A Minister’s Manifesto (2 Tim 4:1-5)

 Dr. Paul Manuel—2020

Text:

2 Tim 4:1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Outline:

      I.    His authority is supreme (vv. 1-2).

            A.    The Lord is with you.

            B.    The minister is for others.

Application: It is neither possible nor advisable for a minister to avoid study, for that would deprive him of insights only available through others (2 Tim 2:15).

     II.    His adversary is short-lived (vv. 3-4).

            A.    The enemy is ever deceiving.

            B.    The enemy is essentially deceived.

Application: Do not try to win an argument by humiliating your adversary, lest you turn him into your enemy (Phil 4:5).

    III.    His attitude is stable (v. 5).

            A.    The minister is determined to serve.

            B.    The minister is devoted to serve.

Application: The minister must adapt for the gaps in his education, and the congregation must allow him time to backfill those gaps (1 Pet 3:15).

Introduction: Sometimes you get involved with something without realizing at first what it is about:

The minister received an unexpected phone call from the IRS. “Hello, is this Rev. Green?” “It is.” “This is the IRS. Do you know a Steve Smith?” “Yes, I do.” “Is he a member of your congregation?” “Yes, he is.” “Did he donate $10,000.00?” There was a pause, then minister replied… “He will.”

Sometimes you get involved with something without realizing at first what it is about. Timothy may have started in the ministry without realizing at first what it is about. Paul writes a letter to Timothy telling him some of what he can expect. It is “A Minister’s Manifesto,” general guidelines about how the young leader can fulfill his calling.

Background: While traveling through Asia Minor, Paul writes twice to Timothy, a young man he knows well, a man he introduces to service in the local church. In his second letter Paul tells Timothy with a few broad strokes what to expect. This is not a detailed job description, but a description about what he should emphasize.[1] The first thing Timothy should realize is that…

      I.    His authority is supreme (vv. 1-2).

2 Tim 4:1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

            A.    The Lord is with you.

     A minister must know that he does not operate solely on his own authority but serves as a representative of someone higher, much higher than himself. This awareness should be a great comfort that he is not alone and, therefore, not ultimately responsible for the effect of his utterances. He must, of course, not be over-confident nor solely assured of his own abilities. Moreover, he should not project an artificial aura of confidence that what he says is worthy of consideration. Rather it is because he speaks for the very author of life, “God [and] Christ Jesus” that his words have weight. This does not mean he does not need to be careful about what he says. If anything, he must be more careful lest he misrepresent his divine source and an audience assume he speaks on his own authority, giving his message less import as if coming from a human spokesman alone.

     The reason Paul gives for this warning is its relation to the future, that a person’s words can determine his final state. As James also cautions,

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. (3:1)

Because the “judge” (v. 1) has the last say on a person’s disposition, it is incumbent upon that person to speak clearly and correctly, especially if he will not have an opportunity to revise what he says. There is also a finality to this judgment as it will include “the living and the dead” (v. 1). Moreover, it will be at the end when events come to a conclusion at “his appearing and his kingdom” (v. 1). The most encouragement in the whole process comes from the assurance that the minister is not alone in this venture. He has support from the Father and the Son, the combined force of the eternal deity.

            B.    The minister is for others.

     “Preach” (v. 2) has different objects in Paul’s writings, most often it is the gospel but also various other subjects.[2] In this case, Paul does not specify what the minister should make the subject of his sermons, leaving it to him to select an appropriate text or topic.

     In his  epistles, Paul uses “the word” (v. 2) in reference to something the Lord speaks, like “the word of faith” (Rom 10:8), “the word of truth” (Eph 1:13; Col 1:5; 2 Tim 2:15), and “the word of life” (Phil 2:16).[3] Moreover, a minister must be ready at all times, “in season and out of season” (v. 2). In other words, he never stops studying. Because God is always available, a minister must be available as well, ready to offer whatever people need, be it welcome or not—correction, rebuke, or encouragement. The first two, correction and rebuke, are especially difficult to give, as most people are not eager to receive criticism, even constructive criticism. It generally requires a very well-developed relationship as well as time and extreme tact on the part of the critic. Most bad behavior does not change immediately. That is why Paul adds the need for “great patience and careful instruction” (v. 2).

Application: The ministry is not for people who just want to help other people and who are not inclined to ‘book learning.’ Much of ministry involves attention to the Bible and the exposition of its pages, something that is usually only possible through careful study. There are several admonitions in scripture that promote education as a proper prelude to ministry. One passage is for everyone, one passage is for ministers in general, and one passage is for especially gifted teachers:

[For everyone:] Teach [God’s decrees] to your children and to their children after them. (Deut 4:9)

[For most ministers:] Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Tim 2:15)[4]

Note the binary choice for the minister: be approved or be ashamed (Manuel 2010).

