Have you ever heard someone say that preachers only work one or two days per week? I remember thinking as a kid about the work of a preacher. I remember wondering how and when he prepared his sermons. I often wondered about what he did each week in between the times we heard and saw him each Sunday and Wednesday. Now, as a preacher, I know. I know better. I know that a preacher works way more than one or two days. Actually, way more than five days a week. I now know that a preacher and his work is not an 8 am – 5 pm kind of job. It’s not even like any other kind of job. I now know that a preacher’s work is highly unconventional. It has to be flexible. There may be weeks that a preacher works 45 hours or so and there are certain weeks that 85 hours are demanded. The preacher’s work is not and should never be defined by how many hours he puts in. It should be defined by what he does as described in 2 Timothy 4:2 when Paul is charging Timothy a young preacher with the job he is to do.
Let’s take a moment and examine each word in this verse to help us understand the work preachers should do. Here is the text with highlighted keywords as a reference:
preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction.
PREACH [KERUSSO] – To PREACH is to herald and proclaim with authority a message for all to hear. Specifically, Timothy is told to preach the Word. Obviously, in the context, the Word to be proclaimed for all to hear is the Word of God. Some may think that preaching is a lost art but I beg the differ. Preaching is just as important and effective today as it was when Paul penned these words. Preaching needs to be done with great authority and preachers have an obligation to work hard on their preaching skills to best proclaim the Word of God in the most effective way.
BE READY [EPHISTAMAI] To BE READY is to pay attention, be prepared, stand by, be present in the moment at hand. Specifically, Timothy is told to be ready “in season and out of season” which means that there are times when the readiness is expected and when it is not. At all times Timothy should be prepared to serve the Kingdom as a preacher. Preachers should be ready at any time, however, this does not mean that they are available at all times. Preachers have lives too, just as much as anyone. Nevertheless, the preacher should be prepared and ready to serve as the moments come. Preachers need to pay attention to the needs of others and the culture around them. Preachers should pay attention to their surroundings and trends to be ready to respond with the Word of God.
CORRECT [ELEGCHO] & REBUKE [EPITIMAO]– To CORRECT is to reprove, convince, argue, and to REBUKE is to sternly tell, warn, or mete out due measure. These two words are coupled together because of their similarities. Specifically, Timothy had a large measure of correcting and rebuking that needs to take place in Ephesus and his work as a preacher. False teachers too easily can creep into the Lord’s church and it is the preacher’s job to identify it and squelch it out by arguing and convincing others to make corrections in their lives and teachings. Sometimes this task requires sternly speaking out against what is wrong. Preachers today are too shy about correcting for fear of being politically incorrect or offending someone. Preachers today are fearful that they will become a victim of our “cancel culture” if they speak out and rebuke those who are wrong. But preachers are not commanded to only speak the truth in love; here they are commanded to sternly rebuke and correct.
EXHORT [PARAKALEO] – To EXHORT is to encourage, beseech, comfort, and implore with great urging. Specifically, Timothy is told to encourage with great patience and instruction. The encouragement he is to provide is to be patient with others. Ask for repentance and ask for change. Plead and encourage people to live a life committed to Christ. Encourage people with kind words and with words of correction. Preachers today need to view their sermons not only as words of instruction but words of encouragement.
PATIENCE [MAKROTHUMIA] – To be PATIENT is to wait with long-suffering. Specifically, Timothy is told to exhort with great patience. We know the preacher is to correct and rebuke sternly but there are going to be moments when he needs to be patient and wait for people to respond to his preaching of the Word. Sometimes, people don’t do what we know they should do and what we plead for them to do right when we want them to do it. Preachers have to patiently wait for the “come to Jesus moments”. This means that there are times the preacher suffers long while his hearers go on living carelessly however they want and contrary to the Word he preaches. Preachers are to preach with patience.
INSTRUCT [DIDACHE] – To instruct is to teach for the purpose of learning. Specifically, Timothy is told to use instruction to encourage. Preachers should use every moment they have with people in a sermon or Bible class as a moment to instruct. Preachers today need to step up their game to make the most of the time they have to instruct. People are being pulled in a million directions and time is precious. Preachers need to make sure that their sermons and bible classes are high quality and filled with time to teach people how to live godly. As a preacher, I don’t want sermon and bible class times to be wasted on things that don’t matter. Give me good instruction filled with teaching from the text of God’s Word.
Now that we have examined a few of these keywords from 2 Timothy 4:2 we should better understand what a preacher’s work really encompasses. It’s a hard job that requires a diligent worker. It’s not about the quantity of time logged but the high-quality preaching, preparedness, correcting, rebuking, exhorting, patience, and instruction given at any given time in the preacher’s work.
As a preacher, I can tell you it’s the most rewarding work ever.
I love you,
Alex