"SERVING GOD AS A VESSEL"
Paul has already used the metaphor of vessels in Rom 9:21–24. There he speaks of God’s sovereignty in choosing certain vessels for honor (εἰς τιμὴν σκεῦος), vessels of mercy (σκεύη ἐλέους) prepared for glory (δόξαν), as well as vessels of wrath (σκεύη ὀργῆς) prepared for dishonor (εἰς ἀτιμίαν) and destruction (ἀπώλειαν). The emphasis is on God’s sovereignty and the inappropriateness of a creature questioning the election by the creator. Jeremiah also speaks of God’s freedom to do as he chooses, using the image of a potter and clay (Jer 18:1–11; cf. Wis 15:7). In 2 Cor 4:7 Paul uses σκεῦος, “vessel,” to describe Christian ministers as ὀστρακίνοις σκεύεσιν, “earthen vessels,” emphasizing that the transcendent power of the ministry belongs to God and not to them.
The large house represents the Christian community; the vessels for dishonorable use represents the false teachers. The point of v. 21 is that one should try to be an honorable vessel, useful to the Master.
this treasure. See note on v. 1. earthen vessels. The Gr. word means “baked clay,” and refers to clay pots. They were cheap, breakable, and replaceable, but they served necessary household functions. Sometimes they were used as a vault to store valuables, such as money, jewelry, or important documents. But they were most often used for holding garbage and human waste. The latter is the use Paul had in mind, and it was how Paul viewed himself—as lowly, common, expendable, and replaceable (cf. 1 Cor. 1:20–27; 2 Tim. 2:20, 21). excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. By using frail and expendable people, God makes it clear that salvation is the result of His power and not any power His messengers could generate (cf. 2:16). The great power of God overcomes and transcends the clay pot. The messenger’s weakness is not fatal to what he does; it is essential
Similarly, the visible church, as it manifests itself on earth, contains true believers (some more faithful, comparable to gold; others less faithful, comparable to silver) and hypocrites. Cf. Matt. 13:24–30: wheat and tares. The genuine members are destined for honor (see Matt. 25:34–40); the others, for dishonor (see Matt. 25:41–45). Cf. 1 Sam. 2:30b; Rom. 9:21.144
1. The Description of the Vessels - vs. 20
The large house would therefore represent the entire church of God, the body of Christ, composed of all true believers, the vessels in which represent individual believers—the honorable gold and silver vessels and the dishonorable vessels of wood and of earthenware.
The honorable vessels represent believers who are faithful and useful to the Lord. They are the good soldiers, the competitive athletes, the hard-working farmers mentioned in verses 3–6. By contrast, the dishonorable vessels are the cowardly soldiers, the lazy athletes, and the slothful farmers, defiled people fit only for the most menial, undistinguished purposes. Honor and dishonor therefore refer to the ways in which genuine believers are found useful to the Lord in fulfilling the work to which He has called them. In this sense, all believers should be, but are not always, vessels of honor.
In these verses a believer is pictured as a vessel. If a vessel is to be usable, it must be clean. For example, imagine you are walking across a desert, and you come to an oasis. You are parched and almost dying of thirst. You find two cups there. One is made of gold and highly ornamented, but it’s dirty. The other is an old crock cup. It will just barely hold water because it is cracked, but it is clean. Which one would you use? Now give God credit for having as much intelligence as you have. He too uses clean vessels; He does not use dirty vessels. Remember in the second chapter of John’s gospel we read of the Lord Jesus making wine at a wedding. He had the servants drag out the old beat–up crocks (which the Jews used for purification) and had them filled with water. He took those old unattractive crocks and used them for His glory. And today God is looking for clean vessels to use—not beautiful, but clean.
2. The Cleansing of the Vessels - vs. 21
2. ekkathairo (ἐκκαθαίρω, 1571), “to cleanse out, cleanse thoroughly,” is said of “purging” out leaven, 1 Cor. 5:7; in 2 Tim. 2:21, of “purging” oneself from those who utter “profane babblings,” vv. 16–18.¶
Old Testament
Verb: כָּבֵד (kābēd), GK 3877 (S 3513), 114×. kābēd generally means “to honor.” It has the basic meaning of “weight.” It can also mean, by extension, “be heavy” or “unresponsive.” In a literal sense, the term can refer to something that is heavy. Eli was an old and “heavy” person (1 Sam. 4:18; 2 Sam. 14:26; cf. Prov 27:3). As wealth is measured in possessions, the rich are literally “heavy” with their belongings. This may be how the concepts of heaviness and honor became related.
