Articles
2 Tim 4 - Preach the Word
2 Tim 4 - Preach the Word
1 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. (2 Tim. 4:1-2 HCSB)
While elsewhere, Paul instructs Timothy on ‘being an evangelist’, here is uses the word ‘Proclaim’. The NASB95 and ESV translate it in this place ‘preach’. A quick look at this in the NASB95 shows that it interchanges the translation with ‘preach’ and ‘proclaim’. Such was done by John the Baptist (Matt. 3.1), Jesus (Matt. 4:17, 23, etc.), the apostles (Matt. 10:7), Jonah (Matt. 12:41), Paul (Gal. 2:2).
To the best of our abilities, each of us takes part in doing this. As we share the message about Jesus and the offer of forgiveness and reconciliation to God, we must pay attention to both the content and our conduct. In proclaiming the gospel, we are to rebuke, correct, and encourage. Our conduct while doing this is to be patient, and the goal is to teach. Earlier Paul expressed such conduct by saying that “The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,” (2 Timothy 2:24).
We develop the content of our teaching by being “constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following” (1 Timothy 4:6). We develop our character while teaching by constantly examining both our motives and our deportment. Such self-examination followed by correction and growth will mold us into effective servants of the Lord.
How are you doing in this aspect of discipleship?
Hugh DeLong
