2 Timothy Study #6

“Useful Vessels”

2 Timothy 2:20-26

Study #6 in 2 Timothy Series        

INTRODUCTION:

What is a “vessel”? I suspect that the first thing that comes to many of our minds is a “blood vessel,” one of those tiny little tubes that carry blood throughout our bodies. Webster’s Dictionary defines “vessel” as: (1) A hollow or concave utensil for holding something (e.g., as a barrel, hogshead, bottle, kettle, cup, or bowl); (2) A hollow structure designed for navigation on the water (e.g., such as a ship, a yacht, or a boat, especially one bigger than a rowboat); (3) A tube or canal (as an artery or vein) in which blood or other body fluid is contained and conveyed or circulated; (4) A person into whom some virtue (e.g., grace) is infused. For our purposes today I want us to focus on the first and the fourth of these dictionary definitions.       

Think for a moment about all the different kinds of “vessels” you have in your house. In your kitchen you have bowls, canisters, and containers, probably including a whole closet full of Tupperware. Out in the garage or shop you have tin cans or old baby food jars full of nails and screws and other assorted clutter. In your China closet you have various dishes made of fine China, or perhaps a silver tea service that you got as a wedding gift. But those “vessels” are not all the same value, are they? Nor are they equal in terms of their usefulness. 

So, in thinking about these things, we must consider the concepts both of usefulness and value. Moreover, both categories break down into at least two more divisions: practical usefulness vs. investment usefulness; and real or intrinsic value vs. sentimental value. (N.B. You might find it useful to evaluate your belongings along these lines.) 

TRANSITION:

In our text for today Paul takes up the subject of vessels and their relative worth. He uses the metaphor of the variety of vessels found in the average home and likens them to the different kinds of Christians there are and their relative worth. So, when we talk about “vessels” today we are really talking about people, people who claim to be believers, the various types of people who can be found in the average local church. We are in 2 Timothy chapter 2 starting at verse 20.

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 20: Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor.

• “…in a large house…” Paul’s metaphor here is of a palace or manor house that would naturally have all sorts of vessels for various uses. Of course, only a rich man’s house would have vessels of gold and silver, although he would also have vessels of wood and earthenware as well. On the other hand, a poor man would only have wooden and earthenware vessels, but he would nonetheless understand the concept.
• I want you to see that Paul is not concerned with the material from which the vessel is made, but with the cleanliness and usefulness of the vessel. In other words, this is not about the intrinsic value of the vessel but about its usefulness and its value to the Master.
• “…some to honor and some to dishonor.” Here again, notice that the honor is not because of the intrinsic value of the vessel but because of other factors. We refer to gold and silver as “precious metals” because the metal itself is worth money regardless of what forms it takes. But financial worth is not the same as real value or honor.
• Some vessels made from cheap materials hold great value for us. My favorite coffee mug is a good example of this. I use it every day and it means a lot to me even though it is no great work of art, nor does it possess any intrinsic value. One of my sons gave it to me on Father’s Day many years ago. It says, “World’s Greatest Dad.” 
• Then there are those things the value of which may not be connected to their everyday usefulness but to their ability to bring us joy and enrich our life with beauty. My artist friend, Herschel McGraw, many years ago gave me a small handmade, hand painted Mata Ortiz vase that falls into this category for me. I do not use it for anything except to beautify our home and to make me feel good every time I look at it.
• On the other hand, something of great worth might mean nothing to us, or worse, we might hate it because of the memories attached to it. For example, how about the guy who now uses his ex-wife’s favorite Swarovski Crystal candy dish as an ashtray or a bowl in which to throw his peanut shells, just because he knows it would really tick her off J. 

Verse 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.

• Think about it. A “vessel of dishonor” is very limited in terms of its usefulness. A lovely gold-plated bedpan might be useful at times, but you will never wash it up and make a casserole in it. In fact, you will never use it for anything else. And you will never use a solid sterling-silver antique spittoon as a pitcher to serve your guests. However, a plain wooden bowl can be used to serve many things. Even though it is humble it can be very useful if it is clean. Our goal should be to become as Paul puts it, “an honored vessel, clean and ready for the Master’s use.” But how does that happen?
• “…if anyone cleanses himself from these things…” What things exactly does Paul refer to here? I believe that we must look back at the wider context to figure this out. Let’s review. Up in verse 14 Paul tells Timothy to warn the Ephesian Christians not to get caught up in “wrangling about words,” which he says is “useless.” This warning came about because of the influx into the church of some destructive, divisive people bringing destructive, divisive teachings that the devil was trying to use to destroy that church and “ruin the hearers.” Then in last week’s text Paul got really specific and named names, warning Timothy about false teachers such as Hymenaeus and Philetus who were going about spreading erroneous doctrines and thus creating confusion and disunity in the congregation. In verse 16 Paul spoke about their “worldly and empty chatter” that could only lead to “further ungodliness.” He likened their heretical ravings to “gangrene,” which kills whatever it touches and spreads throughout the body unless stopped cold, and that, only with radical surgery. Then in verse 19 Paul ends by saying, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness,” meaning especially this kind of wickedness. And by the way, what does Paul say is the antidote to this kind of poison? I think we can sum it up with three points: (1) Stand strong in the grace of Christ, in verse 1; (2) Know and apply the Word of God, in verse 15; and (3) Be grounded in the truth, in verse 18.
• So that is the context. Now back down here in verse 21 Paul says, “…if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.”  In my opinion, the “these things” obviously refers to the wicked things we just looked at that are mentioned in verses 14-19.
• “…sanctified, useful to the Master” A strong Greek word, despótes, “despot” in English. It means a ruler who has absolute ownership and unrestricted power. This kind of power in the hands of a sinful human ruler always leads to ruin, but when it is carried by a good, and loving, and holy God we have nothing to fear. Our God is the perfect Monarch, the only truly Just and Righteous King.
• “…prepared for every good work.” Paul is referring specifically to the good works that God has called each of us to accomplish. He speaks of the same thing in chapter 3:16-17, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” And one more…Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” But what can rob us of our usefulness to God and keep us from doing the good works we were made for? Read on. 

