Life Group Lesson 2 Timothy 2:20-26; 2 Timothy 3

Being an Honorable Christian; Godlessness in the Last Days

2 Timothy 2:20–26 ESV

20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. 22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Verses 20-21: God knows who belongs to Him and who does not. Paul is telling Timothy that as the leader of the church in Ephesus, he must be aware of those who and those who are not true followers of Christ. Paul uses the examples of gold and silver, and wood and clay. Gold and silver are of greater value than wood and clay. So, the gold and silver represents that which is honorable, and the wood and clay represent what is dishonorable.

My ESV Study Bible says this: “Paul uses an illustration to support his call to depart from iniquity. What is dishonorable includes doctrinal and moral error, since both are in view in the letter. Those who depart from such errors avoid impurity in their lives prepare themselves to be useful to the master and ready for every good work.

We must die to sin in order to live for Christ, and that means putting to rest the life of sin we once lived, depending on the Holy Spirit to lead us to all things righteous, holy, and true. When we confess, repent, and turn to Christ, we are made holy through the cross, and we will be of great use in the Kingdom. We will be capable of adhering to the Great Commission. Paul tells once we have been set apart, we will be ready for EVERY GOOD WORK, not some good work, but EVERY GOOD WORK.

Verses 22-23:

Verses 24-26:

2 Timothy 3:1–17 ESV

1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. 10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.