The Power of Sound Teaching

4 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. - 2 Timothy 4:1-5 NKJV Teaching the Bible isn’t easy. It requires hours of study, sometimes boring people with background information, and breaking things down in a way that everyone can grasp. But that’s how we grow. Without a strong foundation in the Word, people can spread all kinds of ideas about God’s character and nature, making others more vulnerable to deception.

Here, Paul is writing to his son in the faith, Timothy, giving him some final instructions. Last words are usually the most important, so it’s worth paying attention to what Paul tells him. He says, "Timothy, I’m about to leave, but don’t forget—preach the Word!" That is the first ministry of every believer. Preach the Word! This doesn’t mean everyone is called to stand behind a pulpit, but it does mean every believer is responsible for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.

Paul encourages Timothy to always be ready, in season and out of season, to give an answer to anyone. He then tells him to rebuke and convince people with teaching, once again emphasizing how important teaching is. How do you correct false doctrine? How do you address misunderstandings of Scripture? Through teaching. That’s why we must study to show ourselves approved.

Paul also explains why this is so crucial—because people won’t always endure sound doctrine. Instead, they’ll seek out teachers who tell them what they want to hear, things that "itch their ears." This is a serious problem in the church today. Many things are preached from pulpits that have no biblical foundation. People say things because they sound good, but at the end of the day, they aren’t rooted in truth. That’s why it’s necessary to address false doctrine and correct it.

As a teacher and preacher of the Word, it’s my responsibility to confront these issues and bring clarity in a way that helps people stay grounded in truth.

I won’t apologize for being passionate about the truth. I won’t apologize for standing firm on what I believe or for correcting false teachings. I know there’s a right way to do it, but I’d rather take the risk of speaking up than stay silent and let deception spread. When people don’t have solid teaching and rely only on preaching, that’s when deception creeps in. Preaching might stir you for a moment, but teaching equips you for life. Preaching encourages. Teaching builds a foundation. I appreciate powerful preaching, but we can’t afford to neglect the importance of teaching.

Paul tells Timothy to teach. The body of Christ needs teaching. Without a strong foundation in the Word, we’re in trouble. He also says, "Do the work of an evangelist and fulfill your ministry." That’s the charge—to fulfill the ministry God has given us.

Even though Paul was writing to Timothy, this applies to us today. We need to be equipped, know the Word, and be so rooted in truth that when deception arises, we can recognize it instantly.

Let this be a reminder: We must be so grounded in the Word that we can fulfill our ministry by teaching and sharing truth in love.