Two-Minute Warning
preach the word, be urgent in season, out of season, reprove, warn, encourage with all long-suffering and teaching
Preach – We often hear this verse used to support evangelistic activity. We are urged to follow Paul’s exhortation. Get out there and tell everyone the good news. Time is short. Many are lost. We must hurry.
All this is true, of course, even more so now that nearly 2000 years have passed since Paul wrote these words. But if 2000 years have passed, maybe what Paul had in mind isn’t quite the same sense of immediate judgment that we tend to imagine. There is no doubt Paul meant to say epistethi (urgently), but 2000 years later we might wonder, “What’s the rush?” Perhaps we need to examine the verb kerusso a bit more carefully.
Kerusso means “to preach, to herald, to proclaim.” It is generally associated with public announcement (for example, the activity of John the Baptist). Because we think of preaching as the mode of evangelism, we tend to use this verb as synonymous with “proclaiming the gospel,” “saving lost souls,” or “sharing the good news of Jesus.” But those twentieth-century meanings might not apply to Paul’s audience. Paul is writing to Timothy, a man who already oversees a congregation of Jewish and Gentile Messianic believers. Preaching to them can’t mean evangelism. They are already in the fold. Of course, Paul could be urging Timothy to get out among the pagans and preach salvation, but this would be inconsistent with the Jewish apologetic approach he practiced nearly everywhere else. Paul taught Jews and Gentile proselytes. Only on the rarest occasions did he proclaim Yeshua to pagans. Most of the time, he was occupied with Gentiles who already had a connection to Judaism.
If kerusso is not about standing on the street corner with a sign or shoveling fire and brimstone at the audience in the pews, then what is it? We might look at the statement of James. “For in every city from ancient generations Moses has those preaching him, having been read in the synagogues on every Sabbath” (Acts 15:20). Clearly, the use of kerusso in James’ account is not about evangelism. It’s about instruction in Torah. What would make us think that Paul wouldn’t be anxious to do the same? Perhaps what Paul is exhorting Timothy to do is to proclaim Torah as fervently as possible to those who are adopting the ways of the God of Israel. Rather than offering a message of salvation, maybe Timothy is supposed to be bringing current followers into a deeper understanding of the Torah. Even if there has been a 2000 year hiatus between Paul’s instructions to Timothy and the return of our Lord, the necessity of teaching Torah hasn’t diminished one iota (to use a Greek letter).
If Paul wrote to you today, would he be telling you to pass out tracts, knock on doors, offer an altar call; or would he echo James? Proclaim the importance of observing the ways of God’s people.
Topical Index: preach, kerusso, proclaim, Torah, 2 Timothy 2:4
If you didn’t see the announcement that you can sign up for a free 1 hour discussion this coming Thursday, go here. We will join others around the world to talk about living the Hebraic model in daily practice, plus some other interesting bits and pieces. Hope you will join us.
Skip
Yes, we are (all) to “proclaim” the “gospel.” Good news! Good news!- What is this “happy news?’- What make the “good news”.. well… “good?”
And by the way.. yes, by all means proclaim the Torah- (G-d’s instruction). We need to know how to live. The Torah tells us how it’s done. – The “how to.” Come out from among them and be ye separate- (says the LORD). Separate from what? Separate from who?- and why?
Questions, questions- where are the answers? – Torah. (Instruction). A long list of “do’s and dont’s. “Do this” and you shall live (and prosper!)
So, – what part does the cross have in all this? -The proclaiming (preaching) of the cross is to them who are perishing- “foolishness!”. How absurd, that G-d would die as a common criminal. Does that make any sense to you? Messiah was supposed to be a “conqueror!” A victor! A king! .. But what is His end? – nailed to a cruel Roman cross- hanging there- naked and bloody. Where is the “good news” in that? -I’ll stick with the Torah- it’s a lot cleaner- and besides- I can measure my progress every day as well.. 613 rules to live by. – But that cross- it just doesn’t make any sense at all. Why did Yeshua have to die? He was our Teacher- our Messiah- the Hope of Israel.
There is so much I do not understand. John the Baptizer said He was the Lamb of G-d. What does a lamb have to do with being a King? There was a sign (tefillin?) posted above Christ- “King of the Jews”. Is this our Conqueror? Would G-d allow Himself to be nailed to a criminal’s cross? For what purpose?
Too much blood. Too much gore. Too much confusion. Back to the traditions of my fathers. – But then , there is also the rumor of an empty tomb. Don’t hear much about that. Christ is supposed to be risen from the grave. Ha!- It would take more than a man to accomplish something like that!
