In 2 Timothy 4:1 Paul tells Timothy that his primary duty is to a broken world is to “preach the word.” When ungodliness was on the increase and the needs of society were abundant, Paul didn’t say, protest, change the government, or feed the hungry.
The words “I charge you”, in the Greek, means a “legal oath.” What we would do in our courts to a witness saying, “Under oath to God, swear to me Timothy that you will preach the word.” Though this is aimed at Timothy in this letter is a general application, it is applicable to every follower of Christ everywhere.
These words would have encouraged Timothy, who may have thought his actions in Ephesus would not have made much of a splash in the ocean of corruption that was in Ephesus, let alone in the world. It is easy to fall into the thought that proclaiming truth to people has about as much effect as a whisper does at a championship football game.
The weight of that sentence to Timothy and to us is twofold:
• The outcome wasn’t in doubt or jeopardy. A whisper would have more of an effect in the hands of God than the prolonged shouts of all the world. God’s Word will not return void; it will bring life unto life and death unto death. There is nothing more encouraging to understand when we fall into doubt that “preaching the word” will make little difference than to realize that it makes all the difference to God.There will not be a person who can claim to Jesus that no one told them the truth, as we are called to “Preach the Word.” Saints, our obedience to speak the truth in love must never be observable results-oriented; we serve at the privilege of our Master; one day we will see what He accomplished through what He had called us to do, and Paul tells Timothy that this will be at His appearing.
• There is no more effective endeavor we could be engaged in that will transform the decaying society we live in than “preaching the word.” Remember this exhortation is from Paul, who is looking at the seeming outward futility of having spent 30 years of his life doing just that. Even though soon he would be put to death, writing to the person he is closest to in the world and encouraging him to do the same thing that has given him a death sentence clearly indicates that Paul thought this was the most important activity anyone could be engaged in.
Let the gravity of the context saturate these words, and you will be convinced, as Paul was, of the power and absolute victory of “preaching the word,” as it has the singular uniqueness of transforming people and society.
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