Scripture Post #896: *WITH ALL LONG-SUFFERING*

2nd Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

3 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;

Disclaimer: The image used for this Scripture Post, in its original form, was from an image search engine. It is not an image of my own. 

This Scripture was from Apostle Paul, unto Timothy, his son in the faith (1st Tim. 1:1-2).

The Apostle Paul wanted Timothy to preach the Word. To be instant in that Word—both in season and out of season. Basically meaning to be equipped with the Word, ready to preach at *any* given time. Paul wanted Timothy to reprove, rebuke, exhort. You mean tell people they're wrong? Yes! How else will you grow if you're never corrected? If I'm trippin', puh-lease inform me! Children grow into mature, responsible adults due to their parents' correction and instruction. An uncorrected child will no doubt grow into an unmannerable, intolerable monster of an adult. If you're a parent, you know that a child *cannot* go uncorrected for his or her entire childhood. Come on, somebody. 

Paul wanted Timothy to correct people *WITH ALL LONG-SUFFERING*, because the preacher suffers when he corrects those he loves. You think GOD's ministers get a kick out or reproving people? There's a long-suffering process Christians go through when they exhort fellow-Christians. This is especially true, when their warnings are ignored and they are mocked, slandered and persecuted because of it. Parents raising teenagers know the long-suffering pain of informing their babies that they've been down the road their young ones are on, that they weren't born yesterday, that they see the path their teen is on leads to utter destruction in some cases. These parents bare witness of the long-suffering process. They know how it feels to be ignored, mocked and slandered, all for the sake of looking out for those you love. When parents whip their children, they're not enjoying it—they're going through the long-suffering process. Which is why they tell their kids before they whip them, "This is gonna hurt me more than it's gonna hurt you." IT HURTS TO CORRECT THOSE YOU LOVE! You frown at the pastor who says don't listen to this or don't watch that because it's straight up displeasing in the eyes of GOD. But he frowns when his warnings go unheard and he's looked at as a heretic, just because of his adherence to Scripture. 

Verse 3 states why we suffer long after we reprove, rebuke and exhort. We suffer long because some of those we correct, won't endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts, heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. What a dis! You won't endure the sound Word from the LORD I'm preaching, but if ignoring someone who loves you wasn't bad enough, you grab yourself a teacher who'll preach to you whatever you like instead, just to top it all off. How can you not suffer by this? If you don't suffer, you're not preaching truth. To take it one step further, if you don't suffer persecution, you're not saved: 2nd Tim. 3:12: "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."

 Originally Published: Wed. 2/25/15