But that would be the ultimate victory- wouldn’t it? It would be quite a surprise- three days later..
Who is the Victor? Who has triumphed over death, sin, Satan, sorrow, suffering- and the grave? What is His name? Who is this man? Very disturbing- this Christ..
Carl Roberts has regularly written in his unique style ( recall that I am one that does not want to glorify man/woman because of their God given talents, but give God thanks for whatever they may be: intellect, verse, song, teaching, writing, music, service, labor– craftsmanship-this goes all the way back to Exodus 31: l-10 ” And the Lord said to Moses, I have called by name Bezalel son of Uri—– V.3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and ability in understanding and intelligence and in knowledge and in all kinds of craftmanship– Amplified Bible– ( read all the rest of the beautiful verses:).——
But back to C.R. regular statements written in his unique way, he brings attention also to the N.T. and often brings in the Cross. ——- I just reread yesterday, something that we all need to consider carefully in the summary of most of the past few days writings & comments: Karl Barth, a well known Swiss theologian, warned anyone seeking the truth of the Bible, not to make any biblical theme or principal other than the name “Jesus Christ” the focus of the Scripture. —— CHRIST ALONE UNIFIES THE SCRIPTURE.– The teaching/preaching of Jesus brings together the entire flow of the Bible. —
I grew up in Southern Baptist Churches, ( I was born in 1933– & was in church within a month), educated in their colleges with required Bible courses, and I never got a hint that there was any division between the teachings of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant!— The enitre Bible was taught as real and vivid, & for us then/today with love, and not legalism Now, I realize that a great many of that same group left their “first Love” in the following years. That caused us to begin to seek more and more in God’s Word, prayer, and in Christian Books– We even read some of Francis Schaffer’s – books during that time or a little latter, also Peter Marshall- the U.S. Chaplian & his wife, Catherine Marhshall–and on and on! In the late 1960’s or early “70’s, we more earnestly & continued to look and seek for Him. “When you seek with all your heart and soul, mind ( whatever the definitions are to you–GOD WILL HONOR THAT) YOU WILL FIND! —- We found, but no one really wants others to find, the forces of hell will move against you to destroy your testimony that you are trying not to even speak/teach, but walking out in ACTION–so we were allowed to be tested in the fires— without a church sticking with us. Our pastor did not even want us to smile in church, ( we were aglow with the Spirit of God), and he would turn to make sure no choir member or anyone on the platform, was smiling back to us) This same pastor went to the S. Baptist U. where my husband was on the faculty with a fully earned PHD from a Big State University, and asked for him to be fired because he was not following the “Baptist Doctrine”. With a family of four children to feed, we got down on our knees and told the Heavenly father that we loved Him more than than our jobs ( I was also teaching in a Baptist School of the largest Church in Houston–and we figured I would be next to go). — So I know about the real trials of following Jesus. Denominations, homechurches, fellowships, community churches such as John Macarthur–not even A Southern Baptist –also regularly preaches against the power of the Holy Spirit for today, little does he know–but that does not concern me, because I have experienced over and over and over according to the TWO Covenants, in all kinds of ways the past 39 years, lined up with the scriptures,and also with our own chilldren and descendants–total of 26 now with spouses & three great grandchildre.–PLUS several “foster” children, and people that God places in our lives, often just as we work our large yard of beautiful old oaks, grass, shrubs and flowers from plumberias to ferns and sago palms, and a veg.garden, and minister in all kinds of ways, including whatever church doors, or home fellowships open their arms to us. —- There is great healing in tilling the soil by the sweat of your brown regularly! It goes right along with the agrariian life of the Hebrew people.
It is an awesome way to live, and I know that we need the Power of Pentecost in our lives, it is for today. With an earnest seeking heart, please read and study every verse on the Holy Spirit , I am well aware of excesses, but they go along with every group that has ever existed! — We need the full council of all the Bible, it is great to get teachings bringing Hebrew words back into a better perspective, but GOD IS GREATER THAN Languages!
LaVaye , and approved by my husband of 58 years July 3, 2010, and he is still doing manual labor each day,( he is near 82 years of age) we drag the water hoses around our property, and this is a draught area!- He also, cares for a large veg garden, one big peach tree, golfing, and during the school year Substitutes in the H.S. several times a week. Also, because of our totaly different talents, if God had not filled us to full and over flowing 39 years ago with His Holy Spirit, we would not be living together today.
