2 Timothy 2:20-21 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.
21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
Every sincere Christian desires to be used of God. Yet some are used more than others. We want to look at some of the things that can optimize our usefulness.
First, God is not partial. He wants to use everybody. But some things in our spiritual growth, personality, and availability cause Him to pass over some and pick others.
Availability
There is a saying, “God doesn’t want ABILITY, just AVAILABILITY”.
There is a lot of truth in that saying. Almost nobody is qualified for the purpose that God calls them when they first are called. But he can train us. Look at what a ragtag group of people the disciples were, and they turned into world changers.
2 Timothy 2:3-5 3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.
Suffer hardship as a good soldier. Note that Paul doesn’t say we need to suffer for suffering’s sake, but as a soldier. So what type of suffering / hardship does a soldier have to go through?
Strict Discipline
A soldier goes through a period of intense training called boot camp. And it is hard! But its purpose is not to beat down the recruits, but to toughen them up physically and mentally, and to prepare them so they can perform even under the most adverse circumstances.
The soldier must learn to obey orders without question, putting aside his own desires. The common soldiers do not have the insight into the plans and information available to the generals, colonels, and captains. And there is not time to explain the reason for each order, nor is it wise since the soldier could be captured and force to reveal those plans. So he has to learn to obey and do the things he is ordered to, when he doesn’t understand why – because someone above him does understand why.
“Hardship” in this context does not mean punishment or chastisement (although those who have gone through boot camp may disagree). A good soldier disciplines himself. He makes the decision that he is going to do whatever is required of him, even to the point of laying down his life.
Not Entangled
The good soldier does not entangle himself in the affairs of everyday life. There are some things a soldier will not get involved in, not because there is anything wrong with it, but because he’s got a different set of priorities.
Look at your schedule. Do you have it so full that God has to make an appointment to talk to you? If so, set up a daily appointment!
It’s about availability. “Lord, I can’t do that because I have this obligation.” Sometimes we may have to trim off a few things that are not necessary.
Active Warfare
The other type of hardship a soldier encounters is that encountered in active warfare. There is an enemy out to destroy you, taking shots at you.
A good soldier fights to win; 1 Timothy 6:12 – the good fight of faith. But he is under attack. He does not complain or get to pitying himself, but increases his determination to win.
A lot of Christians take the victim mentality. They see themselves as the ones always under attack, having to defend themselves. And there definitely is an element of that; Ephesians 6 talks about putting on the Armor of God so you can stand against all the attacks of the evil one.
But God’s intent is that we be the army on the offensive – destroying the works of the devil and snatching lost souls from his hands.
To win as a soldier requires more than what is required of a civilian.
According to the Rules
The athlete must compete according to the rules, or be disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
Useful to the Master
2 Timothy 2:20-21 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.
21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
A “great house” is a wealthy one. Such a house will have vessels and utensils that are of great value, made of gold and silver, or fine porcelain – and common vessels made of wood or clay. In the great house, which vessels are used are a matter of choice, not necessity. I.e., in a poor house, all they have are the vessels made of the cheaper materials, so that’s what they work with.
These verses talk about vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor. To understand what Paul means, we have to look at the meaning of the Greek words.
Honor timayn: a pricing, estimate of worth, value. Honor, state of dignity; mark of favor or distinction.
Dishonor atimian: this is the word honor with the negative prefix a which is similar to the prefix un in English. So literally it means not-honored.
Timian means costly, precious, of a great price; esteemed or respected. Atimian can mean the opposite of this – something base or vile, worthless garbage; but often it is a matter of degree. It can also mean common or ordinary.
There are three areas of use for a vessel:
- Noble use
- Common use
- Vile use
As Christians, we can be involved in the first two, but should not been involved in the last one.
Paul in these verses is giving an analogy about the usefulness of people to the Lord. But all of the vessels – even the clay pots – can be used in some way. What type of pot it is determines what it can be used for.
Think of your best china, vs. an oil drain pan. Both are vessels, and both have a useful purpose. You would serve honored guests with your best china, but you wouldn’t even serve your dog in the oil drain pan. Or maybe your stoneware vs. paper plates. Both are useful, but one has a much nobler purpose.
We get a further description of what a “vessel of honor” is in vs. 21
2 Timothy 2:21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
- Sanctified – this means set apart for a purpose
- Useful to the Master. But we also determined that the clay pot / plastic pan / common vessel is also useful.
- Prepared for every good work.
You could use a gold pot for just about anything, even draining your oil into. But the oil drain pan would not be suitable as a serving dish. And because the gold pot is suitable and useful for a nobler purpose, that’s where it will be used.
However, God believes in humility. A “gold pot” should never get so high and mighty that it refuses to do a little oil draining if the Master desires. Jesus set the example for this when He washed the disciples’ feet.
Do’s and Don’ts for Vessels
Many Christians believe that what a person is called to is predestined and predetermined. And in one sense, that is true.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
The Don’ts
Where I think we get it wrong is in thinking that what type of vessel we are is predetermined. But in 2 Timothy 2:21 it says “If a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor…” So it looks like we have something to do with whether we are a clay pot or a gold pot. So what are the “these things” Paul is speaking of?
