Portrait of a Preacher -- By: W. Ross Rainey
Journal: Emmaus Journal
Volume: EMJ 04:1 (Summer 1995)
Article: Portrait of a Preacher
Author: W. Ross Rainey
EmJ 4:1 (Sum 95) p. 31
Portrait of a Preacher
An Exposition of 2 Timothy 4:1–5
Introduction
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom; preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry (2 Timothy 4:1–5).
In John Bunyan’s classic allegory, The Pilgrim’s Progress, the very first thing that happened to Pilgrim after he became a Christian was to be taken to Interpreter’s House. There he was led to a room and shown a picture on the wall—it was a portrait of a preacher. It is, wrote Guy H. King, “as if John Bunyan would impress upon the new convert that, while he is to become many things, his first responsibility is to be, in some sense, a preacher.”2 Looking at the picture,
EmJ 4:1 (Sum 95) p. 32
Pilgrim sees a preacher with “eyes lifted to heaven; the best of books in his hand; the law of truth written upon his lips; the world was behind his back; it stood as if it pleaded with men; and a crown of gold did hang over his head.”3
What a portrait, what an inspiration, what a charge, challenge, and guide to any preacher! This was not intended for some special clergy class. Not at all. It was, and is, for any Christian, for every Christian should be—in one way or another—a preacher of the Word (2 Corinthians 4:1). Indeed, it was because John Bunyan was not some sort of ordained clergyman that he was thrown into jail, simply because he would not stop preaching.
Here in these verses we have a detailed Spirit-inspired portrait of a preacher.
The first thing we note is:
His Motive
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom (4:1).
A preacher’s motive for serving Christ had better be sincere and right. Why? Well, not on...
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