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Preach the Word (2 Timothy 4:2)

"Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction."


PREACH THE WORD, that's the primary ministry of a servant of God. All other things are only peripheral. Ministry of the word in prayer and proclamation is at the core of ministry.

Preaching implies (CAP)

COMMUNICATION of the Word with people. It is communication with people and so involves responsibility. The communication is personal and not impersonal. It aims at carrying God's message to the heart of the person through the power of the Holy Spirit.
ADDRESSING the issues that are relevant to the preaching. Addressing the question and need of the hour is ministry. Ministry is not a formality, but response to a need. One doesn't need to preach about atheism in a context where polytheism and not atheism is the biggest problem. Every age and area has its question that God's Word alone is capable to address. Jesus Christ is central to the proclamation of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit witnesses to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement.
PERSUASION. Propagation must be persuasive or else it is meaningless. The message must have a meaning, an aim, a target, and a purpose. The goal is obedience of faith.

In addition to these, one must remember the following about the ministry of the Word:

1. INTEGRITY OF THE WORD. Sound doctrine, rightly dividing the word of truth, and right application of the God's message are involved in possessing the pure and wholesome Word of God in all its integrity. One must never compromise or submit God's word to personal interpretation or dictates of one's feelings and opinions.
2. INTENSITY OF THE WORD. Paul exhorts Timothy to preach in season and out of season; to rebuke, to correct, to exhort. If the preacher is not passionate about the message, he has no business preaching it. If there is passion then the preaching will be "by all means" and in every way possible.
3. INTERNALITY OF THE WORD. The preacher's life should be the testimony of the word he preaches. In other words, one must not preach what one doesn't practice. The Word must be internal, transforming one's own life, before it can be communicated to others. The preacher must be an example to others in sound doctrine.

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