[For skilled instructors:] If [a man’s gift from God] is teaching, let him teach. (Rom 12:7)[5]

It is neither possible nor advisable for a minister to avoid study, because that would deprive him of insights only available through the work of others.

     The second thing Timothy should realize is that no matter how difficult his struggle may seem, there is an end, because…

     II.    His adversary is short-lived (vv. 3-4).

2 Tim 4:3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

            A.    The enemy is ever deceiving.

     There is a struggle with the forces of darkness, but it is temporary. They will lose in the end, and decisively so. Until then, the minister must face those who oppose him, more than that, who actively work against him, men who will “not put up with sound doctrine” (v. 3). Contrary to popular belief everyone’s opinion is not equally valid. Some views are simply wrong:

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. (Eph 5:11)

Avoid foolish controversies…arguments and quarrels…because these are unprofitable and useless. (Titus 3:9)

There is such a thing as “sound doctrine,” and it behooves the minister to be well-acquainted with it. Here is another call for study, this time of theology. Some people find attractive only views that bolster their own opinions, “their itching ears” (v. 3). Such self-deception will ultimately prove to be unsatisfying and unproductive, as it does not lead to truth about God.

            B.    The enemy is essentially deceived.

    Because God is true, what He has spoken will stand against any onslaught. In contrast, what is false will eventually collapse. In another letter, Paul explains his strategy at this point:

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world…. They have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor 10:4-5)

Expose the inherent weakness of a false argument, and allow it to collapse under its own weight. Without constant reinforcement, many false ideas will simply fall apart of their own accord.

     You have probably heard the adage, “If you repeat something often enough, people will start to believe it.” That is often the case with someone who peddles false doctrine, both for his listeners and even for himself. He has listened to his own spiel so often that he has convinced himself it is true. Hoisted on his own petard, he believes his own propaganda and eventually succumbs to his own con. The deceiver becomes the deceived.

Application: The minister and the average congregant should become familiar with some of the ways false teachers attempt to deceive God’s people and be ready to counter what they peddle, an area of study called apologetics. Apologetics is something for every Christian to know, not necessarily in great detail but at least in broad strokes, so not to be put off by an objection to what you believe. Peter gives the main justification for apologetics:

Always be prepared to give an answer [aÓpologi÷a] to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. (1 Pet 3:15)

Like Paul, Peter stresses the importance of preparation: “Always be prepared.” (v. 2 above). That way the Christian will not be surprised when he encounters resistance to his message about God. Peter also mentions how a person should argue for what he believes “with gentleness and respect.”[6] Do not make your argument so forceful as to seem like a personal attack. Your defense of the truth should never be that; indeed, if your argument is true, it should not take the form of a personal attack. When your find your defense getting personal, you are on the wrong path; get better talking points. Do not try to win an argument by humiliating your adversary, lest you turn him into your enemy: “Let your gentleness be evident to all” (Phil 4:5).

    The third thing Timothy should realize is that he determines his own response to unexpected circumstances. He does not need to get upset easily, even when difficult conditions test his patience….

    III.    His attitude is stable (v. 5).

2 Tim 4:5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

            A.    The minister is determined to serve.

     When an exchange heats up, take a step back to let it cool off. A minister as well as the average Christian should always be calm and collected. Keep in mind that the believer’s primary mission is to serve others:[7]

Serve one another in love. (Gal 5:13)

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others. (1 Pet 4:10)

To that end, a calm and collected demeaner is one he must cultivate with those in the congregation, so fellow congregants know he is not easily ruffled by unexpected developments.

     Paul mentions the spiritual gift of evangelism (v. 5) that Timothy must deploy in his ministry. It appears in one of Paul’s lists in another epistle:

[Christ] gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers. (Eph 4:11)

A minister does not necessarily have any single spiritual gift, like the gift of evangelism, although Timothy may possess it. Alternatively, Timothy may be the most qualified person in that geographical area, so the task of spreading the gospel falls to him (Manuel 2012, 2013), which may be why Paul assigns it to Timothy as one of “the duties of [his] ministry” (v. 5).

            B.    The minister is devoted to serve.

     That devotion shows in the way he allocates his time and energy. Timothy has his priorities straight. He knows where he should put his efforts, how he should devote himself to the many “duties of [his] ministry” (v. 5) in order to reap the most benefit.

