2 Timothy 4:2
“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”
“Preach the Word!” This is the plea of the Apostle Paul given to Timothy, a pastor and beloved by Paul as a fellow laborer in the word. Well, this admonition is stronger than a plea, isn’t it? It is more on the lines of a directive, a command. Preach the Word! This is a special passage to me for two reasons. The first reason is because this is the primary task for which God called me to do. This is the primary task for all who are called into the ministry as an Elder. In the book of Acts, the apostles called for men to be selected to take care of the physical needs of widows so the Apostles could give their attention to the ministry of the word of God - “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. “Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:3-4, emphasis mine).
There are other duties that fall under the command to “Shepherd the flock of God” ( 1 Peter 5:2). But the primary duty of a pastor is in the ministry of the word of God. The second reason as to why this directive to “preach the word” is special to me will be shared later in this article.
“Preach the Word!” Timothy, in his being calling by God, and set apart by the laying on of hands by a presbytery, is being reminded by Paul that he must remain diligent in this primary task of the ministry of the word. Why? Why is there this need to remind Timothy of his obligation to preach the word? The answer is provided in verse three, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine…” Timothy is to preach the word because there will be people whom Timothy will lead, as their pastor, who will challenge the truth of God’s word. These are described in the passage as having “itching ears” (verse 3). Itching ears is another way of saying they will desire to hear their own truth. Their desire will be for the preacher to preach what they want to hear rather than hearing what God wants them to hear. What is inferred in this reminder is that discouragement and despair can quickly overcome the servant of God. He is human and subject to times of depression. It is possible that Paul here is giving the remedy for Timothy in dealing with such people. It is to “preach the word.”
Paul is warning Timothy to be ready to confront these “itching ear” hearers who either are believers who are greatly deceived, or they are false believers. No matter which is true, the remedy for this problem is for Timothy to “Preach the word.” The Greek word for the verb “preach” means not only to publish or proclaim by voice, but it is do so as a “herald.” All who are ministers of the word of God publish or proclaim that which is given to them. Timothy is a herald. He, like all pastors, speak on behalf of God by preaching the word of God.
Timothy is to publicly proclaim, to those for whom he has the oversight of what God has revealed in his word. And Timothy, as well as all who hold the office of Elder/Pastor, must be ready at any moment to preach the word. For Paul writes, “Be ready in season and out of season.” The one who preaches the word is to always be ready to convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (Verse 2).
The “itching ear” hearer is not unique to the people of the first century in Israel. There are people today who want the preacher to preach what they want to hear. This is plainly evident in denominations who have recently experienced a schism. The core issue in all such divisions is most often the authority of the Scriptures. Is the bible authoritative or is it adaptable? Who defines moral teaching? Is it God through his word, or is it the culture?
What Paul is telling Timothy is what he himself experienced. In most of the letters of Paul to the churches, he is correcting errors that have come into the church by false teachers. Now the letters he wrote that were circulated among the churches of the first century are recognized now as Holy Scripture. Paul made sure of making known to those assembly of believers in real time that he was sent by Jesus and therefore what he writes to them is authoritative. Paul preached the word. He was always “ready in season and out of season to “convince, rebuke, exhort.” This is Timothy’s calling and it remains the calling for pastors today. Preach the word!
Now, the second reason as to why this admonition to “preach the word” is special to me. It is special to me because it is what a pastor said to me upon the occasion of visiting him in an assisted care facility. In this facility, he was confined to a bed, his body failing him. Because of the progression of the disease of Parkinsons, he was unable to lift his head. In one of the moments of our visit together, he spoke those words to me, “Preach the word!” This pastor was Elder Lavone Anderson. I would often refer to him as “Brother Uncle.” He was a family member of mine by marriage. I emphasize "was" because he recently put off his present tabernacle and is now enjoying freedom from a body that failed Him. He is now in the presence of the One whom he loved to preach about.
His words to me that day, I will never forget. I will never forget them not just because they were a reminder to me of my duties as an Elder, but because it was spoken by one who, like Paul, experienced much in the way of hardship in the latter years of his life. His wife, Elizabeth, suffered from dementia and subsequently passed away. His son, Brad, passed away because of cancer. Both sorrowful events happened as he was declining in health. Paul, in the latter years of his life lived in a Roman prison. Elder Lavone Anderson was imprisoned in a body that was ravaged by Parkinsons. Yet that day of our visit, it was important for him to tell me what Paul told Timothy – “preach the word.”
Elder Lavone Anderson no longer could stand in a pulpit to declare publicly the gospel of Jesus Christ. That did not mean he ceased from sharing the gospel to those who would visit with him. The caretakers that would sit with him could attest to that. Preach the Word! This is what he loved to do. He did it in season and out of season. His saying those words to me spoke of how much he longed to fulfil this most sacred duty entrusted to him. I am thankful for his life and for his ministry. To my fellow-laborers in the word, I say “preach the word!”