Preach the Word ∙∙

Preach the Word ∙∙

Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. – 2 Timothy 4:2

2 Timothy 4:2-4

2 Preach the message, be ready whether it is convenient or not, reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience and instruction.
3 For there will be a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, following their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things.
4 And they will turn away from hearing the truth, but on the other hand, they will turn aside to myths.

Dallas Theological Seminary was founded in 1924. Why begin another seminary? Its founders had a specific purpose in mind. They sought to preserve and propagate the art and science of expository preaching. They structured their curriculum to allow their students to study the Scriptures in their original languages. The goal was to equip and empower them with the skills to accurately interpret, explain, and apply the Old and New Testaments to others.

The Seminary’s seal has a Greek inscription: Kerusson ton logon. This motto translates to “Preach the Word” (2 Timothy 4:2). It encapsulates the seminary’s mission – to comprehensively prepare to thoroughly equip children of the King to know, properly handle, interpret, and preach the Word of God. This mission is central to the Seminary’s raison d’etre. It has been rearticulated as “To glorify God by equipping godly servant-leaders for the proclamation of His Word and the building up of the body of Christ worldwide.”

The Seminary’s steadfast commitment is to Preach the Word. They teach the Scriptures and equip their students to do likewise. In so doing, they pass on to the next generation the primary tool the Father has provided for spiritual growth and development: the Scriptures. Through the living Word of God, individuals are provided an understanding of the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

As Apostle Paul approached the end of his life, he knew his service to the Father was concluding. What was of utmost importance to Paul? What was to be his legacy? The answer is found in his final instructions to his disciple and son in the faith, Timothy. He handed off the torch of biblical exposition. Think of it as Paul’s last words.

2 Timothy 4:1-2

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:
2 Preach the word of God.

Paul’s words were riveting, solemn, and passion-filled. In Paul’s mind, the stakes could not have been higher in light of what lay ahead for both Paul and Timothy. They were united in their mission and objective. They had both been called by the Father into His spiritual work of service.

Paul created vivid images for Timothy to latch onto. It is as though Paul, in some marvelous unknown fashion, whisks Timothy away and transports him into the very presence of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Once in their presence, with the Father and the Son bearing witness, Paul passionately implored Timothy to preach the Word.

When Moses urged the nation of Israel to follow the righteous path, he employed a similar tactic. He invoked heaven and earth to bear witness to the decision made by the people (Deuteronomy 30:19). In American culture, it is similar to being sworn in to testify in court. Paul essentially says, “I have solemnly sworn to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God! Now Timothy, my son, I implore you to do the same!”

This same sense of responsibility and commitment to truth marks Paul’s charge to Timothy. Timothy is reminded that his mission is not to be taken lightly. Preaching the word is a sacred duty that requires unwavering devotion and faithfulness in the presence of God, who sees and judges all.

Being in the presence of the Father is an overwhelming experience, as seen in the lives of His prophets. It deeply pierced their hearts and shaped their calling. This is evident in the accounts of Isaiah and Ezekiel.

Isaiah’s vision is recorded in Isaiah 6:1-8. He saw the Sovereign Lord seated on a high and exalted throne, with mighty seraphim attending Him. The seraphim called out, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with His glory!” Isaiah was struck by the enormity of his unworthiness, exclaiming, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.”

A seraph then flew to Isaiah with a burning coal, touching his lips and removing his guilt and sin. When the Lord asked, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?” Isaiah responded, “Here I am, send me!”

Ezekiel’s calling, described in Ezekiel 1:28-2:5, was equally profound. After witnessing a remarkable vision, Ezekiel fell face down. He then heard a voice instructing him, “Stand up, son of man. I want to speak with you.” The Spirit entered him and set him on his feet as he listened carefully. Ezekiel was told, “I am sending you to the nation of Israel,” with the understanding that whether they listened or refused to listen, he was to deliver God’s message. One way or another, they would know that a prophet had been among them.

These encounters with God’s presence transformed Isaiah and Ezekiel into His prophets, equipping them to fulfill their missions with the knowledge of His holiness and their responsibility to serve.

REFLECT & PRAY

The Father has given every child of the King an extraordinary mission—to share the good news of His redemptive plan, the message of salvation that brings hope and transformation to the world. This calling is a sacred privilege to carry forward the work of our Savior.

Father, strengthen my heart to carry out the assignments You have given me.

INSIGHT

The mission of sharing God’s truth finds its ultimate example in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. From the very beginning, the Father entrusted Jesus with a purpose that was carefully foretold through messianic prophecy. Isaiah 61:1-2a gives a glimpse of this mission, describing a Messiah empowered by the Spirit to bring good news to the suffering, freedom to the captives, and sight to the blind.

Centuries later, this prophecy came alive in a remarkable moment recorded in Luke 4. During a Sabbath visit to the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus joined in the customary service, which often included reading and explaining passages from the Old Testament. This tradition, called targuming, involved offering insights and interpretations to the congregation. On this particular Sabbath, the scroll of Isaiah was handed to Jesus. He unrolled it and read aloud:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for He has anointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
(Luke 4:18-19)

The congregation sat spellbound as Jesus finished reading, rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. At that moment, all eyes were on Him, waiting for His commentary—His targum. What He said next left the room in stunned silence:

“The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”
(Luke 4:21)

With those words, Jesus declared that He was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. No further explanation was required. He wasn’t just reading the text; He was the text brought to life. The Messiah had come, and His mission was clear—to proclaim God’s salvation and bring restoration to a broken world.

Jesus began His mission as the Messiah by preaching the good news and proclaiming liberty to all. He urged His disciples to take what He taught them and proclaim it openly (Matthew 10:27).

The term “herald” may sound outdated to modern ears, but it carries rich historical significance. Heralds were entrusted with important messages and tasked with delivering them publicly. The Greek term for herald is kerux, and its verbal form, kerusso, means to proclaim, announce, make known, or preach. This is the same word translated as “preach” in 2 Timothy 4:2.

Preaching is fundamentally an act of communication. Expository preaching, in particular, involves providing clear explanations and interpretations of Scripture. It centers on publicly proclaiming the Father’s redemptive plan to save the world. The role of a preacher is not to share personal opinions or ideas but to faithfully preach the Word—God’s enduring, authoritative truth.

Before He ascended to heaven, Jesus gave His disciples instructions that revealed what mattered most to Him. His parting words carried the same gravity as Paul’s final charge to Timothy.

The Lord Jesus Christ commissioned His disciples with these instructions, recorded in Matthew 28:18-20: “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

This command is not only for the original disciples; it is a mission entrusted to all children of the King. Each of us has a responsibility to carry out the Great Commission by sharing the good news of Christ. The question is not whether we are called—it’s how we will respond to that call. Every believer has been given this sacred task to make disciples and teach others, continuing the mission of proclaiming God’s truth to the world.

¯_(ツ)_/¯10-11-1

© Dr. H 2025