Holding Fast the Sound Words, 2 Tim 2:20-21

Holding Fast the Pattern of Sound Words

[In an Unexpected Manner]

2 Tim 2:20-21

The beginning of this next paragraph in the text is an unpopular one in our time. Evangelicals unaffected by the reformation have drastically drifted from a number of cardinal truths. One of those is the place of sin in the life of believers and how God views it, if He can look upon it at all.

Have you ever heard something like this? We are so covered by the righteousness of Christ that it is the only thing God can see when he looks down at believers from heaven. The teaching takes many shapes. Its roots are in mysticism and perfectionism, especially of the varieties found in the 19th century. In that century, there was a large shift to emotions as the guide for living as opposed to reason based on revelation. The legacies are found throughout Christianity. But, the one before us allows itself to be addressed by what we find in the text. But first, how do we know that God, the Father, the Son or the Holy Spirit sees or perceives our sins when and after they are committed. And, these sins are not just occasional peccadilloes, but are also part of our character either as individuals or as churches. This is a large issue.

Well, the unity of the Godhead teaches us this: what one person of the godhead knows, the other two also know. From their presence and working together at the creation as we find in early Genesis compared with Colossians 1, they do what they do in perfect harmony. Throughout the history of the world, they hold all things together as they are working out their purposes generally or savingly. In the passages that talk about the work and person of the Lord Jesus Christ, we find all three working together in full agreement. The Father sent the Son (john 3:16). The Son accomplishes salvation as he is upheld by the Spirit and the Spirit applies the salvation purchased by the Son--John 3 and so many others.

The work of the Father, the Son and the Spirit, continued in the life of the church in a special way. One of those works is the giving of the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament to further guide the church into how they ought to live. Even when a NT book is written to an individual, the truths contained therein are for the good of the churches in the Apostolic times and through the ages until today. Even in Revelation's introduction we find the words, "Let the churches hear what the Spirit says to the churches." The seven letters to individual churches in chapters 2 & 3 have relevance to all of the churches that follow until the end of this age. And, this age is not yet over.

In Chapter 3 of 2 Tim, we are going to look at the doctrine of inspiration as it relates to the scriptures. They are breathed out by the Spirit of God. Yet, they are all about the central figure we find throughout. The scriptures point to the Lord Jesus Christ as the gift of the Father to bring salvation to undeserving sinners. Read the New Testament. The main message is about Jesus and salvation and then it addresses how the people of God, ought to live. It is that theme to which we turn today.

In 1:13, Paul wrote to Timothy about holding forth the pattern of sound words. These verses that are explained away in many fanciful ways so as to not admit some in churches who are some times perceived as followers of Christ, may not be in actuality. Due to the watering down of the effects of the gospel of God's grace, we have clichés that rule in the place of scripture. The cliché that underlies so much of Christianity where there are very few or no expectations for godliness, holiness and righteousness, is "Once saved, always saved." With a very shallow of what salvation is and entails. There is a lot more to it than making a simple decision. It includes the power of God coming into a life and changing it unto godliness--that it will start to look like the life of Jesus and grow in that grace and knowledge more and more. Becoming born again, being made a Christian has an effect on the totality of the person in their soul and in their body. Titus 2:11-14 and other places bear that out in summary form. So many of the scriptures address how believers are to live.

The epistles of the NT were written by apostles or their close associates in order to correct errors of doctrine or practice in local churches or people who are a part of the local churches. The doctrine of inspiration found in Chapter 3 of this epistle and also in Peter's 2nd letter means that the Spirit of God moved holy men of old to write these truths. All of the Godhead knew correction was needed. They all knew the sins of false doctrine or wrong practice. The means of correcting were to send a God-called messenger, or when a permanent record for the churches through the ages was needed, the Spirit moved someone to write.

2nd Timothy is such a letter from the Apostle Paul, meaning God commissioned him and sent him out in Jesus's name. That is why we consider it to be God's Word--part of the Bible. It is not to be discarded or neglected. It is inspired as much as any other section or book and it needs to be proclaimed as part of that pattern of sound words.

