I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word [as an official messenger]; be ready when the time is right and even when it is not [keep your sense of urgency, whether the opportunity seems favorable or unfavorable, whether convenient or inconvenient, whether welcome or unwelcome]; correct [those who err in doctrine or behavior], warn [those who sin], exhort and encourage [those who are growing toward spiritual maturity], with inexhaustible patience and [faithful] teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, and will turn their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable].—2 Timothy 4:1-4 AMP
I love the way the AMP dives deeper into a lot of God’s Word and this passage especially. It is important to note, that like most of the rest of God’s Word, this passage was written specifically referring to those who call themselves Christians. This is NOT meant for Christians to judge, rebuke, etc., those outside of Jesus’ Church. Yes, we’re to live our lives in the world as we’re part of it, but different than the world so that the lost world would come to know Jesus. When they see the difference in our lives they will want to know The Hope that lives in us! (1 Peter 3:15).
Paul is talking to his disciple Timothy, who he left to pastor the church in Ephesus. But just because Paul is telling Timothy what to do, and what to do as a pastor, does NOT mean that we aren’t to do the same. If that were the case, then The LORD wouldn’t have preserved it for us to read! It would also negate a lot of other Scripture!
As Christians we are all “official messengers” of The LORD. Why else do we think we’re here? Certainly, there aren’t any Scripture verses that say we’re here to satisfy ourselves and all the desires and wants of our flesh, but we can find many that say the opposite!
Paul tells us that we are ALWAYS to be ready to share God’s Word. Many think this means sharing The Gospel. I believe we are to always share The Gospel with the way we live our lives and then be ready to share it with our speech whenever we find an open door, but I don’t believe that is what this passage teaches.
Remember that this passage was written to Timothy so that he would be instructed with what to preach/teach to those who were believers in the church. He tells us that there are only 2 times that we as believers in Christ are to be ready to preach The Gospel, in season and out of season, in other words ALL the time! Here in the AMP it says that we’re to keep our sense of urgency to do this whether we think it’s favorable or not, convenient or not, welcomed or not, etc. Remember again, this is for those of us who call ourselves Christians and we’re to do this to those that are in our circle, in other words, our one another people relationships!
Nowhere in God’s Word are we told that we don't have to say anything. God spoke everything into existence and has continually spoken to and through creation to us since then. (Genesis 1) We are to do the same! Yes, often times we need to gain the PRIVILEGE of sharing with others, and this comes by being one another people. We’re not in other peoples lives to just point out the err in their ways, but rather to come alongside of them and to disciple them as we’re also being discipled. If we don't live like The Bible says we're to live, then we're living like the world, (there are only 2 ways), and those around us will see our hypocrisy and will not want to listen to us! So yes, we need to be ready to and then we need to share with others.
Paul then gets into exactly what it is we’re to do with the Christians in our circle. We’re to correct those who err in doctrine or behavior and warn those who are living in unrepentant sin.
We need to practice Matthew 7:1-5 before and while doing this, by first examining our own hearts for unrepentant sin and then for the motive by which we want to speak God’s Truth into their lives. This requires us being in God’s Word and in prayer consistently as we allow The Holy Spirit to lead, guide, and direct us in what to say. We are ONLY to use God’s Word, not man’s or the world’s empty philosophies, as we share with others, as Paul tells us in the first words of our passage here!
We also are to exhort and encourage others as they too grow to become more like Christ! Again, all of this is done solely with God’s Word. This passage comes right after 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and in many ways they both explain the other. Again, from the AMP—All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately— behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
None of this happens overnight. It begins with intentionally developing those one another, back and forth, relationships. We are to be patient with others as The LORD is patient with us. We need to stick with it. We don’t let any “new” doctrine, culture, etc., sway us from the standards and principles set forth in God’s Word.
Why is all of this so important and so urgent for us to be doing now? Just look around you. There is an urgency for Jesus’ Church to live like Jesus as there’s never been in our lifetimes. We are on a slippery slope. The gap between what the church is and stands for has become almost non-existent. We’ve become so much like the world and the church is slowly drifting away into oblivion. (Hebrews 2:1-4).
Churches are full of pastors and so-called Christians who no longer tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction. They don’t want to be challenged with God’s truth; it is NOT relative to how they want to live their lives. They’d rather have their ears tickled by hearing things that make them happy, things that play into their feelings and their love for themselves so that they can live their lives however they want with no condemnation. They’ve shut out The Holy Spirit if He ever lived there in the first place.
Instead of listening to sound teachings from God’s Word, they’re busy changing by-laws of churches and denominations that no longer reflect God’s Word. They hire pastors that tell them what they want to hear, simple feel good about me sermons with no depth and very little truth if any. Anyone and anything that satisfies their own fleshly desires and support the errors they believe in over the inerrancy of God’s perfect Word! Look at the churches in Revelation 2-3, and you’ll read exactly what Jesus had to say to them. Unfortunately, our so-called churches have become much the same and judgement is coming soon. You can read the rest of The Book of Revelation to see the future of this world.
If you’re on the side of making The Bible fit into your life, STOP IT! It’s not too late to turn back to The LORD until it’s too late. Only God knows when that will be. Call on The LORD while He may still be found! (Isaiah 55:6)
If you’re part of a church that teaches the whole Bible from cover to cover and challenges you to let The Holy Spirit change you from the inside out as He molds you into the image of Christ, then great! So then ask yourself if you’re part of the one another process that is called discipleship? If not, then what steps will you take to become part of it. Jesus told us that we’re to go into all the world and make disciples of those around us by teaching them all He taught us! (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus also told us that we’re to love God and love others, and this love is described as an all-out, sacrificing ourselves for God and those around us type of love. (Matthew 22:37-40). Jesus also told us that if we really love Him unconditionally then we’d obey His commandments. (John 14:15).
We need to ask ourselves if we really want to be Jesus’ disciples. If we do, then that requires death. Death to the desires of ALL the things that we want to do as we rise to newness of life in Christ and follow Him by doing those things that The LORD wants us to do! (Matthew 16:24-27). Anyone who is a Christian is a new creation and the old man is dead and gone! (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Remember as Christ's return gets closer, more and more people will be led astray by their own desires instead of wanting to hear the truth! We need to be Jesus to them ALL the time! Be that one another person! If you don’t know how, then get with The LORD and reach out to someone around you who already is. Can’t find someone, reach out to us. We only exist on this earth to live lives that draw others to Christ and then to help them become more like Him as they live their lives on this earth before The LORD takes us and them home to be with Him forever!
Please don't hesitate to reach out to us with any questions, prayer requests, etc. We'd love to pray with and for you and to the best of our ability answer any questions you may have solely using God's Word!
Here to serve and disciple until He calls us home,
Curt & Mary Jo
Note-all Scripture references in parenthesis are direct links God's Word so that you can easily click and read what The LORD has to say about the section before the reference. I encourage you to click, read, study and even memorize these passages for yourself and NOT to just not just take my word for it. (Psalm 119)