In a metaphorical sense, heaviness can express sluggishness or unresponsiveness. Pharaoh’s heart “was unresponsive” to God and his will (Exod 7:14; 8:11, 28). “Heavy ears” cannot hear God’s commandments (Isa 6:10; cf. 59:1). kābēd can refer to something as serious as God’s judgment (Exod 9:3; 1 Sam. 5:6, 11; Ps 32:4) or something as burdensome as oppression from rulers or famine (Gen 12:10; 1 Ki. 12:10; Neh 5:18). The grievous nature of sin is expressed with this term (Gen 18:20; Isa 1:4; 24:20). The psalmist says, “My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear” (Ps 38:4). When kābēd is used of a group, it means numerous or abundant (Exod 8:24; 12:38; Num 22:15).
Just as the entourage of the wealthy can be “heavy” with their possessions, the prestige of their riches contribute weightiness or importance to their character, that is, honor (Gen 13:2). “To honor” means to esteem highly (Isa 43:4) or consider someone or something as worthy of respect, reverence, and awe. Children are commanded to “honor” (lit., “make heavy”) their parents (Exod 20:12); prophets could receive honor from the people of God (1 Sam. 9:6). Honor is improper if it exceeds that given to God (1 Sam. 2:29–30) or is directed to one’s self (Prov 12:9). When the Lord gets honor for himself, he causes people to acknowledge the unequaled value of his character (Exod 14:4, 17–18). In this sense, the term is often translated “glory.” The Lord is unique among other gods because they cannot match his powerful deeds. For this reason, the nations come and “bring glory” to God. In other words, they honor him and acknowledge him as supremely valuable (Ps 86:8–10). The word for “glory” (kābôd, GK 3883) comes from this root; see glory. See NIDOTTE,
Noun: כָּבוֹד (kābôd), GK 3883 (S 3519), 200×. The basic meaning of kābôd is “glory” or “honor.” See glory.
Noun: תִּפְאֶרֶת (tipʾeret), GK 9514 (S 8597), 51×. tipʾeret means “glory, splendor, honor.” See glory.
New Testament
Verb: τιμάω (timaō), GK 5506 (S 5091), 21×. timaō means “to honor, hold in esteem, place value on someone or something.” The verb includes showing respect to all people in general (1 Pet. 2:17) and recognizing those with specific status or needs (1 Tim. 5:3). This act of honor can be shown in practical and concrete ways, as when the people of Malta provide for Paul and his shipmates in response to Paul’s healing them (Acts 28:10). The most common example of timaō is the honor that one should pay to one’s parents (i.e., the fifth commandment; see Mt 15:4; 15:6; 19:19; Mk 7:10; 10:19; Lk 18:20; Eph 6:2). When Judas is given thirty silver coins to betray Christ, it is an example of timaō being used for setting a price or value (Mt 27:9).
The NT makes clear, however, that it is not sufficient outwardly to show honor to God, for Jesus confronts those who honor him with their lips but not their hearts (Mt 15:8; Mk 7:6). The most visible way to honor the Father is to honor the Son (Jn 5:23; 12:26). Finally, Jesus provides the ultimate example of what it means to show honor, because he truly honors the Father (8:49). See NIDNTT-A, 564–65.
Noun: δόξα (doxa), GK 1518 (S 1391), 166×. doxa can be translated as “glory, honor, splendor.” See glory.
Noun: τιμή (timē), GK 5507 (S 5092), 41×. timē is the amount at which something is “valued,” its “price,” or it can mean “honor, respect.”
Old Testament
Verb: קָדַשׁ (qādaš), GK 7727 (S 6942), 171×. qādaš describes the state of the sacred realm. Negatively, it represents that which is distinct from the common or profane. It is usually translated “make holy” (NIV), “sanctify,” or “dedicate.” A characteristic use of the verb is found in Num. 16:38, where the censers of the Korahites are considered holy because they are presented before the Lord and “have become holy.” They are thus regarded as having entered the sphere of the “holy” by virtue of following Moses’ command (16:17) and are granted holiness (i.e., set-apartness) that disallows their being treated in a common way; thus, qādaš denotes the sphere of the “holy.” In being set apart, these items became a testimony to God’s holiness to Israel.
qādaš frequently describes the state or action of consecration in the rituals of the Levites. In Exod. 30:29 the Lord commands Moses to consecrate the utensils of the altar along with the altar itself “so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy” (cf. 29:37; Lev. 6:18, 27). These items are to be made holy by means of the Lord’s “sacred anointing oil,” of which the Lord says, “Do not pour it on men’s bodies and do not make any oil with the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred” (30:31). Thus, the designations “sacred,” “holy,” and “consecrated” all convey the idea of separation from a profane status or common use.
