What does it mean to be ready in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2)?

“Be instant in season and out of season” was one of this aged warrior's exhortations to the young and timid Timothy. We need it; it means don't be dependent on suitable conditions; indeed there are no unsuitable conditions where lost and dying men are, and while God's grace flows freely.

Then some preachers occasionally consider themselves “off duty!” This one never does. As long as Jesus is pleased to wait at God's right hand, he knows no “time-limit” whatever! “In season, out of season,” he is “always ready.” Mid-day or mid-night, it matters not. It is never too early for his services; and never too late either. “Always abounding in the work of the Lord,” might well be said of him. “Patient continuance” characterizes him. Unfailing readiness, untiring constancy may justly be claimed for him. He will patiently repeat the same address, to the same individual the same day, as often as any one can possibly find time to listen.

Some preachers feel greatly annoyed when the patience of one of their hearers gets exhausted by the length of a discourse, and leaves before it is half finished. Our “travelling preacher” takes offence at no such slight! If only a few words are listened to, and even these opposed by bitter expressions of unmeasured and unmerited anger, he will never answer back. God alone is able “to give repentance” to one who opposes the truth of the Gospel. Should such repentance be brought about (and how often it has been), our preacher is as free to calmly repeat His message as if no affront had ever been offered!

The charge is given before God, and before the Lord Jesus Christ as Judge; His appearing and kingdom are the great term of all responsible service. It is not merely a magnificent struggle before thousands of spectators, such as the Roman world used to delight to behold, but the standing for God and actively proclaiming His grace when all the weight of the trials of "the last days" are pressing upon the servant, and all the power of the enemy is laid out against him. Hence the command, "Preach the Word." It is not merely to go on preaching, but the Word is the word of God - the full revelation given to us of His mind. There must be more activity than ever; in season and out of season seizing every opportunity to set the grand truths of Christianity before souls. There is the assiduous ministry of the man of God - "Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." It is not a theologian pronouncing dogmas ex cathedra, but the patient application of the word of God to the need of souls.

The judgment of the living, with many, has but little place as distinguished from that judgment of the dead, which has comparatively much less place in Scripture. The great fact kept before us is that Christ is coming; but at that coming, He will judge the living and not yet the dead, and the forgetfulness of His coming as a constant expectation is that which has, in fact, put the judgment as a whole into the far-off distance, while it has confounded saint with sinner, and lost, therefore, the distinguishing blessing of faith in Christ. The judgment of the living plainly connects with the appearing of Christ; that of the dead, with the kingdom that follows it. The apostle urges these upon Timothy as what would, amid all the difficulties of the way, be his strength and assurance. It is always according to Scripture, "yet, but a little while, and He that will come shall come, and shall not tarry." We look back and see how long it has been, and we take this to make the distance behind us put distance into that which is before us. The apostle's way for us would be rather that we should say, "The night is far spent, and the day is at hand." We may, after all, go to the Lord before He comes to us, but we shall not have missed the good of having been in the meanwhile "like unto men that wait for their Lord." The whole character of our Christianity will be affected by our "holding fast," or practically losing sight of His coming, as our constant expectation. With the sense of all this upon his soul, Timothy was to preach the Word, not the gospel simply, but the whole Word committed to him. How rare a thing is this! How few, in fact, take up the Word as a whole, to put it honestly in its entirety — so far as we may be able, to bring it all before the souls of others! Even with those who are not lacking in their apprehension of the gospel, that very gospel may be taken so as to limit the truth preached, and to get rid of how much that God certainly has in His own wisdom given for our instruction! How important a thing to be able to say, as Paul could say, that we have kept nothing back, but that, in the assurance that God has given us His Word, we have preached that Word faithfully! Timothy was to do this with the utmost urgency, "in season, out of season;" that is, there was to be no season at all; any time was the right time. That, of course, does not mean that among those outside, and, alas, under the power of Satan, there are not seasons, as other texts have shown us, which have to be laid hold of in order to reach those who at other times may be inaccessible; but amongst the people of God especially (and when we speak of preaching the Word, we must, of course, take these all in) Satan has no rightful power to shut out the truth from any. We need wisdom still, of course, in ministering the Word, according to the need which we may find in souls, and according to what they may be able to bear of it; but still the Word is for all times and for all the people of God, and we cannot count those His people who have no ears to hear it.

