This letter to Timothy is written at the end of Paul’s life. He is in prison, knowing his end is near. When you’re about to die, priorities become clear. You’re not thinking about the 10 things that should be done. You realize what the 2-3 most important things in life are. Maybe you remember when a loved one was near the end, when you were at a funeral of someone close—priorities became clear.

Paul is passing the baton to Timothy. When you’re about to leave and you’re giving final instructions to your successor, again, priorities become clear. After decades of incredible ministry (missions, church planting, engaging the culture and society, helping the poor, etc.), Paul considers what one, primary thing he wants to Timothy to focus on: Preach the Word. He is a seasoned pastor telling his young successor, this is the main task you must devote yourself to.

Paul is writing this charge as he describes two main dangers

Persecution

3:11-12 persecution, sufferings (Antioch, Iconium, Lystra); all will be persecuted

4:5 endure hardships

Paul sees for Timothy and fellow believers that persecution is unavoidable. He is in prison himself, soon to be executed.

Paul also points out that this isn’t just his context, this is true for all believers. And for so many Christians in the world, this is very true. We need a theology of suffering—but this is another sermon.

False Teaching

Paul sees these threats to true Christianity. Against false teachers, there is a priority, an urgency for people who “correctly handles the word of truth” (2:15).

Paul doesn’t take it entirely for granted that Timothy knows truth from error. Paul says to Timothy, you know my life, my faith, my love, my endurance (3:10-11); you know the teachers from whom you’ve learned (3:14). Paul is saying, don’t be misled by those false teachers. Don’t get confused. Remember, you know my life and the lives of others who have taught you well. Paul sees that Timothy himself is in possible danger of false teaching.

4:3. People will tend to stray from the truth.

While various ideas and trends float around, while society and cultures have their own values and worldview, someone needs to be more grounded in Scripture so as to keep God’s truth clear. There are some who are influenced by ideas like post-modernism, environmentalism, sexism & racism, and then try to make the bible fit their ideas. We need someone is saturated with God’s word, deeply grounded in God’s word, and then filters and critiques these ideas. Without the clear teaching of God’s Word, Christianity will become dead traditionalism or lightly wrapped secularism.

Paul sees the treat of false teaching, but he also sees the threat of persecution.

I believe Paul is saying, I am in prison, you also will face persecution. Many other brothers and sisters will suffer, even die. We don’t want to play church games. Lives are at stake.

What is going to help us through the suffering? What is going to strengthen believers when their property it taken away, when they’re whipped or imprisoned? Preach the Word!

What do believers need when death is staring them in the face? Preach the Word!

Paul is convinced that God’s Word is what we need in persecution. In fact, Paul sees God’s Word is critical and useful in the whole of Christian living (3:16).

This is God’s Word. God has spoke and still speaks through His Word.

At a recent pastors’ conference, Phil Ryken was encouraging pastors to consider the sufficiency of God’s Word. The problem is that too many of us, too many pastors, don’t really believe that God’s Word is enough. We need to add something. If we want to evangelize and disciple people, we think we need more than just the Bible. But Paul is saying, God’s Word is useful so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

If you’re struggling with your Christian life, in your character, in your joy, in your love, in your heart for others, heart for God, what do you need?

God has given us the body of Christ, the sacraments. God has given us many things to help us. But let me say, I think we drastically under-estimate the power and usefulness of God’s Word. For if we really believed this Word was this powerful and useful, I think we’d all ready, study, meditate on and memorize it more.

I think the problem is not that God’s word is weak and not useful, it is that we do no know how to correctly use it.

We have a MacBook Pro. It has plenty of speed, memory, great programs. The problem is, we don’t know how to use it. We have a BMW. The problem is we don’t know how to drive stick.

I’d like to suggest that when Paul is encouraging Timothy to preach the Word, when he is teaching him of the usefulness of God’s Word, Paul is picturing the Gospel. That for Paul, the Word of God is the Gospel.

3:10, 14 Paul is commending himself as the source of truth, the truth that Timothy must be faithful to. That is Paul isn’t thinking here of just the OT. Paul is including his own teaching as part of God’s Word. For Paul’s teaching, the Gospel is central.

3:15 Paul sees that God’s Word, “makes you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” That is God’s Word leads you to faith in Christ Jesus. Faith in Christ Jesus—that’s the Gospel. God’s Word builds your faith in Christ Jesus, which is your salvation. Paul doesn’t see a distinction here. God’s Word is the story of the Gospel, it point us to Jesus, it builds our faith in Jesus.

—and for whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me. (1 Timothy 1:10-11)

False teachers

So let me go back and re-clarify what I think is in Paul’s mind

Where is the Gospel in this passage?

I see it in 4:1, Paul’s charge to Timothy to preach the Gospel is itself given in the Gospel.

Christ Jesus will judge us all—we will be held accountable to him. Timothy, your faithfulness or unfaithfulness will be held accountable by Jesus Christ. Human responsibility.

Christ Jesus will come and rule. Jesus will return not as the suffering servant but the conquering king. He will come and His kingdom will be consummated. He will sit on the throne. He will receive glory and honor and power, forever and every. There is a certainty, there is a hope, there is a confidence that Jesus has conquered sin and death—that’s the Gospel, that’s the story of how Jesus took our sin and conquered death, how Jesus is the hero!

In light of this,

In light of the fact that you also will give an account before Christ

In light of the fact that Christ will return, conquer and reign in glory

Preach the Gospel!

If you’re not a Christian, we want to let you know that the Bible has a message that leads to salvation. We don’t have to live in guilt, fear, emptiness, bitterness, or despair. We don’t have to live in the guilt of offenses made, sins committed. That message is that Jesus has come to heal, to forgive, to rescue, and at the end of the day, He will sit on the throne as the Worthy King of all Creation. You are invited into His kingdom.

Paul warns that people will not want to hear God’s Word, not want to hear the Gospel. They will want to hear other things that make them feel significant, empowered, that is about them. They will want to hear messages that push them up, or there are people who want to hear messages that put them down. In either case, we drift away from the Gospel.

Seek sound preaching.