Preach The Word: In Season & Out Of Season ( 2 Timothy 4:2-4 )

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

2 Timothy 4:2-4

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Good evening. Well, I do believe this text from scripture is familiar to most if not all Christians. In this current age we truly are seeing or at least a gross exploit of greater degree verses 3 and 4. What really does shock me and yet at the same time doesn't is there are those who call themselves Christian yet don't see it? I know that may sound confusing,but I'd say it is we who do see it and are literally waving our hands saying can't you see it and they just have that deer in the head light look. To me I can relate in some degree of measure to how the Apostle Paul felt in Romans 9 when he states, " That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.( Romans 9:2 ) " This my friends is compassion, but at the same realizes this is just as the scriptures indicates would happen. Now does this mean we get lazy and do absolutely nothing? No, this means we take action by fighting the good fight of faith.

Well, now I get into the passages from which the Apostle Paul is writing to Timothy and as we all know this is his last letter before his death/execution in Rome. Despite knowing that for him sharing the gospel and defending the faith it has ultimately led him to this. That by being devoted to the faith it means now death stands before him I love the words he gives Timothy. He says, " Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. ( 2 Timothy 2 4:2 ) " First off he states preach the Word. Friends as Christians we have a call to proclaim His Word to all of creation. This can come by a number of means, by reading His Word, sharing gospel tracts, sharing the Word via your testimony, and even get this living it out in your life. I often think of Stephen( Acts 7:54-60 ) when I think of a living testimony despite knowing he was dying, despite being reviled and not being well thought he continued to be a living testimony through the very act of being stoned to death. In fact he even asked that their sins not be laid on them( Acts 7:60 ). Stephen recognized fully it was the Lord who avenges His own and would save those whom He will. How powerful a living testimony is and truly Stephen showed as I do believe he sowed the seed in Saul's life and later that same man, became the Apostle to the gentiles.


Continuing on with this verse he states be instant in season and out of season. Another words preach the Word always even when truth is not popular and even when times are not safe. You know you could get on public television today and say God loves you and no one would complain. Now you start talking about genuine repentance,the wrath of God, and what sin is and I guarantee they would ask you to leave. No, I'm sure they would vehemently tell to leave and not come back. More than likely you would be blacklisted and as I've stated before considered unloving, judgmental, and get this narrow minded. Brothers and sisters we need to be ready in season and out of season. Stand firm on the Word and share the gospel for the truth it presents. Don't care about being politically correct instead stand for truth. Remember we seek not to please men, for if we do we are not the servants of Christ( Galatians 1:10 ).

Paul goes on in this verse with reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. Meaning well first lets explain the words. First we have the word reprove. To reprove is to test. Now I know and granted most will say well, Paul was speaking to Timothy and this must only be for ministers. Wrong, while ministers/pastors should take hold to these with much sincerity. This too should to taken with sincerity to the individual believer as well. See when preaching the Word which is part of the great commission we must prove all things( 1 Thessalonians 5:21 ). This is not something merely imparted to the overseer,but to every believer. Granted there is a greater weight of responsibility for the pastor,but that in no way leaves the individual believer held unaccountable. We as Christians are all His witnesses. The next word we have is to rebuke. Friends I'd say rebuking the brethren is probably when we honestly have to do it is not easy. Think of how much love it takes to criticize your brethren biblically. Notice I did say biblically. Another thing to consider when you rebuke the brethren you follow through in love, biblical love and with the right intent. I'd venture to say that a majority of times why arguments or disagreements even happens between brothers and sisters is not because someone doesn't have a valid point, its because emotions run and when that occurs the improper intent can step in. This too many times can lead to pride entering in and well, we know where it goes from there. The third word is exhort, to exhort is to advise. Think about this when giving your brothers or sisters advise don't see what Dr. Phil says, instead give them biblical advise. If you don't feel knowledgeable in a particular area in which they are asking you on then direct them to someone who can. The point I am addressing here is biblically advising them don't say well, I heard this on tv and man it sounded great. I'd have to ask them did you test it by scripture. Honestly why is that we say we trust God and believe in His Word yet we run in about a million directions for advice when we have all we need in His Holy Writ.

