2 Timothy 4:2

‘Preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.’

And what is the charge? It is that he preach ‘the word’, that is, the word of the truth of the Gospel, as evidenced in the Scriptures. He is to do it constantly, both when the time appears to be right, and when it does not, and when men are listening and when they are not. As mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:16 he is to use the Scriptures in order to reprove men and women when they err (Paul saw this ministry of tender reproof as important, compare 1 Timothy 5:20; Titus 1:13; Titus 2:15), to rebuke men and women when they do wrong (a slightly more sever form of reproof), and to exhort and encourage men and women to obedience and to righteous living. It has been suggested that this signifies that he is to reprove in order to reach their reason, rebuke in order to stir their conscience and exhort in order to move their will. And he is to do it with both a caring and compassionate heart, and with sound doctrine (see 2 Timothy 4:3 for ‘sound’, and compare 2 Timothy 1:13). The especial importance of the sound doctrine is then brought out in what follows.