{"id":56070,"date":"2025-06-02T12:33:23","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T19:33:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/blog\/?p=56070"},"modified":"2025-06-02T12:33:24","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T19:33:24","slug":"preaching-the-word","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/blog\/preaching-the-word\/","title":{"rendered":"Preaching the Word"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Paul concludes his final letter to his prot\u00e9g\u00e9 Timothy with a clarion call for preaching the word. This solemn charge has served as a clear and inspiring call for generations of preachers. Let\u2019s learn what some of these preachers have said about this passage with the ESV Church History Study Bible<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The church historian Jean-Henri Merle D\u2019Aubigne (1794\u20131872) noted, \u201cThe only true reformation is that which emanates from the Word of God.\u201d The Reformers attributed the Reformation of the sixteenth century not to themselves but to the preaching of the Word of God. Luther famously quipped that he did nothing, while the Word did everything. This charge remains a staple rallying cry for seminaries and those engaged in pastoral and theological education.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Preaching: A Solemn Charge<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom.\u201d 2 Timothy 4:1<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

This is, so to speak, the apostle\u2019s last charge to Timothy\u2014the last in this epistle, and not improbably the last absolutely\u2014and he therefore puts it in the most solemn form, not only delivering it as in the presence of God and of Jesus Christ but also the appearing of Christ. (Patrick Fairbairn, Pastoral Epistles<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preaching: A Toilsome Task<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.\u201d 2 Timothy 4:2<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Whether you are in danger, in prison, in chains, or going to your death, at that very time do not hesitate to admonish. Do not withhold your admonition. For it is then most seasonable, when your rebuke will be most successful, when the circumstance is at hand. \u201cExhort,\u201d he says. After the manner of physicians, having shown the wound, he makes the incision; he applies the remedy. If you omit either of these, the other becomes useless. (John Chrysostom, Homilies on 2 Timothy<\/em>)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preaching: A Divided Audience<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.\u201d 2 Timothy 4:3\u20134<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

All the most foolish heretics who want themselves to be called Christians try to color the impertinencies of their inventions. At this, human sensibility especially shudders with the occasion of the sentence of the gospel where the Lord says, \u201cI have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.\u201d (Augustine, Tractates on John<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preaching: A Demanding Calling<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n

As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.\u201d 2 Timothy 4:5<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

This general view of the pastoral work will show at once its laboriousness, and its importance. To acquaint ourselves with the various wants of our people; to win their affections; to give a seasonable warning, encouragement, instruction, or consolation; to identify ourselves with their spiritual interests, in tender sympathy, and ministerial obligation; to do this with the constancy, seriousness, and fervid energy that the matter requires, is indeed a work of industry, patience, and self-denial. And yet, how else can we \u201cmake full proof of our ministry\u201d but by ready obedience to the injunction \u201cWatch yourself in all things; do the work of an evangelist\u201d? (Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More from the ESV Church History Study Bible<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The ESV Church History Study Bible<\/a> is a remarkable accomplishment. With over 20,000 study notes from over 300 of church history\u2019s most prominent figures covering every century of the church. If you\u2019re wanting to learn from the past or supplement your preaching or teaching with quotes from church history, then pick up this remarkable resource and start learning more today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
ESV CHURCH HISTORY STUDY BIBLE<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Paul concludes his final letter to his prot\u00e9g\u00e9 Timothy with a clarion call for preaching the word. This solemn charge has served as a clear and inspiring call for generations of preachers. Let\u2019s learn what some of these preachers have said about this passage with the ESV Church History Study Bible. The church historian Jean-Henri<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":56074,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7850],"tags":[8627],"class_list":{"0":"post-56070","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-study-bibles","8":"tag-esv-church-history-study-bible"},"yoast_head":"\nPreaching the Word - Olive Tree Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn more about Paul's clarion call about Timothy preaching the word with these notes from the ESV Church History Study Bible.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/blog\/preaching-the-word\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Preaching the Word\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Paul concludes his final letter to his prot\u00e9g\u00e9 Timothy with a clarion call for preaching the word. 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