For This, You Will Answer

The Only Thing
2 Tim 4:1-5

Introductory Notes

· Dangerous Times—2 Tim 3:1-13
· God’s Man and God’s Word—2 Tim 3:14-17

1. The Charge—2 Tim 4:1 “…I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 preach the Word…”

a. The Word Meanings

(1) “…Charge…”—This is a legal word, having to do with testifying in a court of law or ordering someone else to testify truthfully. It is like the judge charging the jury to do their duty, or a military man being given orders to carry out.

(2) “…before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom…” The young preacher, Timothy, is placed face to face with Jesus, to whom he will answer for every word preached.

(3) “…Preach the Word…”—that means to proclaim the Word of God, not to preach about it, at it, around it, or from it, but to preach the Word itself!

(4) This word is an imperative, which means it is a command.

b. The illustration:

(1) As a Christian, I will answer to Christ Jesus someday for how well I lived for Him. How well did I fulfill Ir role as husband, father, and Christian man. But as a man of God, I have a much greater responsibility for which I will also answer.

James 3:1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

(2) I will stand one day, at the Judgment Seat of Christ. I will not be looking up into the face of some preacher, but into the Face of God.
(3) I will stand there in front of the Lord Jesus Himself and answer for every word I preach, every sermon and every lesson I bring out, everything that I studied in God’s Word.
(4) I will not answer for whether or not I made every meeting.
(5) I will not answer for whether or not I made people feel good about themselves
(6) I will not answer for whether or not I was popular, socially acceptable, or affectionately thought of by the people.
(7) I will not answer for whether or not I took care of every errand someone in the church thought the preacher ought to do.
(8) I will answer to God for what God has called me to do—to preach His Word.
(9) Everything in this passage is a finger pointing to me and to every preacher of the Gospel.

· The Holy Spirit says, through Paul, a simple command—preach the Word.

2. What is preaching the Word?

a. What it is not

(1) Hobby horses
(2) Entertainment
(3) Emotional exercises in search of a meaning
(4) Speeches intended to make you feel good.

b. Preaching the Word is proclaiming the Word

(1) The OT examples—3800 times—“thus saith the LORD,” “God said…” or words to that effect!
(2) The clearest OT Example—Neh 8
(a) They read the Word publicly, and the people stood for this reading.

(b) Neh 8:8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

(i) They read distinctly—that means they read in such a way as to make the words clear and understandable.
(ii) They gave the sense—that is, they gave the meaning of the words they were reading
(iii) They caused them to understand—that is, they explained the words and the meaning in such a way that the people could make application to their own lives.

(3) The NT Examples—

(a) John the Baptist—The prophets prophesied him, and he preached them!

(b) Jesus—taught, preached, everywhere. Jesus did not teach simply and sweetly, but He preached the deep things of the Word, often having to explain what He said to His disciples afterward.

(c) Luke 24—Christ exposited the OT!

Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Luke 24:32 And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?"

(d) The Apostles—declared the Word, preached the Word—examples, Peter, Stephen, Philip—they gave clear exposition of the Old Testament history, showing that Christ was the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.

(e) Paul’s teaching and preaching

Acts 17:2 "Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,"

Acts 19:8 "And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God."

(f) Paul’s instructions

Rom 1:15 "So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also."

Rom 10:13-15 "… "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!""

Rom 16:25 "Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ…”

1 Cor 9:16 "… woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!"

1 Cor 15:11 "Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed."

Titus 1:1-3 "… God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, 3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, …"

1 Tim 4:13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

Titus 2:1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

3. Necessary Questions:

a. Why preach the Word?

(1) God commands His man to do so.
(2) The example has been set

(a) Prophets and patriarchs of the OT
(b) The Lord Jesus
(c) The Apostles and Prophets of the NT
(d) The Great Godly men of history.

(3) Only preaching the Word Saves Sinners—

1 Cor 1:17-18 "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."

1 Cor 1:23 "But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;"

1 Pet 1:23-25 "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. …: 25… the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."

(4) Only preaching the Word grows saints

Eph 4:11-12 "… pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…”

(5) Only preaching the Word prepares warriors—every part of the Gospel armor is related to the Word.

b. Who preaches the Word?