Again, we find conviction and rebuke as that which would necessarily spring — and, one may say, in the very first place — out of the preaching of the Word. Encouragement follows, but only for those who have hearts to accept whatever correction the word of God may bring. With souls that refuse the discipline of it, there can be no comfort rightly or safely given. Amid it all, there would be need of all long-suffering and constant teaching, all the more because the time would come when they would not bear sound teaching; but, on the contrary, after their own lusts, would heap to themselves teachers. Is it not true that the systems into which we have so largely got, really favor this devotion of people to teachers of their own choice, when they should have ears for every message that comes from God, whoever the messenger may be? But, ah, walls and fences shut out those who have not special liberty to come in, and permit the hearers inside to sit down undisturbed by that which, perhaps, is the very thing that God would have them hear. The general effect would be, as the apostle says here, to turn away the ears from the truth, and to turn them to fables.

"Instant in season" is to the saint. The time will come when they will not receive sound doctrine. This applies to the dealing with the saints. It is often applied to the gospel; but the mischief is, that people take passages without reading the context. I am sure we could find a great many more seasons if we were faithful to Christ. "Preach the word, be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering 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 into fables." He is evidently looking to Christians. Timothy was to go on earnestly pressing, because soon they would not listen to him. Whether it were seasonable or not, he was to go on with it, because very soon there would be no season at all.

What then, shall we give up the work of the Gospel? Far otherwise, for the very next verse to the prediction quoted says, “But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist”—carry the good news all the same, go on—“preach the Word,” “be instant in season, out of season” (meaning when the ear is averted), “make full proof of thy ministry.”

(V. 2). Having stated the grounds of his appeal the Apostle delivers his charge to serve. If men are responsible to God, then “proclaim the word; be urgent in season and out of season.” If Christ is going to judge, then “convict” and “rebuke” those who live in a way that calls for judgment. If the saints are going to be rewarded at the appearing of Christ, then “encourage, with all long-suffering and doctrine.”

The servant is to proclaim “the word”. This is not simply the gospel to the sinner, but “the word” of God to both sinner and saint. There is a necessity too for urgency in preaching, as well as to preach at all seasons. The word of God is for all people at all times. Conviction and rebuke may be called for, both among saints and sinners. But this can only be by the preaching of the word, for it is only the word that produces conviction. We may seek to convict and rebuke by our own words and arguments, only to find that we irritate and call forth resentment. Rebukes, if they are to be effectual, must be based upon the word of God. For those who are willing to bow to the word and accept its convictions and rebukes, there is the word of encouragement.

Whatever form the service may take, it is to be carried out with all long-suffering and according to the truth or “doctrine”. The word will assuredly raise the opposition of the flesh and this will call for long-suffering on the part of the servant, and the only effectual answer to opposition is in the doctrine or truth of Scripture.

With this in view, then, the apostle gives the charge, "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; convict, rebuke, encourage, with all long-suffering and doctrine." The structure of each verb implies prompt action. This of course is quite consistent with persevering continuance; but continuance might be, and often is, without such intensity of devotedness as is here insinuated by the rapid succession of pressures on Timothy, which did not put even a particle to connect one with another. Proclaiming the word has the first place; urgent heed to the work in season, out of season, follows up the preaching; convicting in the sense of proving home or reproving is enjoined as a wholesome duty, even though irksome to a tender spirit; rebuke comes afterwards as necessary where fault was plain or out, as on the other hand encouragement or exhortation, where this rather was called for. In every case there was to be all long-suffering and doctrine. Who was sufficient for these things? Timothy's sufficiency, as the apostle's, was from God. So may ours be in our little measure!

Timothy was to be urgent "in season, out of season," whether men felt it to be timely or not: when dreadful danger is imminent, it is no time to be waiting on mere formality. The same Word that has reproved him he is to use for the reproof of others. Reproof seems more properly personal, while a rebuke may very likely be public (1 Tim. 5:20) and more sharp. But with this, Timothy was also to "encourage," and "with all longsuffering," not allowing impatience to hinder his effectiveness; and with "doctrine," always using the sound basis of Scripture teaching to produce results, not by any means resorting to substitutes of human reasoning and rationalization. But the encouraging here follows reproof and rebuke; for if one were willing to take to heart the former two, then to pour in the encouragement of the Word would be most essential. In a day when many voices unite in strong efforts to discourage souls from any path of real devotedness to God, how vital is this matter of encouraging, and indeed so much the more as we see the Day approaching.

Having supplied Timothy with such an assemblage of motives for perseverance and fidelity, the Apostle indicates the character of his work. He sums it up at the outset in one pregnant exhortation: "Preach the word." This was his one responsibility, whatever the state of things around. Indifference, decay, and corruption were increasing, and would increase; but instead of being disheartened and using this as a reason for inactivity, Timothy was all the more, on this account, to proclaim the Word. He was, as God's watchman, to keep the trumpet of testimony to his lips, and to give forth no uncertain sound, whether men would or would not hear. He was not responsible for the effect of the testimony; he was not to be influenced by signs of blessing or the absence of it. His sole concern was to be faithful, and in order to this he must continue to proclaim the message entrusted to his stewardship.