the gospel of Jesus Christ — Blog

1 I 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; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. – 2 Timothy 4:1-5 ESV

Preach the word. This three-word summary says it all. Paul greatly desired to hear that his young protégé was faithfully fulfilling his God-ordained commission as a minister of the gospel. Paul had poured his life into Timothy, mentoring and instructing him, and providing his own life as a model of dedication and perseverance. Paul let nothing deter him from his divine calling, and he longed for Timothy to follow his example. For Paul, this mattered because he knew his life and ministry were drawing to a close. He was writing from prison in Rome, facing trumped-up yet serious charges that could result in his death. In the very next verse, Paul states, “I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come” (2 Timothy 4:6 ESV).

The gospel must continue to be preached, and Paul was convinced of Timothy’s role in that divine endeavor. His words are meant to give Timothy a gentle yet sobering boost of moral courage and spiritual conviction, and he adds weight by using the Father and His Son as witnesses. Paul may have chosen to make Timothy his disciple, but he wanted Timothy to understand that God's sovereign will called him.

In the opening lines of his letter, Paul recalled Timothy’s ordination when he had placed his hands on his young acolyte, using his apostolic authority to commission him for ministry. But God poured out His Spirit on Timothy, divinely gifting him for service.

I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands… – 2 Timothy 1:6 ESV

Paul wanted Timothy to know that God and Christ Jesus were both witnesses to his ministry. They had a vested interest in his work because it involved proclaiming God’s gracious gift of salvation, made possible through the sacrificial death of His Son. The very same Jesus whom Timothy preached as having been resurrected from the dead will one day return and “judge the living and the dead” (2 Timothy 4:1 ESV). Timothy needed to remind himself that Jesus would return a second time and establish His Kingdom on earth. And when He does, all the ungodly who appear to be prospering and profiting from their immoral behavior in this life will face judgment at His hands.

With that thought in mind, Timothy was to “Preach the word of God” (2 Timothy 4:1 NLT). The Greek word Paul used is kēryssō, which means “to herald” or “proclaim.” Knowing that Jesus will one day judge and condemn all those who remain unbelieving, Timothy was obligated to declare the good news of salvation through faith in Christ. He was to preach the gospel boldly and powerfully, motivated by his awareness of its life-and-death implications.

“…to officiate as herald; to proclaim after the manner of a herald; always with a suggestion of formality, gravity, and an authority which must be listened to and obeyed.” – “κήρυξον”, Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament

But for Timothy to be effective, he had to “be ready in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2 ESV). He could not afford to be a fair-weather preacher or wait until things were more convenient or the atmosphere was more conducive to his message. Regardless of the circumstances he faced, Timothy had to be prepared to preach the word unapologetically, faithfully, and with equal doses of encouragement and correction. Timothy was to “reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2 ESV).

The danger in preaching the “good news” is that it can leave people believing that the Christian life is a trouble-free existence, a kind of heaven on earth. But nothing could be further from the truth. Salvation does not guarantee a lack of trials or suffering in this life; it offers a way to avoid eternal suffering in the life to come. When Jesus promised His disciples life more abundantly (John 10:10), He wasn’t offering them a life filled with ceaseless pleasure, abundant possessions, and perfect health. In fact, He warned them to expect the opposite.

“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time.” – Matthew 10:16-19 NLT

He went on to tell them, “If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it” (Matthew 10:38-39 NLT).

The abundant life is one in which the believer lives with their eyes focused on eternity. When they do, the trials and troubles of this life pale in comparison with the joys to come. That’s exactly what Paul meant when he wrote, “what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later” (Romans 8:18 NLT).

So, Timothy was to preach a well-rounded gospel message, clearly communicating the future glories to come, while also warning of the dangers inherent in this present life. Jesus Himself warned, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62 NLT). The decision to follow Christ is costly, requiring the disciple to reprioritize everything else in their life so nothing competes with or distracts from their calling.

But Paul warns Timothy that not everyone will embrace the Christian life with the zeal and unbridled enthusiasm required. They’ll confuse the “good news” with the “good life” and demand that their preachers support their wrong assumptions with false messages that replace the truth with pleasant-sounding lies.

…a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. – 2 Timothy 4:3-4 NLT

But while there will always be people-pleasing preachers willing to offer pious-sounding platitudes in place of truth, Timothy was to remain fully committed to God’s Word.

As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. – 2 Timothy 4:5 NLT

Truth-telling and ear-tickling are antithetical; you can’t please God and people at the same time. A ministry motivated by a desire for popularity and focused on earthly rewards may garner a following and appear successful, but it will lack God’s presence and power. Timothy’s reward would not come in this life. The true measure of his success would be revealed when he stood before the Lord and heard Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23 ESV).

