This morning we are looking at the mandate for all preachers.
It is his privilege, his calling, his directive from the King!
Timothy is to "preach the Word!" That is to be the content of his preaching. He is to preach it "in season and out of season" (v.2). He is to preach when it is accepted and when it is rejected. He is to preach it no matter what the climate or conditions are for its hearers. Because "perilous times" are coming (3:1), and the truth is resisted (see v.8), we, as Timothy, are to "continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them" (v.14). As we go through this text, we are going to see what Timothy is to do regardless of the climate.
I. The Charge (vv.1-2)
"I charge you"
A. It is Serious (v.1)
"Charge" Gr.diamarturomai, It is often translated as "to testify" (Strong).
"In pagan Greek it was used to call the gods and men to witness" (Wuest).
Craig Keener, "An oath sworn by a deity or deities was considered especially binding and dangerous to break; in the same way, a charge witnessed by a deity or deities was sacred and inviolable. A broken oath would be avenged by the god whose name was violated" (IVP Bible Background Commentary).
The word "carries the idea of a forceful order or a directive" (MacArthur).
"It should read ‘I solemly witness.’ This was a serious moment" (Wiersbe).
1. Because of who it is before
"Before God and the Lord Jesus Christ"
"Before" Gr.enopion (compound word) "one who is in sight."
Kenneth Wuest, "It is used of one who does or says something in the presence of someone else, and does it with the consciousness that that one has him in sight and mind. Paul delivered this solemn charge to Timothy, conscious of the fact that he was doing so in the sight of God, and he wished Timothy to ever so regard the charge."
"The expression, "God, and the Lord Jesus Christ" is in a construction in Greek which requires us to understand that the word "God" and the names "Lord Jesus Christ" refer to the same person. The translation should read, "our God, even Christ Jesus," the word "Lord" not appearing in the best Greek texts" (Wuest).
John MacArthur, "The solemnity of Paul’s charge is drawn from the fact that it is tied directly to the awesome majesty of the One who commissions men to divine service. Those who are called to proclaim and interpret the Word of God have the most profound responsibility that the Lord places on any man. It is for that reason that James warns, "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well" (James 3:1–2). No human being apart from Jesus has ever spoken perfectly, not even the prophets or apostles, except when recording God’s revealed Word. James readily included himself ("for we all stumble") among those who speak imperfectly and who therefore must take special care to prevent their imperfections from clouding their testimony and besmirching their Lord’s name. That responsibility is especially fearsome in that it is carried out in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus."
2. Because of what they are going to do
"Who will judge the living and the dead"
a) John 5:26-27 - For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.
b) Acts 17:30-31 - Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.
B. It is Specific (v.2)
"Preach the Word"
"Preach translates the first of nine imperatives Paul uses in this passage, five of them in verse 2 (Preach, be ready, reprove, rebuke, exhort) and four in verse 5 (Be sober, endure, do, fulfill)" (MacArthur).
1. Timothy is to proclaim it as an official spokesman for the King
"Preach" Gr.kerusso, "to herald, to proclaim publicly" (MacArthur).
The word was used of "the spokesman for the Emperior, proclaiming in a formal, grave, and authoritative manner which must be listened to, the message which the Emperior gave him to announce" (Wuest).
"The word is in a construction which makes it a summary command to be obeyed at once. It is a sharp command as in military language. This should be the pattern for the preacher today. His preaching should be characterized by that dignity which comes from the consciousness of the fact that he is an official herald of the King of kings. It should be accompanied by that note of authority which will command the respect, careful attention, and proper reaction of the listeners. There is no place for clowning in the pulpit of Jesus Christ" (Wuest).
2. Timothy is to proclaim all the Word of God
"The word "Word" here refers to the whole body of revealed truth" (Wuest), "the entire written Word of God, His complete revealed truth" (MacArthur).
a) 1 Tim.4:13 - Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
"Attention" Gr.proseche (pres.act.imp.), "implies previous preparation in private" (Rienecker).
b) Acts 20:27 ("the whole counsel of God’)
c) Acts 20:20 - "I kept back nothing."
d) Jon.3:2 - "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you."
John Trapp, " Once we had golden ministers and wooden vessels, now we have wooden ministers and golden vessels" (The Golden Treasury of Puritan Quotations).
3. Timothy is to always be ready to preach the Word
Warren Wiersbe, "Timothy should be diligent and alert to use every opportunity to preach the Word, when it is favorable and even when it is not favorable. It is easy to make excuses when we ought to be making opportunities" (The Bible Exposition Commentary).
"Be ready" Gr.espitemi, "to stand by, be present, to be at hand" (Wuest).
This word "was used of a soldier prepared to go into battle or a guard who was continually alert for any surprise attack" (MacArthur Study Bible).
As it is used here, it speaks of "gravity and vigilance" (MacArthur).
"The exhortation is for the preacher to hold himself in constant readiness to proclaim the Word" (Wuest).
J. Vernon McGee, "There is a compulsion upon us. We should be chafing at the bit, ready to give out the Word of God" (Thru the Bible).
Adam Clarke, "Be urgent whether the times be prosperous or adverse, whenever there is an opportunity; and when there is none, strive to make one. The Judge is at the door, and to every man eternity is at hand! Wherever thou meetest a sinner, speak to him the word of reconciliation. Do not be contented with stated times and accustomed places merely; all time and place belong to God, and are proper for his work. Wherever it can be done, there it should be done. Satan will omit neither time nor place where he can destroy. Omit thou none where thou mayest be the instrument of salvation to any" (Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the New Testament).
a) He is to "be ready in season and out of season"
"in season" - "season" Gr.eukairos, "opportune — when opportunity occurs" (Strong). It refers to a "favorable occasion for some event" (Louw-Nida).