It also shows forth the faith and instructs the churches about love towards others. Love includes a willingness to show when someone needs to be corrected because of dangerous things they believe or do.

In 2:1 we saw Paul telling Timothy to be strong. The work of the ministry is not always easy. Especially in this area of correction or refutation. People don't like to be contradicted--that is what correction means--especially not in a public forum. It is in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that Timothy and all ministers before him and since him need to do the difficult parts of the job they have been called by God to do.

It goes against the prevailing thought pattern in the church that are taken from the world. The world cries out for anything and everything to be tolerated. The church must not take that same standard. There are many actions that are inconsistent with a profession of faith--especially after many admonitions to forsake particular sins and to put them off and put them to death. That is some of what the Spirit promises to do. If someone does not and cannot, a just conclusion may be that they do not have the Spirit.

I say "JUST" because a lot of so-called Christendom can be reduced to the mantra, "Judge not!" But the text continues, "Lest you be judged (Matt 7:1). Or, to give some clarity, a complementary passage reads, (John 7:24 "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." God does not forbid judging altogether. His standard is and always will be to make these sorts of decisions by a righteous standard to assure it is a straight judgment that does not deviate at all from the truth. So, judgments based on what is true are just and allowable. It is right to judge. If the evidence points to unrighteous realities, one set of actions is called for, but if the evidence points to righteous realities, another conclusion must be drawn. Due patience allows for this type of discernment based on what really is and what really happened. It is always best to get this sort of data from a willing subject. But in the scriptures, the Law of multiple witness is enough to establish guilt for sins committed.

In this letter Paul also writes for Timothy to endure all things for the sake of the elect. What is in view is understanding if the professed believer has the glory of eternal salvation shining through in what they believe and how they live See 2:10.

It is not the place of a minister to argue with people 3:14 establishes that. But, many people want to argue with many impertences. In 3:15 it is given to pastors to teach the straight truth. 3:16 is about shunning idle babblings that are to no profit.  They increase to greater ungodliness--that entails the idle words and babblings were ungodly in the first place. Oh, how we sin with our words rather than submit to the straight truth of God in our hearts and minds.

What someone argues or babbles about tells a lot about who they really are and really think--as a man thinks in his heart, so he is. We may be fooled and not able to tell. People join themselves to churches for many self-ish reasons. But, the Lord knows who are his--you can't fool an omniscient being. Although may in their misperceptions, try to. But, as we found in 3:19, the Lord knows who are his, and one way we can judge based on a righteous judgment is this--do they run away from sin outside of themselves and within their own hearts. 3:19b reads,  "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity." That is one of the standards God has given for his children to live out. Do you name the name of Christ? DO you call yourself a Christian? Do you walk away, flee, depart from sin?

If you do, that is evidence that you are what you claim to be. If not, there is a just judgment to be made about your soul. You should make it yourself and if you find yourself lacking using judgment day honesty, go to Jesus without any delay. Ask him to save you from certain destruction and to work in you by his grace. If you can hear my voice, it is not to late. Just don't be so full of pride that you can't admit the God-honest truth. God sees it--even thinking He can't is a sin--it is not loving God with all of your mind. May God let you see your need as he does, just once. He never saves and leaves the soul untouched by his mercy. Ask Him to act in you by his Holy Spirit so you, too, will run far away from sin. He alone has the power to do in you what he has commanded.

Finally we come to our text for today: 2Tim 2: 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.

I would like to propose a mixture of questions and observations:

1. What is this Great House

20 But in a great house

The metaphors of a family and a house are used often for the church and the people of God. In 3:15 of 1 Tim, we find the church referred to with a few metaphors. Some of them are terms used for ancient buildings like pillar and ground. But we also find a more familiar one. It is that of the church as the household of God. We also find family used for those who believe and follow Jesus back into the Gospels. When Jesus natural family came looking for him, he asked, "Who are my mother, my sisters and family?" His answer was. Those who do the will of my father in heaven. Jesus limits the content of his family of believers in this way. He knows that only those who have faith are those who can follow through on what faith requires. One thing true faith requires is faith in action to do God's will. TO do it is more than just knowing about it.

