The Charge, 2 Timothy 4:2

The Charge

2 Timothy4:2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction.

As a leader, Timothy was not to sit idly by and allow the church to take on its own style and belief system. He was not there to make sure everyone got along and experienced God in their own way. He was to speak the truth in love and teach the people how to live. He needed to patiently instruct them in the way of the Lord. Paul's charge to him was to Preach the Word, Correct, Rebuke, and Encourage. Timothy was to act like a parent to the people in the church. He was to love them, teach them, correct them and if necessary, rebuke them and set them straight.

In churches today, we shy away from such actions. We are afraid we will hurt someone's feelings and they will reject the church and God. So, the beliefs of the past are not followed today. We see in this verse, that the Word is not subject to the interpretation of the "Christian", rather the truths of the Word must be taught and followed. Certainly, there are added convictions that one person may have others do not, but there are specific truths that must be taught and followed... If the Scriptures say it, we need to follow it. We must be very careful not to minimize the Word of God by saying everything we do not want to follow was for the culture of that day!

K and A, times do change things. Pulling the ox out of the ditch on the Sabbath doesn't happen too often, but maybe pushing a car out of a snow bank on a Sunday does. The principle still applies. The charge I give you is the same as Paul's... to your family, future or not; Preach the Word! Know what is in it, so you apply it to your daily life. Do not make excuses for your children just because they are yours. Many people have had "convictions" of things not to do until their children wanted to do it, or their spouse or boyfriend wanted to. Then they altered the Scripture to suit their own desires. So, I call on you to stick to the Word. Teach what it says. Correct and even rebuke those to whom you are a leader, your own children or your Sunday school class. But, be careful to do so with encouragement not as executioner. For, you too are subject to the same Word you teach.

~Dad