(1) Those qualified (by God’s standards)

(a) 1 Tim 3:1-7 “…A bishop then must be…”

ü blameless
ü the husband of one wife
ü vigilant
ü sober
ü of good behaviour
ü given to hospitality
ü apt to teach
ü Not given to wine
ü no striker
ü not greedy of filthy lucre
ü but patient, not a brawler,
ü not covetous
ü One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
ü 6 Not a novice…”
ü 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; …”

(c) Titus 1:9 “…Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers…”

(2) Those called (by God’s Spirit)—Gal 1:15-16 "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen…”

4. When, and How Preach the Word?

a. In season…Out of season—

(1) When it is convenient, when it is not convenient.
(2) When it is popular, when it is not popular.
(3) When times are good, and when they are bad.
(4) It is like your marriage covenant—for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health…

b. Reprove (with all longsuffering and doctrine)

(1) This is to rebuke by making convincing arguments, through preaching and teaching, by giving evidence in the Bible.

(2) This word means to convince or convict. It is the same word used of the Holy Spirit’s convicting ministry in John 16:8— “… And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:…”

(3) It means to challenge people with the Word of God, that they might be convicted of the sin in their life.


c. Rebuke (with all longsuffering and doctrine)—This is beyond reproof and conviction. This is a plain old reprimand, a sharp rebuke. The argument has been given, now it boils down to standing up and rebuking those who will not listen.

(1) This is the word used when Jesus rebuked the sea

Mat 8:26 "A…Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm."

(2) This is the word used when Jesus cast out demons

Mat 8:26 "And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm."

d. Exhort (with all longsuffering and doctrine)—This is positive, this is the encouragement given.

e. With all longsuffering and doctrine.

(1) The preacher-teacher must be patient
(2) The preacher-teacher must always be willing, ready, and prepared to teach.
(3) The preacher-teacher must always undergird all messages with the doctrines of the Bible, not the ideas of men.

5. Why Preach the Word in this manner? (4:3-4)

a. The season will come when most people in most churches won’t want to hear sound doctrine!—the hard times we talked about Wednesday evening. Now is such a time.

(1) Note, this doesn’t talk about the totally non-religious!
(2) The unchurched lost man or woman does not care what the preacher preaches—they are not there!

(3) This is talking about lost religious folks, who have a form of religion, but deny the power thereof, and who won’t endure sound doctrine!

b. The Hypocrites won’t endure sound doctrine, so they will become apparent.

(1) Sound doctrine will smoke out lost church members. They will either get right or get out.
(2) Sound doctrine will challenge weak Christians and strengthen them.

c. The Hypocrites, the Lost religious people, will find teachers they like, who will preach what they want to hear.

(1) First, they will gather, heap, to themselves teachers and preachers who will teach and preach what they want to hear.

(a) Why are there so many heretics on the airwaves and so many preachers willing to compromise to draw a crowd?

(b) Because demand creates supply.

(2) Itching ears—Their ears want to be tickled, be soothed. They don’t want to hear anything that will challenge their beliefs or convict them of their sins.

d. The hypocrites will listen to fables, myths. They will be perverted from (turned from) the Truth to myths.

(1) Myths about who God is and what He is like.
(2) Myths like the carnal Christian theory, which says people can have eternal life, but show no evidence of eternal life within them.
(3) Myths like the ridiculous idea that there is any significance whatsoever to a name on a church roll when the person matching the name has no interest at all in the things of God or in that local church.
(4) Myths like emotional shaggy dog stories which make us laugh, cry, or get stirred up, but which mean nothing biblically.
(5) Myths about Truth, which says that God has changed His rules for nearly everything, that any lifestyle is acceptable to God.

e. Biblical preaching is offensive to the natural mind, to the lost man or woman, and to some degree to the undiscipled Christian.

(1) Biblical preaching inflames the opposition of the proud.
(2) Biblical preaching offends the merely religious
(3) Biblical preaching does not please those looking for a positive, ego-comforting, feel-good message.

6. How is the preacher to Conduct His Ministry in the light of all this?

a. Watch In ALL Things—The ministry is not conducted on autopilot. You must continually be on guard and watchful in all areas.

(1) Watch yourself

Acts 20:28 ""Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers…

1 Cor 10:12 "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall."

1 Tim 4:16 "Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you."

(2) Watch out for the sheep—God places His men on guard over the sheep of His pasture; you are to guard against dangers from without and from within.

Acts 20:28 ""Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."

(3) Take heed to the mission you have been given. God has given His men a mission in life, and each man’s mission is not the same, but the overall goal of all the missions is the same goal.

1 Cor 3:10 "According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it."

Col 4:17 "And say to Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.""


b. Endure hardships—There are many trials and hardships in the ministry. The Man of God must endure them. 2 Tim 2:3 "You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ…”

c. Evangelize—you must be ever ready to evangelize, to speak the Word to all you encounter.

d. Prove—to completely carry out and finish—God has given you the ministry of the Word, and you are to carry out and finish that ministry completely.