Nearly every day for 58 years, has had more than enough conflicts, to cause us to leave each other — but thanks be unto God , we forgot about ourselves, and honored our committment to each other under the Creator of the Universe, & worked each day to stay together for the Children, then the grands, and now the greats, & all those that God puts in our paths to help–where would they be, if we had been so selfish ( the center of SIN –is “I”, yes, the big whinning “I”: nobody holds me up, cares for me, loves me– poor me, but that is the spirit of the world.—- “seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and you will find!”,– literally keep on seeking,—-) . I pray that the silent majority will put this in your hearts and ponder on it. Because I care for the author and each and every reader that is reading God’s Word, I write this long letter. — I have much work to do: make peach preserves, fig preserves, a new baby quilt, food to eat for today for us and whoever comes by, check on the needs of a young mother of six children–a Mormon neighbor– whose husband is charged with arson, setting three houses on fire, one their own ; and I am always looking for the time to study and pray, and seek. — I WILL rejoice and be glad that I am still able to do it, too! What a great life we have already been given in this country, to study, seek, and keep on seeking until that day He calls our names to leave this world! Praise His many HOlY NAMES & All of them are Full of HIs Glory! LaVaye B.
beautiful testimony LaVaye! – He is the Faithful One!
We all have a “history” and a “story”, -“but G-d is faithful”- is our common testimony..
“Rather than offering a message of salvation, maybe Timothy is supposed to be bringing current followers into a deeper understanding of the Torah.”
Skip,
Does it have to be “either/or”??
No, it doesn’t have to be “either/or” but the point is that we usually read it as only the “either” side. In other words, we think of “preach” as proclaiming the message of salvation, but never as teaching the ways of Torah. But when we look at the rest of this instruction to TImothy, it’s hard to imagine that Paul meant the “salvation” message with the word “preach.” The good news isn’t limited to “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” The good news is that God has given us instructions for what to do after we discover He loves us.
I think a lot of our misunderstanding comes from a very limited view of the gospel. Christ Himself is the Good News. The Gospel is described as “the power of God.” Nothing else in all of Scripture (including Torah) is described in such a way except for the Person of Jesus Christ (I Cor. 1:24). On the road to Emmaus, the Lord began with Moses and all the prophets and expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself – that’s Good News! Yes the Torah is part of it, but HE is all of it. Our present day has skewed the “salvation” message to be only for the unsaved. Paul constantly preaches the Gospel to believers. We must preach the Gospel to ourselves every day to remember Him and what He has done.
“The Gospel is described as “the power of God.” Nothing else in all of Scripture (including Torah) is described in such a way except for the Person of Jesus Christ (I Cor. 1:24).”
Hi Violet,
To quote an old management guru, we need to put “first things first”:
John says: “In the beginning was the Word (Torah), and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God at the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1:1-3
Almost. I don’t think it’s possible to equate John’s use of logos directly with Torah since John clearly has a personal and relational concept in mind (“He” was with God, etc.) So, whatever John has in mind, it must be much more than simply the written words of Torah. Of course, Torah in its deeper sense is the verbal embodiment of God Himself. Maybe that’s what John wants us to see.
John’s use of a specific article (“the”) changes logos from it’s more general definition of something said or written (Torah) to the more specific, Divine expression, i.e. Christ.
“Torah in its deeper sense is the verbal embodiment of God Himself”
Hi Skip and Violet,
I was thinking in terms of Skip’s comment above.
But when we come to the level of the Divine Logos and Christ as the embodiment of God Himself, we are at a very high level of abstraction.
And for me all good things tend to blend into One.
I believe it is both as well to instruct those in spiritual growth and to proclaim the message of salvation.
With the Reformation, preaching was turned into a sacrament – or, at least, a quasi sacrament. A wrong move in my opinion. But symbolically the pulpit was at the side of the church, whereas the lectern was central. Preaching was done from the pulpit; the reading of Scripture at the lectern. Man’s word is not central; God’s word is. Even man’s explanations of God’s word never became central, hence the pulpit was put at one side. Today, in many churches, there is no lectern, not even an open Bible. Preaching is done center stage, symbolically indicating that is equal with God’s Word, the Scriptures. Another wrong move.
Now, if we could just get the preachers to understand the symbolism they could remain center stage, reading the Scriptures without interpretation. Maybe this is is what Paul had in mind. And if we could get the preachers to start at the beginning – the Torah, then maybe some of the misunderstandings, the misconceptions, would disappear.
I certainly don’t think it could hurt.