Anthony Pritchard
Active Member
The Duty
The Duty To Tell, To Teach, To Contend For The Truth, And To Stand Against Error
[Note: I told several members that I would post infrequently, and that when I do post, I will discuss what I have written until the conversation is exhausted or becomes circular.]
There is a duty laid upon every believer, a calling that does not change whether we stand in a pulpit or sit at a kitchen table, whether we speak in private or write in public. We are commanded to tell the truth, to teach the truth, to defend the truth, and to contend for the truth. This is not a suggestion. It is not a matter of personality or preference. It is the charge given by God to His people.
We write articles, books, reviews, and apologetics. We post on various platforms. We participate in forums. We do so to invite discussion. We do not shy away when challenged. We engage. Some will say that we will never convince certain people of their error or lead them to the truth. That may be correct, but it is also irrelevant. Convincing is not our job. Persuasion is not our responsibility. The results do not belong to us. The responsibility that belongs to us is obedience.
We are commanded to preach the Word of God. We are commanded to reprove, rebuke, and exhort. We are commanded to contend for the faith. The Word of God carries its own power. It does not return void. It does not return empty. It accomplishes the will and purpose of God, even if that purpose is simply that "they are without excuse", as Romans 1:20 declares. When we speak the Word, when we write the Word, when we defend the Word, we are instruments through which God works. The outcome is His. The obedience is ours.
Paul wrote to Timothy with clarity and urgency. The command is unmistakable.
2 Timothy 4:2
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
This is not limited to pastors. It is not confined to church offices. It is the posture of every believer who bears witness to Christ. We preach the Word when we speak it. We preach the Word when we write it. We preach the Word when we defend it. We preach the Word when we stand firm in the truth even when others resist it.
Jude wrote with equal force, reminding the saints that the faith is not merely to be believed, but to be defended.
Jude 1:3
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”
To contend is to stand. To contend is to speak. To contend is to resist error and uphold truth. It is not a quarrelsome spirit. It is not pride. It is fidelity to the revelation God has given. The faith was delivered once. It is not ours to reshape. It is ours to guard.
We do this work to invite discussion. We do this work to spark debate. We do this work so that the Word of God might be preached. We do this work for the glory of God and for the furtherance of the cause of our Lord, our God, and our Savior, the only Begotten Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is no higher calling. There is no more noble purpose in this life. To speak the truth of God is to stand in the stream of His eternal work. To teach the truth is to shine light into darkness. To defend the truth is to honor the God who gave it. To contend for the faith is to join the saints of every age who held fast to the Word that cannot be broken.
We are not responsible for the harvest. We are not responsible for the reaction. We are not responsible for the outcome. We are responsible for the sowing, the faithfulness, and the clarity. The Word of God will do what God intends. Our task is to speak it.
Closing Reflection
The believer who stands for truth does not stand in ease or comfort. The world is not friendly to the Word of God. The age is not welcoming to the voice of Scripture. Yet the Lord has never sent His people into friendly fields. He sends us into places where truth is resisted, where error is celebrated, where darkness is called light and light is called darkness. He sends us into the midst of wolves, yet He does not send us alone. He gives us wisdom. He gives us gentleness. He gives us the strength to stand and the grace to speak.
Our purpose is not to dominate, but to shine. Our purpose is not to overpower, but to be faithful. Our purpose is not to imitate the world, but to imitate Christ. We stand with courage, but we walk with humility. We contend with conviction, but we speak with grace. We defend the faith, but we do so with the character of the One who saved us.
The Lord Himself gave the pattern for our posture in this world.
Matthew 10:16
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”
And so, having said all that to say; What are your thoughts on this matter?
~Tony
© A.K. Pritchard 2026 -
Free to use with proper attribution.
The Duty To Tell, To Teach, To Contend For The Truth, And To Stand Against Error
[Note: I told several members that I would post infrequently, and that when I do post, I will discuss what I have written until the conversation is exhausted or becomes circular.]
There is a duty laid upon every believer, a calling that does not change whether we stand in a pulpit or sit at a kitchen table, whether we speak in private or write in public. We are commanded to tell the truth, to teach the truth, to defend the truth, and to contend for the truth. This is not a suggestion. It is not a matter of personality or preference. It is the charge given by God to His people.
We write articles, books, reviews, and apologetics. We post on various platforms. We participate in forums. We do so to invite discussion. We do not shy away when challenged. We engage. Some will say that we will never convince certain people of their error or lead them to the truth. That may be correct, but it is also irrelevant. Convincing is not our job. Persuasion is not our responsibility. The results do not belong to us. The responsibility that belongs to us is obedience.
We are commanded to preach the Word of God. We are commanded to reprove, rebuke, and exhort. We are commanded to contend for the faith. The Word of God carries its own power. It does not return void. It does not return empty. It accomplishes the will and purpose of God, even if that purpose is simply that "they are without excuse", as Romans 1:20 declares. When we speak the Word, when we write the Word, when we defend the Word, we are instruments through which God works. The outcome is His. The obedience is ours.
Paul wrote to Timothy with clarity and urgency. The command is unmistakable.
2 Timothy 4:2
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
This is not limited to pastors. It is not confined to church offices. It is the posture of every believer who bears witness to Christ. We preach the Word when we speak it. We preach the Word when we write it. We preach the Word when we defend it. We preach the Word when we stand firm in the truth even when others resist it.
Jude wrote with equal force, reminding the saints that the faith is not merely to be believed, but to be defended.
Jude 1:3
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”
To contend is to stand. To contend is to speak. To contend is to resist error and uphold truth. It is not a quarrelsome spirit. It is not pride. It is fidelity to the revelation God has given. The faith was delivered once. It is not ours to reshape. It is ours to guard.
We do this work to invite discussion. We do this work to spark debate. We do this work so that the Word of God might be preached. We do this work for the glory of God and for the furtherance of the cause of our Lord, our God, and our Savior, the only Begotten Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is no higher calling. There is no more noble purpose in this life. To speak the truth of God is to stand in the stream of His eternal work. To teach the truth is to shine light into darkness. To defend the truth is to honor the God who gave it. To contend for the faith is to join the saints of every age who held fast to the Word that cannot be broken.
We are not responsible for the harvest. We are not responsible for the reaction. We are not responsible for the outcome. We are responsible for the sowing, the faithfulness, and the clarity. The Word of God will do what God intends. Our task is to speak it.
Closing Reflection
The believer who stands for truth does not stand in ease or comfort. The world is not friendly to the Word of God. The age is not welcoming to the voice of Scripture. Yet the Lord has never sent His people into friendly fields. He sends us into places where truth is resisted, where error is celebrated, where darkness is called light and light is called darkness. He sends us into the midst of wolves, yet He does not send us alone. He gives us wisdom. He gives us gentleness. He gives us the strength to stand and the grace to speak.
Our purpose is not to dominate, but to shine. Our purpose is not to overpower, but to be faithful. Our purpose is not to imitate the world, but to imitate Christ. We stand with courage, but we walk with humility. We contend with conviction, but we speak with grace. We defend the faith, but we do so with the character of the One who saved us.
The Lord Himself gave the pattern for our posture in this world.
Matthew 10:16
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”
And so, having said all that to say; What are your thoughts on this matter?
~Tony
© A.K. Pritchard 2026 -
Free to use with proper attribution.