Another example is Exod. 19:23, the consecration of Mount Sinai. Establishing boundaries around it served to keep out all who may have profaned God’s holy presence.
Finally, the ethical connotations of holiness find their basis in the proscriptions against confusing the spheres of the holy and the common (Lev. 22:32). See NIDOTTE, 3:877–887.
New Testament
Verb: ἁγιάζω (hagiazō), GK 39 (S 37), 28×. hagiazō is usually rendered “make holy, sanctify, consecrate.” In the NT this verb expresses the action of including a person or a thing in the sphere of what is holy in either a ritual (ceremonial) and moral sense.
2. euchrestos (εὔχρηστος, 2173), “useful, serviceable” (eu, “well,” chrestos, “serviceable,” akin to chraomai, see No. 1), is used in Philem. 11, “profitable,” in contrast to achrestos, “unprofitable” (a, negative), with a delightful play upon the name “Onesimus,” signifying “profitable” (from onesis, “profit”), a common name among slaves. Perhaps the prefix eu should have been brought out by some rendering like “very profitable,” “very serviceable,” the suggestion being that whereas the runaway slave had done great disservice to Philemon, now after his conversion, in devotedly serving the apostle in his confinement, he had thereby already become particularly serviceable to Philemon himself, considering that the latter would have most willingly rendered service to Paul, had it been possible. Onesimus, who had belied his name, was now true to it on behalf of his erstwhile master, who also owed his conversion to the apostle.
Old Testament
Noun: אָדוֹן (ʾādîn), GK 123 (S 113), 774×. ʾādîn is used with reference to “the Lord” and to people of high rank (especially superiors and persons of authority). See Lord.
New Testament
Noun: δεσπότης (despotēs), GK 1305 (S 1203), 10×. despotēs is similar in meaning to kyrios (“lord”), though it occurs far less often. The nuance of despotēs emphasizes the right and power to command. In several cases despotēs refers to God or Jesus. God is addressed in prayer as despotēs (Lk. 2:29; Acts 4:24; Rev. 6:10) and Jesus is the despotēs in 2 Tim. 2:21; 2 Pet. 2:1 and Jude 4.
In addition to referring to God or Jesus, despotēs, like kyrios, can be used to speak of human masters or lords (1 Tim. 6:1–2; Tit. 2:9; 1 Pet. 2:18). This word is reflected eventually in the English word “despot.” However, this is a classic example of the importance of recognizing how words can change meaning over time. The negative and harsh connotations of the English “despot” are not found in the Greek despotēs, nor should they be read back into the NT usage.
Verb: ἑτοιμάζω (hetoimazō), GK 2286 (S 2090), 40×. hetoimazō means “to prepare” and may be linked with either an impersonal or a personal object. Quoting Isa. 40:3, John the Baptist cries out, “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his paths” (Mt. 3:3; Mk. 1:3; Lk. 3:4; cf. Lk. 1:17, 76). At the end of Jesus’ ministry the disciples “prepare” the Passover meal (Mt. 26:17, 19; Mk. 14:12, 15–16; Lk. 22:8, 9, 12, 13). According to John’s gospel, during this meal Jesus assures his disciples that he was going away in order to “prepare a place for [them]” (Jn. 14:2–3). And when we think of our own future, we can anticipate someday receiving the glorious things “God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor. 2:9; cf. Heb. 11:16).
Used with a personal object, hetoimazō can mean to prepare someone else or to prepare oneself. In Acts 23:23, for example, the Roman tribune in Jerusalem ordered two of his centurions to prepare two hundred soldiers so as to protect Paul from a secret plot to murder him. In 2 Tim. 2:21, Paul emphasizes how God has cleansed believers and “prepared” them to do good works. As we look ahead to the time of Christ’s return, we can eagerly anticipate the time when the bride of Christ will “make herself ready” for the coming wedding of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7; 21:2).
3. The Forsaking of the Vessels - vs. 22a
Verb: φεύγω (pheugō), GK 5771 (S 5343), 29×. pheugō primarily means “to flee” (e.g., “flee to the mountains,” Mt 24:16; cf. Mk 13:14, Lk 21:21), but also can mean “to escape” (Mt 2:13; Acts 27:30; Heb 11:34), “elude” (Rev 9:6), and “run off/away” (Mt 8:33; cf. Mk 5:14, Lk 8:34). pheugō occurs most frequently in the Gospels (17×).