Continuing on with this verse and following these three words the Apostle says to do them with longsuffering and doctrine. Alright now that in itself says quite a bit. To reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. Might I say to advise believers some advise would be those words I'm sure they would look at me like what? To reprove with longsuffering, this means simply what it says friends to test with patience. It most surely is as the Apostle John writes in his epistles about testing the spirits( 1 John 4:1 ). Your going to know who are of and who aren't. Friends does an apple tree bear anything,but apples? No, the same goes in this area for our discernment. With longsuffering we need to prove all thing. So then you ask how do we prove all things by doctrine. You know it is amazing how I barely hear this word talked about in churches. Unless they read it in a passage of scripture they don't want to mention it. The truth be known, doctrine does matter cause the Apostle Paul mentioned it a number of times about sound doctrine. So when proving we must do so with patience and with doctrine (teaching). "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.( 1 Thessalonians 5:21 )" This same can be done with rebuking, when we rebuke we must do so in love. After all to do so with longsuffering shows great love in itself. I would say brethren to read 1 Corinthians 13 along side Matthew 18 would be a good thing to do. Not to mention Psalm 94:12 and Proverbs 3:11-12. Now you may say those verses in both psalms and proverbs both mention of the Lord. Well, yes they do,but I've had the Lord use brethren to rebuke me when I've been in the wrong. To have the humility to admit your wrong to see the err in it and move forward is good and is growing in Him. Sometimes as young Christians we make rash statements not meaning to and I'm ever thankful for those who are mature and maturing as I am as well to help me.Thank God they love me enough to correct me. Like I've stated before we never stop growing, for one to reach a point and say I'm here, I've got it and there is nothing left is arrogance and you might as well be just asking God to knock you out from under your feet. Sounds harsh,but it is true. Lastly to exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine, like I said before when advising your brethren do so biblically. If they have relationship advice don't see what the television says or the gossip lines have, check the scriptures. Believe it or not, but while scripture may not say the words dating or courting specifically it does give us conduct how to treat each other. This we can apply to those arenas in the dating realm. You know for me just reading 1 Corinthians 13, might I add numerous times has taught me plenty more than I ever thought I knew about love. By understanding the nature of true love which is God. I've come to better grasp how I should treat a lady. In that understanding of love I seek to have the pure sense of love, now granted I'm not perfect,but my striving to conform to the image of Christ is going to make me a better man and one day a better father/husband. With that said 1 Corinthians 13 is one of numerous places in scripture where you can give exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For it is doctrine/teaching and true love suffers long.

Next I will combine verses 3 and 4. Together they give us a picture of today often referred to as the latter times. Truly we are living in those times. No longer are men adhering to sound doctrine. We know this due to vast amounts of prosperity gospel that is running a muck. What amazes me is how people take this gospel for gospel truth. Like you can get to a point in your walk where you won't suffer. I guess somehow they exclude the verse that all who shall live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution( 2 Timothy 3:12 ) . That to me sounds like all saints will endure suffering. Now this doesn't mean we won't have some good times, it just means exactly what it means we will endure persecution. To think you will get to a point in your walk where you will be above what the Lord had to endure is absolutely absurd. Somehow people think your supposed to have your best life now, well, if being hated, persecuted and mocked is that then I suppose so. Worst of all brothers and sisters these false teachers are going to gather to themselves others like them. In addition they will appear to be christian and well, that is as far as it gets. For as the scriptures indicate wolves in sheep's clothing( Matthew 7:15, Matthew 24:11 ).

Brethren be aware of the times we are living in. Preach the Word in and out of season. Don't look for the esteem of man. Worry not for even your safety instead make the gospel the most important thing to you. Think about Stephen did he care about dying when he spoke? No he spoke in boldness and in truth. Be encouraged with the words of the Apostle Paul that he gave to Timothy in his first letter.

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses"
(1 Timothy 6:12 )

Good night and God bless,
John W. Whybrew III <><