Now Paul is really serious.
(1) I solemnly 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:
A solemn charge is a very serious and important matter, especially in calling to witness God the Father and God the Son, who is Lord and Judge over all, and will appear to set up His universal Kingdom.
What is he so serious about?
(2) preach the Word;
The Gospel must be preached! How else can people know God? And only the Gospel, not the opinions of the preacher.
be ready in season and out of season;
It doesn't matter if it's convenient or inconvenient.
reprove,
This is elenxon, "to convict, reprove, correct."
rebuke,
This is epitimeson, "Censure, admonish."
exhort,
This is parakaleson, "comfort, exhort, encourage."
with great patience
He is to do these things with macrothymia, "much longsuffering."
and instruction.
This is didache, careful "instruction, teaching."
Rebuke and exhortation must be accompanied with teaching, or they will only be accusing and not do any good at all. And it must all be accomplished with patience and love for the one confronted.
(3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;
Paul warns of the time that was still future to him when people will not "put up with" or "listen to" sound doctrine. There are many today who fit this description.
but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,
They only want to hear what they want to hear, they only want confirmation that others are as deluded as they are.
(4) and will turn away their ears from the Truth and will turn aside to myths.
They will refuse to listen to reason and truth, and will only accept worldly ideas and cultural myths that they find more colorful and interesting than godly wisdom.
(5) But you, be sober in all things,
You, Timothy; you, Christian; keep your head. Keep your self-control under all circumstances, wide awake with eyes wide open.
endure hardship,
Again Paul admonishes Timothy (and us) to endure hardship. We will face opposition, and we must be strong against it, fully aware, while also being supernaturally patient and wise in our words.
do the work of an evangelist,
Timothy did not have the gift of evangelism, he was a senior pastor, but he was still to do the work of an evangelist, to preach the gospel as well as to share his own testimony personally.
This is what we all are to do, we don't have to be pastors or elders or deacons or teachers or have any ecclesiastical authority at all; if we belong to Christ, we are His witnesses. Every Christian is to talk to others about God and what Jesus accomplished for us on the Cross, what we have experienced personally.
fulfill your ministry.
Timothy has been given great responsibilities, and Paul is encouraging him to fulfill his calling to ministry by packing it full with the things Paul has been exhorting him to do in these two letters. He is to, as far as he can, make a complete and effective service in his ministry there at Ephesus.
Everything Paul writes to Timothy also applies to each one of us, also. We are God's children, His royal family. When He saves us, He leaves us here to do His work. His work is to build His Kingdom. We are His hands and feet, to accomplish the growing up of His children, as well as bringing other children into His Kingdom.
And Jesus is coming soon, to cleanse this Earth and establish His righteous rule over the whole world. We haven't much time left. Every person in every nation needs to hear God's Truth, whether they want to or not, because we don't know who are His embryonic children that need to be brought to the birth, and who are those who have already rejected His love.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
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