back the boundaries of time and space to reveal to Timothy the unseen realities before whom every Christian lives and labors. We are never out of the purview of God, and, if we learn to make Him our only audience, we will avoid many pitfalls.
There is nothing more helpful to us in the midst of pressure than to realize that when we do the Lord's work, we are doing the most important thing in the world. Like Timothy, we see ourselves as a tiny minority amidst an overwhelming, mounting majority committed to evil and unbelief. Our voice seems to be a mere whisper in the tumult of chaos and the clamor of voices that seem to shout so loudly that those whom we are trying to reach are deaf only to us.
We live in a world where narcissism is on the rise. In fact, Americans are experiencing an epidemic in narcissistic behavior in a culture that is intrinsically self-conscious and selfish. The preoccupation of self is where sin began in the first place.
As we continue reading v.1 we read, "who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge."
It is good for us to occasionally reflect on the fact that one day we will face God and our works will be judged. For one thing, this realization would encourage us to do our work carefully and faithfully. It would also deliver us from the fear of man; for, after all, our final Judge is God.
In v. 2 we read, "Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season." This is the main responsibility that Paul shared in this section with Timothy. Everything else he wrote is related to this. The word "preach" means “to preach like a herald.”
In Paul’s day, the king had a special herald who made announcements to the people. He was commissioned by the king to make his announcements in a loud, clear voice so everyone could hear him. Not to heed the ruler’s message was serious business. To fail to heed oftentimes meant death.
Like you and I, Timothy was to herald God’s Word with the authority of heaven behind him. The Word of God is what all humans most desperately need for it is the word of God which frames up and defines things best. Failure to hear God's definition of things is serious business. It could lead to death, worse yet, it could lead to eternal death.
When we come to God's word, we must be aware that we are interacting with Him, not just His word. We must never come to God’s Word to just prepare for a message. We must go to God’s Word to discover and meet with Him.
Like Timothy, we must be diligent and alert to use every opportunity to preach the Word, when it is favorable and even when it is not favorable. Paul himself always found an opportunity to share the Word, whether it was in town, on a chaotic sea, or even in prison.
The message we proclaim is often difficult and offensive. The message of the cross is a stumbling block to some, foolishness to others. The natural man does not understand the things of God for they are foolishness to him.
Our message must be delivered through three avenues: correction, reproof and encourage. The needs of the hearer will determine how we share what God has given us. If we encourage those who ought to be rebuked, we are assisting them to sin. And, if we fail to encourage those who need it, we will be in danger of legalism. Sharing the message in a biblical fashion must be balanced, and if we are not walking with the Lord, we may do more harm than good.
The word "correct" is a word addressed to the mind, it is the intellectual approach. When we give a reasonable, logical explanation of what is going on in the world, for why men act the way they do, and why God's word provides the answer, they are more likely to listen to more.
The word "reproof" is the address to someone who has fallen into sin, someone who needs a word that will appeal to the conscience because of sin which is destroying him or her. Sometimes it is necessary to speak a word that points out the evil effects of wrongdoing, a word that seeks to address the conscience to turn away from sin so that it no longer spreads evil among humanity.
The word "encourage" is the address of the soul. It addresses the will and its need to act. Many people are fearful to try something new, fearful to believe something that they cannot prove. This is when the approach of encouragement comes in, exhorting them and encouraging their wills to set aside their fears and believe the truth. We are to involve ourselves in all of these helpful approaches.
We must be patient as we share the Word with others. We will not always see immediate results. A trusting attitude and a patient attitude go hand in hand. You see, when we let go and learn to trust God, it releases joy into our lives. And when we trust God, we will be able to be more patient with people. Patience is not just about waiting for something, it's about how we wait, or our attitude while waiting.
Above all else, we must have biblically informed doctrine. The apostle writes, "with great patience and careful instruction." Patience and care are so important when we are trying to make a difference in someone's eternity. This is the effect of the word of God on the sincere soul of a man who wants to share the truth with the needy.