Application: The “duties of…ministry” (v. 5), as the current expanded curricula of many seminaries attest, include more preparation in other areas than in biblical studies for preaching and teaching. Now students must cover everything from church administration to crisis counseling, and much more, all of it required for the degree but actually used little on the job. Because their education is so diverse and diffuse, future ministers are not as conversant or comfortable with the biblical text, the one area where most people see ministers. No matter how much seminaries pack an M.Div. program with extraneous courses, future ministers will still need those subjects that prepare them for where people see them most, preaching and teaching:

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. (1 Pet 3:15)

The minister must adapt to the gaps in his education (perhaps through extra reading), and the congregation must allow him time to backfill those gap.

Conclusion: Paul gives Timothy a brief overview of responsibilities a minister has. It is “A Minister’s Manifesto” that gives the apostle’s young protégé some idea of what he should expect in this position. It is not a care-free posting, but its supervision under the God of the universe makes it a job worth having.

Bibliography

Manuel, Paul http://paulwmanuel.blogspot.com

     2010    Ordination: “Answering the Call” (2 Tim 2:15; Eph 4:11-13). [Sermon]

     2012a  “Of Preaching,” in the personal section of the blog.

     2012b  “Who Did Evangelism in the Early Church?” Ecclesiology Excursus 2 in A Reader’s Digest Approach to Theology.

     2013    “The Task of Evangelism.” Ecclesiology Excursus 1 in A Reader’s Digest Approach to Theology

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[1]Paul issues specifics about the appointment of elders and deacons in his first letter:

1 Tim 3:2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect…. 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap. 8 Deacons…are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons…. 12 A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well.

[2]“Preach” (v. 2) has different objects in Paul’s writings, most often it is the gospel but also other subjects:

  •    Gospel or Jesus (the vast majority):

Rom 1:9 I serve…in preaching the gospel of his Son…. 15 I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you.

Rom 10:14 How can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent?

Rom 15:20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known….

1 Cor 1:17 Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel….

1 Cor 1:21 God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe…. 23 We preach Christ crucified.

1 Cor 2:4 My preaching [is] not with wise and persuasive words.

1 Cor 9:14 The Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel…. 16 When I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach…. 27 I beat my body…so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

1 Cor 15:1 I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you…. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you…. 11 This is what we preach, and this is what you believed…. 12 It is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead… 14 If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless.

2 Cor 1:19 Jesus Christ…was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy.

2 Cor 2:12 I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ.

2 Cor 4:5 We do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord.

2 Cor 10:16 We can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you.

2 Cor 11:4 If someone…preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached…. 7 …by preaching the gospel of God….

Gal 1:8 If we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! …11 The gospel I preached is not something that man made up…. 16 I might preach him among the Gentiles…. 23 The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.

Gal 2:2 …the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles…. 7 I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles.

Gal 4:13 I first preached the gospel to you.

Eph 3:8 I…preach…the unsearchable riches of Christ,

Phil 1:15 Some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.

1 Thess 2:9 We preached the gospel of God to you.

1 Tim 3:16 [Christ] was preached among the nations….

  •    Assorted or unspecified subjects:

Rom 2:21 You who preach against stealing, do you steal?

Gal 5:11 If I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?

Eph 2:17 He came and preached peace to you….

1 Tim 4:13 Devote yourself…to preaching and to teaching.

1 Tim 5:17 …those whose work is preaching and teaching.

Titus 1:3 He brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me….

[3]The most common phrase is “the word of God:”

1 Cor 14:36 Did the word of God originate with you?

2 Cor 2:17 We do not peddle the word of God for profit.

2 Cor 4:2 Nor do we distort the word of God.

Eph 6:17 Take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Phil 1:14 Be encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

1 Thess 2:13 You received the word of God.

1 Tim 4:5 It is consecrated by the word of God.

Titus 2:5 No one will malign the word of God.

Cf. Rom 10:17 The message is heard through the word of Christ.

Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

[4]Ministers are not necessarily teachers, as Paul intimates by joining the two:

Eph 4:11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

[5]Other passages that extol the importance of teaching and teachers:

Exod 35:34 He has given both him and Oholiab…the ability to teach others.

Ezra 7:10 Ezra…devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

[6]Paul makes his case similarly:

2 Cor 10:1 By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you.

[7]To meet the needs of those in a congregation, members must give to meet those needs:

Rom 12:6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us…. 8 If it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously.

2 Cor 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.