2 Timothy 4:1-4

2 Timothy 4:1–4 NKJV

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

Paul is instructing Timothy in his role as Pastor,

so this commandment is being given specifically to Pastors,

but there is obviously application for all Christians

Pastors need to

Preach the word.

Not our thoughts or opinions.

Not ted talks or self help

not motivational presentations

Preach the Word.

be ready in season and out of season.

Obviously, pastors need to preach the Word in their sermons

but we need to be prepared in other times as well

What does this look like?

Convince

rebuke

exhort

with longsuffering and teaching.

It is not enough for the man of God to just state the Word of God.

He must convince of its truthfulness and importance

He must rebuke those not heeding it

He must encourage those who confess it to pursue the faith taught in it.

And in doing these things, he must be patient in his teaching of it.

All these things are primarily directed towards Pastors and Elders, but we must all apply these things in our own lives.

Husbands, do this towards your wives.

Fathers and mothers, do this towards your children.

Brethren, do this towards yourself.

The Word of God is central to our lives as Christians

Make sure it is being preached to us.

Why is this so important? For the time is coming when professing believers will not endure sound doctrine.

This is not a new phenomenon, this is not something only in the future for Paul

It is as old as sin

Satan did this in his rebellion

Our first parents did this in the Fall.

And every believer has this temptation in their future.

To turn aside from the sound doctrine found in Scripture and to “heap up for themselves teachers” to scratch their itching ears.

Though this temptation has been with us since the beginning, it has never been easier to accumulate teachers.

Television

Radio

Podcasts

Books

Blogs

even sermons from teachers all around the world, available for download on our phones.

Whatever your itch, you can find someone who will scratch it from the comfort of your own home.

It has never been easier to find and accumulate teachers that will satisfy our own desires, contradicting the teaching of

Parents to their children

Husbands to their wives

Pastors to their congregations

This passage commands a dual responsibility:

Pastors and other teachers of the Word need to be diligent in teaching and preaching the Word

Believers need to be diligent to not follow teachings that match up with their desires,

but to establish their faith in solid preaching, first and foremost within the context of the local church.

Even well-intentioned Christians can accumulate teachers to the detriment of their faith.

Podcasts, books, bible studies, and online sermons are not a substitute for submitting yourself to the teaching authority of elders at your local church.

You can listen to countless hours of MacArthur, Sproul, Washer, Baucham,

Or read endless books and sermons of Owen, Whitefield, Spurgeon, and Edwards

and put your own spiritual well-being in Peril for not prioritizing the spiritual authority in your lives.

Those men, as much of a blessing as they are to us, are not a substitute for your pastor.

Your pastor, not these other men, has been tasked with shepherding your soul.

Your pastor, not these men, is the one who looks you in the eye as he preaches you the word each Lord’s Day.

Your pastor is the one who can speak into your life the necessary convincing, rebuking, and exhortation from the Word of God.

So prioritize the local church where the word of God is preached.

Prioritize the preaching of your pastor, even if you do take advantage of those other resources.

When your theology is formed by selecting things you like or are more interested in like you’re at Golden Corral, you are likely to miss out on teachings and doctrines that you really need.

Being in a church with a pastor who preaches the whole counsel of God will help ensure you don’t miss out on important doctrine, rebukes, and exhortation that you would otherwise miss.

And Pastors, be ready in season and out of season to preach the word of God to your people.