Don’t get too entangled in the affairs of everyday life. 2 Timothy 2:3-5. We’ve already discussed this one. It has to do with availability. We can get too busy with just the stuff we have to do, we don’t have time for the things of God. Mark 4:19 talks about how the cares of this world can enter in and choke the word.
We can even get too busy doing things for God. The classic illustration is the Mary/Martha story. When Jesus and the disciples came over, Martha busied herself with much serving. That actually was useful to Jesus and the disciples. But part of being called to do the nobler things is that we have to spend time at the feet of the Master, like Mary. If the good deeds we are doing for the Lord prevents us from doing that, we’re doing too much. Mary had chosen the good part.
Don’t Wrangle About Words
2 Timothy 2:14 NASB Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.
“Solemnly charge them in the presence of God” – this is not something to be taken lightly, but as coming directly from God. The Greek is made up from two words that mean to fight or quarrel, and words. Therefore it literally means to fight about words; and by implication, to dispute about trivial matters. Majoring on the minors.
It says that fighting about words is useless, to no profit, and leads to the ruin of the hearers. Not just those doing the arguing, but those listening to the argument.
Avoid Worldly and Empty Chatter
2 Timothy 2:16 NASB But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness,
Bebelos – worldly, profane, ungodly. The literal Greek means to cross a threshold; or as we might say nowadays, to cross the line. It’s not that we have to only speak about spiritual things and can never talk about worldly or natural things, but there is a line that should not be crossed.
The importance of the words you speak is a common theme in the New Testament (and Old Testament too).
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
Ephesians 5:3-4 3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
1 Timothy 4:7 But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.
Kenophonia – from kenos – empty, vain, useless, idle, and phonia – words or speaking.
The Bible says that we will be held accountable for every idle word that we speak:
Matthew 12:36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
Words are supposed to mean something. One of the reasons Jesus’ ministry was so powerful was because He only said what He heard the father say, and only did what He saw the father do. He did not speak idle words. And because of that, God put power behind His words.
People who speak a lot of idle – vain, useless, empty, non-productive – words are not in a habit of controlling what they say; therefore God cannot trust them with much power behind them.
Apparently this was so important that Paul mentioned it in both of his letters to Timothy. It also appears in
1 Timothy 6:20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge–
So, some examples of what Paul is talking about here could be arguing about politics, stupid discussions about unscriptural matters (fables fit for old women), also, opposing arguments to the scripture that some people think is revelation or “knowledge”.
We are told to avoid – shun, give a wide berth – to these things. They will lead to further ungodliness. Talking and listening to these things is ungodly already; participating in them leads to further ungodliness / worldliness.
2 Timothy 2:17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort,
Such type of talk spreads like gangrene or cancer. It can affect a whole congregation.
2 Timothy 2:23 NASB But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.
A speculation is a guess based on some sort of logical reasoning, an educated guess. A “foolish and ignorant speculation” would be one not based on facts at all, but some wild idea. There is no way you can scripturally support a foolish and ignorant speculation, so such people have a tendency to justify their ideas regardless of what the Bible says. Therefore getting into discussions / arguments about such matters is fruitless, and just leads to strife.
2 Timothy 2:24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,
Here is the bottom line: a servant of the Lord must not strive (fight or quarrel). This is not an option.
Strife is Satan’s territory. James 3:9-16 says that bitter jealousy, arrogance, selfish ambition are demonic – and where these things are present there will be strife and every evil things.
Ephesians 4:26-27 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
27 nor give place to the devil.
Here we see that anger and strife gives place to the devil.
Do’s
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15 AMP Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.
The KJV version uses the phrase study to show yourself approved; the real meaning of the word translated study is to be diligent. However, the only way you are going to be able to “rightly divide” (handle accurately) the Word of God is with some study! Therefore, we should be diligent to study.
“to present yourself approved as a workman”. Approved: proved, tried, approved after trial or examination, acceptable. Like a diploma – a mark of acceptance and approval from the school that you have met the requirements of your path of study.
Timothy’s working relationship with Paul was that more than once he was installed as pastor of a church that Paul founded, and then Paul went on to a different area. Timothy was pastor of the Ephesian church. One of his main jobs as pastor was to teach the word of God. That was his “work” as a “workman” that he was to be doing.
2 Timothy 2:24-25 24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,
25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,
Verse 24 goes on to says that the servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but
- Be kind / gentle to all
- Be able to teach
But don’t make the mistake that this verse only applies to those called to be pastors or teachers – it is for all of us. Every believer should know enough about the Bible to be able to tell someone else what they believe and why.
- Patient (longsuffering) when wronged
- With gentleness (not a Biblical hammer) correcting those in opposition. It is with gentleness because the purpose is not to judge or prove they are wrong, but to restore them to right thinking.
The word translated in opposition here is interesting; it literally means those that oppose themselves. An example of this is people that will argue with you over God’s will to heal. They are actually fighting for the right to remain sick. Or those that reject the message of prosperity. Granted, there have been abuses and extremes in that area, but rather than bringing it back into a position of balance, there are many that reject that idea God would want you to be well off.
2 Timothy 2:26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
The end of vs. 25 says that “God may grant them repentance leading to the acknowledging of the truth”. God’s intervention is necessary because they have been blinded by Satan – held captive in his snare. It also requires that the person do something – “come to his senses, and escape”. The wording almost sounds like the person is hypnotized.
Conclusion
2 Timothy 2:21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.
