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"But in a great house (parallel with the whole congregation Numb. 16: 3) there are
not only vessels of gold and of silver (like the office of Moses and Aaron, and the
Levites), but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to no honour."
There are those who object to the teaching which we discover in the Scriptures as to
the high glory of the Church of the Mystery, and falsely ascribe pride to those who have
meekly accepted overwhelming grace. There are those who, while they see the high and
distinctive glory of the mystery, are moved to anger at the suggestion that there is such a
thing as a "prize" to be won, but this is just what II Timothy so clearly teaches in the
very passage which is before us.
"But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood
and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge
himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the Master's
use, and prepared unto every good work."
"Every good work" is the goal. We are therefore dealing with service, not salvation.
"Meet for the Master's use", suggests something personal, which thought is expressed in
the words "a vessel unto honour". This vessel unto honour may be the subject of eternal
decrees, but the apostle's immediate concern is with the personal and private reaction of
the individual servant of the Lord to the evils that surround him in his attempt to serve
acceptably. "If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto
honour." We therefore discover there are two classes of vessels, "some to honour and
some to dishonour", and these are differentiated as "vessels of gold and silver", and
"vessels of wood and of earth". We must therefore not load the passage with doctrine
that may be in itself true, but which forms no part of the apostle's teaching here. Paul is
primarily concerned for his son Timothy and his loyalty to the Lord Whom he served,
and just as the apostle himself had finished his course, kept the faith, and was assured that
he had proved himself to be a vessel unto honour, so he earnestly desired this for
Timothy, and for all who should in after days believe and minister the same precious
truth. The play upon Timothy's name would have been irresistible with a man like Paul.
Many times during their earlier converse Paul must have reminded Timothy that his name
meant, either "one who honours God" or "one who is honoured by God". Which
double meaning implies no contradiction, for the Lord had said "Them that honour Me, I
will honour". While the word atimia "dishonour" can mean most positive disgrace
such as "vile" affections (Rom. 1: 26) there is no reason to believe that the apostle, in
II Tim. 2: 20, intended vessels for vile purposes, but alluded to the fact, true of any
"great house", that there would be found therein "vessels of gold and of silver", vessels
that were precious and personal to the Master of the house, and "vessels of wood and of
earth", the pots and the pans of the kitchen and scullery, that, though they had their work
to perform, were not personal or precious to the Master, and in most cases practically
unknown to him.
In all our service we should aspire to this "honour" of being "meet for the Master's
use". Now this dignity is not reserved for the clever or the gifted, but for those who out
of a love for truth and out of loyalty to the Lord "shun" and "avoid" those doctrines that
are not according to godliness, and who "turn away" from those who like Hymenæus,
Philetus, Jannes and Jambres, err concerning the truth and overthrow the faith of some. It