“If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed” (1 Timothy 4:6).
Following the doctrinal teachings that preceded this passage, 1 Timothy 4:6 introduces a series of personal exhortations that will continue virtually unbroken throughout the rest of this letter. Putting these Biblical admonitions into practice will surely help anyone become a more God-honoring person. And while “…pointing out such things to the brothers and sisters” (NET) isn’t always popular or well-received, doing so will help make one “…a good minister of Jesus Christ.”
We should first note the reference to instruction in this passage. This reminds us that one of the primary responsibilities of a Pastoral leader (like Timothy) involves instructing others in the Word of God. This also brings us to a point of emphasis within the book of 1 Timothy: the importance of expository Biblical teaching.
It should go without saying that expository teaching should characterize most pastoral sermons. This approach is distinguished by a thorough explanation of each Biblical passage that seeks to communicate God’s Word in a way that others can understand, remember, and apply. As one source explains…
“Expository preaching involves the exposition, or comprehensive explanation, of the Scripture; that is, expository preaching presents the meaning and intent of a biblical text, providing commentary and examples to make the passage clear and understandable. The word exposition is related to the word expose—the expository preacher’s goal is simply to expose the meaning of the Bible, verse by verse…
An expositor cares little if his audience says, ‘What a great sermon’ or ‘What an entertaining speaker.’ What he truly wants them to say is, ‘Now I know what that passage means,’ or ‘I better understand who God is and what He requires of me.'” (1)
A church that emphasizes expository teaching from the pulpit (as opposed to topical messages that feature few or no Biblical texts) is well positioned to establish, build, and strengthen the faith of a congregation. Another source details the benefit of this approach with the following observations…
“Continual feeding on the truths of Scripture is essential to the spiritual health of all Christians (2Ti 3:16, 17), but especially of spiritual leaders like Timothy. Only by reading the Word, studying it, meditating on it, and mastering its contents can a pastor fulfill his mandate (2Ti 2:15). Timothy had been doing so since childhood (2Ti 3:15), and Paul urged him to continue (cf. v. 16; 2Ti 3:14).” (2)
(1) GotQuestions.org, What is expository preaching? Retrieved 23 December, 2020 from https://www.gotquestions.org/expository-preaching.html
(2) MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (1 Ti 4:6). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.