The great house metaphor points us to the church. There are many other places we could go to establish as well. Let our two witnesses suffice.

2. What are the Vessels and their character?

20b there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 

There are two groups of vessels or containers. The vessels are merely a metaphor to make sense of what follows. Attached to the churches are two containers. They hold two very different realities. The first holds gold and silver that are also vessels for honor. The second holds wood and clay unto dishonor.

Gold and silver have been precious metals since nearly the beginning of time. We find them being used for good and godly purposes. The scientists of our day have asked the question of why they became precious metals, so-called. The basic answer is that they above all the elements, retain a polish that reflects light in a beautiful way. Gold and silver attract the attention of admirers from kings to peasants. Its beauty was fitting for the worship of God when external appearances were important. They take on a metaphorical use to show the beauty of immaterial realities--like here a group of people redeemed by God, forgiven of their sin and those who are being cleansed of their transgressions and iniquities. Those sorts of vessels, indwelt by the Spirit of God, are marked out as different than ordinary people.

Yet, there are some who for one reason or another have attached themselves to the church for their own reasons, even mistakenly. Those who don't have real faith, but illusory belief in something that seems similar at times to a genuine faith, are really in the second container whether they like it or not. God knows those who are his. This second group are described in the text as being wood and clay. Wood and clay have a use, but not the use according to refinement and work of craftsmen. The wood and clay can more readily perish, thrown aside as not valuable and easily replaced. It is not noble; it points us to dishonorable people who are misguided about the things of God as they have been revealed in truth.

The metaphor establishes two kinds of people both connected to the great house or the church, but in reality are very different when what they really are is considered. Not everyone who attaches themselves to a proper church of the Lord Jesus Christ, even by way of membership, has a genuine, eternal claim to that right. TO be purified in the refiners furnace and to emerge with dross consumed, is what salvation looks like, if we push the metaphor a little. This is a word picture found throughout the scriptures, even in the New, 1 Cor 3.

So, what is the difference between the vessels? How can we discern these things by a righteous standard? It is in the question:

3. What are the vessels to do?

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.

What does this mean? What is so hard for modern so-called Christians to accept?

The anyone and himself seems from the original to be a believer concerned with purity in life and associations, including church-holiness. It means either if anyone who is gold and silver cleanses himself from the wood and clay, they will show themselves to be a vessel for honor. Cleansing from bad influences is a part of the Christian life. In 1 Cor 15 it says, "Bad company corrupts good morals." We like to think it works the other way around. We think differently than God does, we think like this, " I can be a good influence on them, so I will keep company with them." We view ourselves as exceptions to the rule. It is very rare in my experience that it works the other way around, but it does by God's grace. But it is usually, that the person has been brought to hear the gospel of God's grace, they are changed, and instead of them having bad morals, they have new principles by which they live and God has overruled. Yet, ordinarily, Bad company still corrupts good morals. I could name names of people most of you would know or have heard of who were not discerning about the friends they picked and it was to the deteriment of their Christian life. They did not purge themselves from vessels of dishonor.

Another possible understanding is something like this: only if a vessel of dishonor purges itself from the influences of the world of what wood and clay represent, will there by hope for their eternal souls. Either way, what all of this is based on is a work of God enlightening the mind and converting the soul. He does that through hearing the Word of God.

Do you want to be made holy for the Master's use? There is only one way, God, the Master's way through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone can save you from sin, from yourself, and from other dishonorable people. Then you will be prepared for works that are truly good--not by the standards of this world that are done so others will think well of you. But, they will be Good works by a righteous and holy standard as you do what you do to please God as they are done for the good of others.