Verse 22: Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

• “Now flee from youthful lusts” Paul knew that there are lusts peculiar to flaming youth, and remember, he was writing to a young man. And by the way, this sounds a lot like the advice Paul already gave to Timothy in his first letter. 1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” But Timothy is not only urged to run away from sin. He is also challenged to…
• “…pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace…” In the same way that Timothy is to run away from sin, he is to chase after godliness and all those things that are pleasing to God. He is to pursue them relentlessly, like a hound chasing a fox. 

Verse 23: But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels

• “But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations” This is the third imperative verb in a row: Flee, Pursue, and now Refuse. All three are present imperatives that give the sense of “do this, and keep on doing it, without ever ceasing to do it.” Flee lust, pursue godliness, and refuse quarrels (“foolish and ignorant speculations”). But why? For the same reasons he gave in verses 14-16: because they are useless, they lead to the ruin of the bystanders, and result in further ungodliness. On top of that, here in verse 23 Paul points out that they just produce more quarrels, which he says should be avoided.
• By the way the Greek word Paul uses in this verse translated as “quarrels” is a military term for hand-to-hand combat. Sometimes these theological debates can get out of hand.

Verses 24-25a: The Lord’s bondservant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition…  

• “The Lord’s bondservant” This is the Greek word, doulos, one of Paul’s favorite words to describe himself. It comes from the verb, doulów, which means “to enslave, to bring into bondage.” Originally the title doulos was the lowest level in the scale of servitude, but it eventually came also to mean “one who gives himself up to the will of another” and became the most common and general word for “servant,” without any idea of bondage. However, in calling himself a “bond-slave” of Jesus Christ (e.g., Rom. 1:1) Paul intimates: (1) that he had been formerly a “bond-slave” of Satan; and (2) that, having been bought by Christ, he was now a willing slave, bound to his new Master.
• “…not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition” Here Paul lists five very important character qualities for anyone who wants to be a useful and honored servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. One is stated as a negative, the other four as positives. These would be worth writing down and carrying around on a card in your purse or pocket. By the way, these things are not easy to do. When we come up against people who oppose us our natural reaction is to push back. We quickly flip into “self-defense mode.” If our ideas are attacked, or if our character is impugned, we sometimes tend to react strongly. But what does our anger and defensiveness produce? Nothing good, I’m afraid. 

Verse 25b: …if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,  

• “…if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth” Have you ever noticed this before? According to Paul, repentance is a gift from God without which no one would ever arrive at a knowledge of Him, or an understanding of His ways. Let me show you the same concept from another passage of Scripture, one that is very familiar to you but that you may have never seen in this light—Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” What does “…and that” refer to in the sentence? To grace? Or to salvation? Or to saving faith? I believe the correct answer is that it refers to all three; however, grammatically speaking, what we call “the nearest antecedent” is the word “FAITH.” Paul is telling us that even the faith we exercised when we believed in Christ as Savior and Lord, even that faith was a gift from God. The sinner is so messed up and so impotent and morally bankrupt that he cannot even come up with the necessary faith to believe unless God grants it to him. Likewise, the sinner cannot repent unless repentance is granted to him by God.
• Here in 2 Tim. 2:25 Paul is praying that God will grant to these argumentative false teachers and troublemakers in Ephesus the grace to repent, and believe, and turn to Christ, who is the TRUTH.

Verse 26: …and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

• God’s whole purpose in “granting them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth” is so that “they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil.” God wants to free them from Satan’s slavery. In fact, He wants every one of us to live in spiritual freedom rather than in spiritual bondage. And the Bible says, “…if the Son sets you free, then you shall be free indeed.”  

CONCLUSION:

So, where do we go from here? I do not know about you, but I want to be a useful vessel for God, fit for His use. I know that I am not a gold vessel or silver vessel. I am just a plain old wooden or earthenware vessel like most of you. But that is not the most important part. Frankly there are not very many gold and silver vessels around. God seems to do most of His best work using “earthen vessels, jars of clay” as Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:7, “But we have this treasure [i.e., the Gospel message] in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves.”

But more important than the question of what we are made of [i.e., our intrinsic worth] is the question of our spiritual cleanliness. Verse 21 of our text makes it clear that the primary requirement for being used by God is not talent or education or good looks or the ability to speak to crowds. “If a man cleanses himself…then he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” The key phrase in all of that is, “…if a man cleanses himself…” You see, God is picky about His tools. He does not care much about what the vessel is made of; He just wants it to be clean and submitted to Him. 

The moral of this story is simple. If you want God to use you for His glory, then you must take sin seriously. You cannot hide it. You cannot ignore it. You cannot rename it so that it does not sound so bad. You must face it, confess it, be cleansed of it, and then flee from it from then on. That is the formula to be one of God’s “useful vessels.”