A PREACHER’S JOB DESCRIPTION

I have never aspired to be known as a theologian, a polemicist, or an academician. My passion is teaching and confronting the world with the Word of God.

Even though I’ve dealt with theological questions and doctrinal controversies in some of my emails, I have never done so from the perspective of a systematic theologian. It is of little concern to me whether some point of doctrine fits with this tradition or that. I want to know what is biblical. All my concerns are biblical, and my desire is to be biblical in all my teaching.

My father was a preacher whose only desire was to “Preach the Word!” That simple statement became the compelling stimulus in his heart. It is all he desired do in his ministry– teach the Word.

Preachers today face a tremendous amount of pressure to do everything but teach the Word. Church growth experts tell them they must address people’s “felt needs.”

They are encouraged to be
storytellers,
fantasy literature analysts,
movie reviewers,
comedians,
psychologists, and
motivational speakers.

They are warned to steer clear of topics that people find unpleasant. Many have given up biblical teaching in favor of devotional homilies designed to make people feel good. But the teacher whose passion is biblical has only one option: “Teach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2)

Preaching  the Word is not always easy. The message we are required to proclaim is often offensive. Christ Himself is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense (Romans 9:33; 1 Peter 2:8). The message of the cross is a stumbling block to some (1 Corinthians 1:23; Galatians 5:11), mere foolishness to others (1 Corinthians 1:23).

But we are never permitted to trim the message or tailor it to people’s preferences. Paul made this clear to Timothy at the end of 2 Timothy 3:
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (v. 16, emphasis added). This is the Word to be preached: the whole counsel of God (cf. Acts 20:27).

In chapter 1 Paul had told Timothy, “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me” (v. 13). He was speaking of the revealed words of Scripture–all of it. He urged Timothy to “Guard . . . the treasure which has been entrusted to you” (v. 14). Then in chapter 2 he told him to study the Word and handle it accurately (2:15). Now he is telling him to proclaim it. So the entire task of the faithful teacher revolves around the Word of God–guarding it, studying it, and proclaiming it.

In 1 Corinthians he states. “When I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (2:2). In other words, his goal as a teacher was not to entertain people with his rhetorical style, or to amuse them with cleverness, humor, novel insights, or sophisticated methodology–he simply preached Christ crucified.

Be Faithful In and Out of Season

Teaching is a never-ending task. Not only are we to teach the Word, we must do it regardless of the climate of opinion around us. We are commanded to be faithful when such teaching is tolerated–but also when it is not.”

Paul says we are to teach the Word even when it is not in fashion. The expression he uses is “be ready.” The Greek term (ephistemi) literally means “to stand beside.” It has the idea of eagerness. It was often used to describe a military guard, always at his post, prepared for duty.

Reprove, Rebuke, and Exhort

Paul also gives Timothy instructions about the tone of his teaching. He uses two words that carry negative connotations and one that is positive: reprove, rebuke, and exhort. All valid teaching must have a balance of positive and negative. The teacher who fails to reprove and rebuke is not fulfilling his commission.

Reproving, rebuking, and exhorting are the same as teaching the Word. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). Notice the same balance of positive and negative tone. Reproof and correction are negative; teaching and training are positive. The teacher should confront sin and then encourage repentant sinners to behave righteously. He is to do this “with great patience and instruction” (4:2).

Don’t Compromise in Difficult Times

There is an urgency in Paul’s charge to young Timothy: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires” (2 Tim. 4:3).

Note that Paul does not suggest that the way to reach such a society is to soften the message so that its people will be comfortable with it. Just the opposite is true. Such ear-tickling is abominable.

The truth of God does not tickle our ears. It burns them. It reproves, rebukes, convicts–then it exhorts and encourages. Teachers of the Word must be careful to maintain that balance.

No one can teach with power who does not teach the Word. And no faithful teacher will water down or neglect the whole counsel of God. Proclaiming the Word–all of it–is the teachers calling