Father, You have called us to preach the gospel “in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2 ESV). There are no off-season for the gospel ministry and no time-outs for those whom You have commissioned as Your ambassadors. Ministry is a full-time job that requires diligence, determination, and a desire to please You rather than men. But we live in an age where popularity and men-pleasing is not only fashionable but preferable for many ministers. In an effort to draw crowds and increase their following, “they teach man-made ideas as commands from God” (Matthew 15:9 NLT). And Your Son called their worship of You “a farce.” Sermons designed to tickle men’s ears will never bring You glory or bring about changed lives. That is why Paul was so adamant that Timothy stay faithful to his calling. The pressure to compromise is real. The temptation to pursue popularity and “likes” has never been stronger. But You never intended the gospel ministry to be about building a fan base of satisfied customers. Timothy was to “ reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2 ESV). Telling people what they want to hear may keep them coming back for more, but it will never produce faith-filled followers of Christ who are willing endure the momentary light afflictions for the “glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT). Help me stay committed to the calling You have placed on my life. Keep me focused on eternity so I am not tempted to seek heaven on earth or trade eternal promises for temporary pleasures. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. – Galatians 1:1-10 ESV

After a brief yet heartfelt greeting, Paul cuts to the chase. He is writing to new believers living throughout the region called Galatia (now modern Turkey), and he wants to warn them about a problem he sees going on among them. He pulls no punches, but is extremely blunt with his assessment of the situation.

I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. – Galatians 1:6 NLT

Paul is completely baffled by the reports he has heard coming out of Galatia. Of the 13 letters Paul wrote that became part of the canon of Scripture, this is believed to be the first one. It was likely written sometime around 49 A.D. Since the time of Jesus' resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Gospel had spread throughout the known world and made its way to Galatia, where Gentiles were coming to faith in Christ. But as the gospel spread, so did a lot of false teaching.

There were no New Testament Scriptures at this time. The gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John had not yet been written. There were few, if any, elders or leaders for these new congregations of believers springing up all over the place. There was little in the way of an established doctrine for the growing Church. Much of what Paul and others wrote in these letters became what we now have as the New Testament. Their writings, penned under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, became the foundation of the doctrine to which we still adhere today. They were addressing issues and problems that were emerging as the gospel spread and the Church grew in numbers. Immediately after Pentecost, most of the early converts to Christianity were Jews, but that had begun to change as the good news of Jesus was carried around the world.

Increasingly, more and more Gentiles, or non-Jews, were coming to faith. Because Jesus and His disciples had been Jews, there was a strong tie to Judaism in those early days. Many of the Jewish converts were of the opinion that belief in Christ was simply an extension or add-on to their Jewish faith or heritage. This led them to propagate the idea that becoming a Christ-follower also required that you become a Jew and submit to all the Jewish laws and traditions. In time, a group that held an extreme form of this view rose up, which came to be known as the Judaizers. They were having a strong influence in places like Galatia, telling Gentile converts that their faith in Christ was incomplete or inadequate. They were teaching that faith in Christ alone was not enough; more was required of them. They must also become converts to Judaism, all males must go through the ritual of circumcision, and they must keep the Law and adhere to all Jewish traditions and customs. As you can imagine, this caused a great deal of confusion among these new believers.

It also caused a great deal of anger in Paul. This became one of the major themes in his letters, as he warned his readers, "You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News, but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ" (Galatians 1:6-7 NLT). Paul made it clear that what these believers were hearing was not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was some kind of an aberration. It was a "different way," but not the one true way. It was a false gospel, but not the true gospel concerning faith in Christ alone.

Paul gives his feelings about this pseudo gospel and those who were promoting it:

Let God's curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who practices a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. – Galatians 1:8 NLT

Paul was anything but tolerant and inclusive. He was not a proponent of the popular heresy that all religions lead to God. Nor was he politically correct or willing to accommodate all views. As far as he was concerned, there was one gospel, and it did not include conversion to Judaism or adherence to the Law. The gospel Paul preached required faith in Christ alone and nothing more. It was faith-based, not works-based, and it afforded no place for earning or merit. What made the good news good news was that it was a free gift, unhampered by human effort or achievement.

Gone were the days when sacrifice and law-keeping were the required means of pursuing a right relationship with God. No amount of either one had ever truly made anyone right with God. But with His death on the cross, Jesus had satisfied the just demands of God once and for all. He had paid the price for our sins with His own life. No more lambs needed to be sacrificed. No more hopeless attempts at perfect adherence to the Law were necessary. Salvation had been provided by Christ and was not dependent on the efforts of man anymore.

So Paul boldly and aggressively deals with this issue right up front, and he was anything but subtle.

I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. – Galatians 1:10 NLT

Paul was a servant of Jesus Christ. He answered to Him and Him alone. He cared more about what God thought about him than what men did. This was not a popularity contest for Paul. He had been commissioned by Jesus Himself to take the good news of salvation in Christ alone through faith alone to a lost and dying world. He would not tolerate the teaching or preaching of any other gospel. He would not put up with those who attempted to redefine the gospel as Jesus plus anything.

Father, it is so easy to try to add to the gospel. We so want to put our twist on it. and end up adding rules and requirements that are unnecessary and only muddy the water. We crave achievement and recognition for our efforts. We have been brainwashed to believe that we have to DO something to earn Your forgiveness and favor. But salvation is a gift. It was made possible by what Your Son did on the cross and has nothing to do with human effort or earning. As we read through the letter of Galatians, help us see where we may be trying to add to the gospel even today. Open our eyes and help us give up all attempts at self-righteousness and once again place our faith in the righteousness of Christ alone. Amen.

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