"out of season" - "season" Gr.akairos, "inopportunity" (Strong), "an unfavorable time" (Friberg)
Matthew Henry, "Do this work with all fervency of spirit. Call upon those under thy charge to take heed of sin, to do their duty: call upon them to repent, and believe, and live a holy life, and this both in season and out of season. In season, when they are at leisure to hear thee, when some special opportunity offers itself of speaking to them with advantage. Nay, do it out of season, even when there is not that apparent probability of fastening something upon them, because thou dost not know but the Spirit of God may fasten upon them; for the wind bloweth where it listeth; and in the morning we must sow our seed, and in the evening not withhold our hand,’’ Eccl. 11:6. We must do it in season, that is, let slip no opportunity; and do it out of season, that is, not shift off the duty, under pretense that it is out of season.
b) He is to "convince, rebuke and exhort"
(1) "Convince" Gr.elegcho, (aor.act.imp.), "to reprove, rebuke" (Strong), "to disgrace, put to shame" (Liddell-Scott).
A.T. Robertson says it means "to give honor or blame."
It’s "showing someone that he has done something wrong and summoning him to repent" (Friberg).
(a) Mat.18:15 - Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
(b) Lk.3:18-19 - 18 And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20 also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.
The Puritan’s had much to say about this subject:
Richard Baxter, "Oh, sirs, deal with sin as sin, and speak of heaven and hell as they are, and not as if you were in jest."
George Swinnock, "Reprove compassionately. Soft words and hard arguments do well together. Passion will heat the sinner’s blood, but compassion will heal his conscience."
"The reprover should have a lion’s stout heart, or he will not be faithful, and a lady’s soft hand, or he is not like to be successful."
"Some men would receive more blows with more patience, if they were given them with more prudence." (The golden treasury of Puritan quotations).
(2) "Rebuke" Gr.epitimao,
"Reprove and rebuke are closely related in meaning" (MacArthur).
"Reproving may have more to do with affecting the mind, with helping a person understand that what he believes or is doing is wrong. Rebuke, on the other hand, may have to do with the heart, with bringing a person under conviction of guilt" (John MacArthur, 2 Timothy).
Friberg says in his Greek lexicon the word means "to warn, strongly admonish."
Kenneth Wuest adds that it "refers to a rebuke which does not bring the one rebuked to a conviction of any fault on his part. It might be because the one rebuked is innocent of the charge, or that he is guilty but refuses to acknowledge his guilt. This word implies a sharp, severe rebuke with possibly a suggestion in some cases, of impending penalty. Even where the preacher has experienced failure after failure in bringing sinners or saints to forsake their sin, or where there seems little hope of so doing, yet he is to sharply rebuke sin. He has discharged his duty, and the responsibility is upon his hearers to deal with the sin in their lives."
(3) "Exhort" Gr.parakaleo, this word has a wide range of meanings in the NT from "calling out to someone to admonishing" (MacArthur). The word here, in this context, means to admonish but also carries "the idea of encouragement" (MacArthur).
Warren Wiersbe, "Preaching must be marked by three elements: conviction, warning, and appeal ("reprove, rebuke, exhort"). To quote an old rule of preachers, "He should afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted." If there is conviction but no remedy, we add to people’s burdens. And if we encourage those who ought to be rebuked, we are assisting them to sin. Biblical preaching must be balanced" (The Bible Exposition Commentary).
a) 1 Thess.2:11-12 - As you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, 12 that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
b) 1 Thess.5:14 - Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.
(3) He is to "convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching."
"Don’t be afraid to reprove or rebuke but do it with long-suffering and doctrine. The minister’s personal feelings are not the grounds for reproof: doctrine alone is that ground" (KJV Bible Commentary).
a) "Longsuffering" Gr.makrothumia, "patience" (UBS). It’s a "state of emotional quietness in the face of unfavorable circumstances" (Friberg).
The word literally means "to abide under" and refers here to "patience with people" (MacArthur).
Paul is calling for Timothy to be patient with members of his flock "who may have been persistently stubborn and were resisting their pastor’s admonitions" (MacArthur).
b) "Doctrine" Gr.didache, refers to "what is taught, teaching, instruction or the act of teaching" (UBS).
"Vincent says in this connection: "Longsuffering is to be maintained against the temptations to anger presented by the obstinacy and perverseness of certain hearers; and such is to be met, not merely with rebuke, but also with sound and reasonable instruction in the truth." Calvin says: "Those who are strong only in fervor and sharpness, but are not fortified with solid doctrine, weary themselves in their vigorous efforts, make a great noise, rave … make no headway because they build without a foundation." (Cited by Kenneth Wuest).
John MacArthur, "Didacheµ (instruction) is foundational to preaching, reproving, rebuking, and exhortation. It is only through careful teaching of the Word that those tasks can be successfully carried out by a pastor. An unbeliever will not be convicted of his sin and come to salvation apart from some instruction from God’s Word about his lost condition and his need for saving faith in Jesus Christ. Nor will a believer be convicted of his sin and brought to repentance and restoration apart from the work of the Word in his heart" (2 Timothy).
CONCLUSION
1. As we conclude the message today, let me ask you how ready are you to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
2. Are you doing it when the opportunities are there and when they’re not?
3. Are you sharing when it’s favorable and when it’s not?
4. Next, let me ask you if God is giving you an understanding of the preachers task?
5. He is to "Preach the Word!" And in preaching the Word he is to preach it by convincing, rebuking and exhorting.
6. In other words, He is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable!
