Famous Last Words: Part 1

2 Timothy 4:1-4

We have been studying the early Church in the eighth grade Sunday school class that I co-teach. I was brought to tears this week as I studied our lesson based in 2 Timothy. For months we have walked with Paul through his journey to expand the church and here in 2 Timothy we see his last charge, so to speak. Paul suffered greatly for the cause of Christ, but it was not in vain. All of us are fruit from his ministry to the Gentiles. What a legacy.

No doubt Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, chose his words very carefully. He knew he was going to die and church history tells us that Paul was beheaded shortly after writing these words.

We see the intensity of what he is saying in verse 1. He is telling Timothy this as if he is in the very presence of God and of Jesus. That's a pretty big charge! The charge is found in verse 2: Preach the Word! The word used for "preach" in this verse literally means "to herald or to cry out". We are to be prepared all the time, even when we do not think we will get a chance to tell someone about Christ or what He has done for us. We are also to be ready to "correct, rebuke, and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction."

Let's break down each part of that verse.

1. Correct - meaning to lead someone to the truth. Correct their way of thinking about an issue based on scripture.

2. Rebuke - Condemn or reprimand someone who has been found guilty of a particular sin.

3. Encourage - With love, encourage others to repent and turn to Christ for forgiveness and freedom from sin, guilt, and the grave.

Now we cannot forget the most important part! We are to do all of this "with great patience and careful instruction". Although theologians differ on exactly what this means, one of the interpretations is that we are to have the same type of patience with other believers as God has had with us. Let that sink in for a minute. How many times have I been so discouraged because I thought someone just "didn't get it"! Maybe they didn't, but I pray God will keep it close to my mind how long it took me to "get it" when it came to some spiritual issues.

To wrap up today I want us to think about what it will take to be able to "preach the Word... correct, rebuke, and encourage". In order to do any of those things, we must first know the Word. Ask God to give you a hunger for His word and a thirst for understanding His word. As
God answers this prayer in your life, ask Him to give you wisdom for how to proclaim His word to others.