Paul’s great charge to Timothy was this, “Preach the Word” (2 Timothy 4:2). There are two aspects of this call to preach:-

1. Preaching the gospel
2. Teaching the believers

The first seeks the salvation of sinners, and the second the growth of those who have been born again! Both are important and both are necessary.

1. PREACHING THE GOSPEL

The word ‘preaching’ means to herald, declare, proclaim. The great desire of our Lord Jesus Christ was to ‘preach’ the good news. Look up Mark 1: 38,39; 2: 2. Notice two things here:-

1. He seized every opportunity
2. He refused to be distracted

Satan will try and persuade us that other things are more important! We can be distracted from prayer, preparation and proclamation. We can be occupied with very good things, but our priority should be preaching the gospel. We may ask ‘Why?’, and I would suggest the following:-

1. This is God’s way. Read Luke 4: 18-21, and notice the words of Jesus in verse 21, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” The fulfilment was the Spirit-anointed preaching of the good news to four groups of people.
   • To the poor. No doubt this can apply to the physically poor. Look up Luke 18:25. But the word ‘poor’ here is the same word in the Greek as in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” The good news is for those who realise their spiritual poverty and emptiness and cast themselves on the Lord. Turn to Luke 18:13 and Isaiah 66:2b.
   • To the prisoners. God is blessing prison ministry in many countries. It is a great ‘mission field’. But the application here is to those who are in bondage and slavery to sin, death, hell and Satan. The gospel of Jesus Christ sets the prisoner free. Look up John 8:36.
   • To the blind. Sinners outside of Christ are spiritually blind. They cannot see the blackness of their sin, the evil of their hearts, or the light of God’s salvation. See 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 2:11.
   • To the oppressed. To be in Satan’s dungeon, blinded by Satan’s power, only means oppression. Jesus Christ offers deliverance, freedom and life.
2. This is the only Gospel!
   • It is God’s gospel – He planned it. Look up Romans 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:8,9. Notice also the words in Acts 20:24 “…the gospel of God’s grace.”
   • It is the gospel of Christ – He provided it. Look up Romans 15:19. By His person, His death, burial and resurrection Jesus Christ has provided our salvation. There is no other like Him, no other gospel, no other way. See John 14:6; Acts 4:12.
3. This is a powerful Gospel! See what Paul wrote in Romans 1:16. The word ‘power’ in that verse in the Greek is ‘dunamis’ from where we get our word dynamite! The Gospel is powerful. We can have confidence in it, we can trust it, and we are to proclaim it.

2. TEACHING THE BELIEVERS

Having seen people saved we want them to grow spiritually. Look up 1 Peter 2:2; 1 Corinthians 3:2. The sheep grow as they are fed by those trained to teach. God gifts the church with pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). One of the qualifications of an elder is that he is ‘able to teach’ (1 Timothy 3:2). Nothing is more essential in every generation than an ample supply of God-gifted teachers! New Christians need to be taught the Word of God to enable them to grow. See 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 3:18. It’s teaching which builds up the church, and teachers who are most needed. For effective teaching there must be:-

• a preparation of heart. As preachers and teachers we must be right with God – empty, forgiven, clean, submissive, filled. There must be personal time spent with the Lord, reading and meditating on the Word and praying. Our own minds should be fed with the Scriptures. The words at the end of Acts 4:13 are a solemn reminder. Do they notice this about us?
• a preparation of the message. It takes time to prepare and that time must be wisely spent. We are to be diligent in our study and preparation. Look up 2 Timothy 2:15. The AV has the word ‘study’! We should teach them systematically. Avoid using a text to hang your thoughts on. Rather teach them verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book. Go through a gospel, a letter, a Psalm, a doctrine, a book. Ask questions, “What does the passage teach?”, “Why was it written?”, “Who was it written to?”, “What does it teach us today?” Open it, explain it, illustrate it, apply it. Don’t be distracted from the sheer hard work of preparing the message, and pray that God will guide you as you prepare and anoint you as you proclaim it. The only way the church will grow is through the teaching of the Word of God. In Ephesians 4:12 – 14 Paul gives the following reasons why the Lord has gifted the church:-
  • to prepare God’s people for works of service. God’s Word prepares.
  • until we all reach unity in the faith. God’s Word unites.
  • then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves. God’s Word gives us depth and stability.

May the Lord be pleased to use us as we pray, prepare and preach His Gospel and teach His infallible and authoritative Word.

Did you miss one of the previous studies?
Study 1
Study 2