VESSELS OF HONOR IN THE MASTER’S HOUSE – 2 Timothy 2:19-21

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on December 10, 2014 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group; December 10, 2014

2 Timothy 2:19-21

Theme: Paul exhorts Timothy to set himself apart as a vessel of honor for the usefulness of Christ.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

In exhorting Timothy to an acceptable ministry in the sight of the Lord, Paul has urged him to be diligent to present himself as a workman that never needed to be ashamed of his work—“rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). But just as important as his diligence to ‘be’ something, Paul also urged him to be diligent to ‘avoid’ certain other things. He was to be careful that he shunned “idle babblings” that only increased ungodliness (v. 16). He even gave the sad example of some who had wandered from the truth and were now teaching false doctrines (vv. 17-18).

In this morning’s passage, Paul is carrying that same idea further. And to illustrate it vividly, he uses the analogy of a large house—a mansion—that contains a variety of vessels or containers for various purposes. Some are valuable vessels for honorable purposes; and some are made of cheaper material and are for dishonorable purposes. The good minister is being urged in this passage to set himself apart in God’s church—God’s ‘great house’—as an honorable vessel for God’s honorable purposes.

I. THE FIRMNESS OF THE MASTER’S GREAT HOUSE (v. 19).

A. Note first what Paul says about the ‘great house’ of God. Paul writes, “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands . . .” The word “nevertheless” points back to the things he had written about the false teachers (particularly Hymanaeus and Philetus), and the false teaching that they had spread to the overthrowing of the faith of some. In the church as it is manifest on earth, there will always be found a mixture of those who are believers and those who are unbelievers. What Paul is saying here is meant to be a contrast to the warning he gave about the destructive false doctrines of those who have wandered from the truth. Though they may wander, the truth of God still stands. It cannot ultimately be shaken. This should be an encouragement to us. The church on earth is to be the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). Sometimes it fails in its role; but this is not ultimately destructive to God’s truth, because the church is not the “foundation” of the house. The foundation is the apostles and prophets of the Lord—the Lord Himself being the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 3:11). That foundation permanently stands—even if the pillars and grounding sometimes prove to be unstable.

B. In ancient buildings, the builder placed an inscription on a foundation stone—much as modern builders do today. That inscription indicated the purpose of the builder, and identified the worthiness of the building. The same is true for the Lord’s great house. Paul describes it as “having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’”

1. One part of the seal deals with God’s knowledge of those who are His. Paul may here be loosely quoting from Nahum 1:7; “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.” Because God gives His grace to the ‘elect’—choosing them for Himself from the beginning, then He clearly knows who are His. We of course—living as we do in the church on earth that is mixed with believers and unbelievers—cannot always know who is who. But God always knows.

2. But another part of the seal deals with man’s initiative in the light of God’s knowledge. If someone claims themselves to be among those that the Lord has chosen for Himself—naming for themselves the name of Christ—then let him prove his claim by departing from evil. Jesus is the Savior of sinners; and those who are His must depart from sin. “And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him” (1 John 3:5-6).

II. THE MANY VESSELS THAT THE GREAT HOUSE CONTAINS (v. 20).

A. The great house of God stands. And inside that house are many different kinds of containers. Paul writes; “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay . . .” Even in our own homes today, we have many different kinds of “vessels”—bowls or dishes or trays—that are made of different kinds of material. The fine pieces—the high quality vessels—are the ones that we often display in the china cabinet, or store away in the higher shelves of our home. They are only brought out for special occasions; and are used for honorable uses. They are jewelry boxes to hold jewelry. They are the fine crystal to drink from on holidays. But the common or junk pieces—the cheep glass bowls or the Tupperware tubs—are the ones we throw in the bottom shelves or stack in the garage. They’re used to wash other things in, or to hold disposable items. They’re the dirty laundry baskets or garbage cans of our home.

B. Of these various vessels, Paul writes, “some for honor and some for dishonor.” In Romans 9, Paul wrote of how God raised some people up in order to show them mercy, and others to show forth His wrath and power. The Pharaoh of Moses’ day was someone that God raised up in order to show forth His wrath and to display His power. Paul said, “Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” (Romans 9:21-24).

III. THE VESSELS OF HONOR SET APART FOR THE MASTER’ (v. 21).

A. Paul’s purpose in writing this was to exhort Timothy to be a vessel of honor. And because the call for those who name the name of Jesus was to depart from iniquity, then a person can choose to be a vessel of honor. “Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter”; that is, from the vessels of dishonor, “he will be a vessel for honor . . .” Think of what would happen if, in an old abandoned house, an antique ashtray was found sitting on the floor next to a garbage can and an old dog food bowl. It was gross and filthy—used to hold ashes and cigarette butts; and was defiled by its surroundings. But on closer examination, it was discovered to have actually be a misused sterling silver gravy bowl. To become the vessel of honor it was meant to be—fit to sit on a fine table where it belongs—it would need to be removed from being next to garbage pails and dog food dishes, and thoroughly cleansed and polished. Once it was cleansed of its filth and separated from common containers, it would be fit for honorable use. And that’s Paul calls Timothy to do with respect to himself.

B. Look at how Paul describes the “vessel for honor”—the man or woman who cleanses himself or herself from dishonor. It is first, “sanctified”—that is, set apart for God’s holy use. Paul uses the perfect tense; as if to say that in separating themselves for Him, they prove that they were sanctified by Him. It is second “useful for the Master”. The Lord cannot use us if we are half devoted to Him, and half devoted to the world. He is, however, willing and able to use those who separate themselves for His usefulness. Finally, they are “prepared for every good work.” They are like the sterling silver gravy bowl—prepared for honorable things.

* * * * * * * * * *

God’s appeal to us in this passage, then, is to separate ourselves from the vessels of dishonor, repent of sin, and set ourselves apart as honorable vessels for His holy uses. It’s as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18;

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”

Therefore

“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”

“I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).