Preach the word

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; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. 2 Tim. 4:1-2

Note what Paul says: “Preach the word.” There are some in our day who would like to diminish the importance of this command by replacing the preached word with a discussion. But Paul does not tell Timothy to lead a discussion; he tells him to preach the word. This is because if preaching is expositional, if the preacher is truly listening to what God’s word has to say versus putting his own thoughts upon the text, then there is no need for discussion. We don’t need to discuss or debate God’s word, we need to believe it, to apply it, to obey it.

That doesn’t mean there is no context for discussing what is preached. After all, the preacher is fallible. We can misinterpret the Bible. No one should believe what the preacher says just because he says it. You should, like the noble Bereans, search the Scriptures to see if these things are so. Nevertheless, we need first of all to hear God’s word proclaimed before we begin to discuss it. Paul told Timothy to preach the word, and that is still as relevant now as it was then.

And it reflects, not only upon the preacher, but upon his audience. A church whose members insist upon the preaching of the word of God show their desire to be under the authority of God's word. There is surely nothing more important than that a church have this disposition and to keep it.

Let us therefore be a church which insists upon solid preaching and sound doctrine, while rejecting the chaff which itching ears want to hear.