Both Jesus and John warn people to “flee from the coming wrath” (Mt 3:7; 23:33; Lk 3:7). As Jesus sends out the Twelve to minister in his name, he instructs them to flee to other cities to continue ministry if they experience persecution from those who reject their message (Mt 10:23). In Jn 10, Jesus teaches that his sheep will run away from false shepherds because they do not recognize their voices (Jn 10:5). In contrast to the good shepherd, hired hands will run away when danger threatens the flock (Jn 10:12). The good shepherd, however, will never flee and abandon his sheep, regardless of the danger (Jn 10:11). When Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane, “all the disciples deserted him and fled” (Mt 26:56; cf. Mk 14:50). Similarly, “the women went out and fled from the tomb” once they saw the vision of an angel, because they were bewildered and afraid (Mk 16:8).
Paul uses pheugō to command his readers to “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Cor. 6:18) and to “flee from idolatry” (1 Cor. 10:14). He also exhorts Timothy, his son in the faith, to “flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace” (2 Tim. 2:22) and to flee from unrighteousness completely (1 Tim. 6:11).
Finally, James encourages his readers to “submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (Jas 4:7).
Noun: ἐπιθυμία (epithymia), GK 2123 (S 1939), 38×. epithymia is based on the root word thymos, meaning “an urge” or “passion.” Stoic philosophers classed epithymia along with three other human emotions: fear, pleasure, and grief. These are detrimental to one’s ethical life because they conflict with a person’s rationality. In Jewish thought the sinful motivation of the heart is to be condemned as strongly as the sinful act itself. epithymia thus denotes impulsive sensual desire, contrary to the will and pleasure of God. Sometimes this word appears in more mundane fashion in the NT (e.g., for hunger in Lk 15:16) or in a positive sense indicating intense longing (1 Thess. 2:17), especially where Paul is torn between a “desire” leaving this life to be with the Lord or to remain for the benefit of the congregation (Phil 1:23).
Mostly, however, epithymia constitutes wrong sensual and sexual desires that are selfish and result in disobedience to God. Willfully disobedient persons are given up by God to the perverse “desires of their hearts” (Rom 1:24). Christians are admonished to change their former sinful behavior, in which (like the heathen) they once followed and performed the lusts of the flesh (Rom 6:12; 7:7; Eph 2:3; 4:22; 1 Thess. 4:5; Tit 3:3; 1 Pet. 1:14; 4:2–3). Salvation entails crucifixion of the “flesh with its passions and desires/lusts” (Gal 5:24; Col 3:5) and walking in the Spirit (Gal 5:16) so as to “make no provision for the flesh to perform its lusts” (Rom 13:14). “Covetous desire” for riches can lead people into ruin and destruction (1 Tim. 6:9). Paul admonishes Timothy to “flee youthful lusts” (2 Tim. 2:22), warning that in the last days, people will follow the inclinations of their own desires (3:6) and will find teachers according to their own desires (4:3; cf. 2 Pet. 3:3; Jude 16, 18). James explains that each person is enticed by the desires already present in human nature, and once a person is enticed, lust produces sin, which ultimately results in death (Jas 1:14–15). Finally, John warns that the “desires of the flesh and the lust of the eyes … are from the world,” which is passing away “with its desires” (1 Jn. 2:16–17).
4. The Pursuit of the Vessels - vs. 22b-23
Noun: δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē), GK 1466 (S 1343), 92×. dikaiosynē can mean “righteousness, innocence, justice, justification.” This word is prominent in Paul’s letters, containing 58 of the 91 occurrences (64%). It is not inappropriate to say that Paul attempts to answer the question Job asks in Job 9:2: “But how can a mortal be righteous with God?” The main passage in Paul that discusses this question and this word group is Rom. 3.
(1) While it is not stated as frequently as in the OT, the NT affirms the righteous and sinless character of God (see dikiaios, below). In Rom. 3:5, Paul affirms “God’s righteousness.”
(2) Human beings were created in the image of God, which means in part the ability to live righteous, sinless lives (Eph. 4:24). But Adam sinned in the Garden, and through the sin of that one man, all their descendants “were made sinners” (Rom. 5:19). As a result, we are unrighteous and deserve condemnation and death (5:16–18; 6:23).
(3) How can we then get right with God? God has revealed a way: “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Rom. 3:22). In other words, Jesus, the Righteous One, lived a sinless life (see law) and died an atoning death (see atonement). He now offers his “righteousness” to us by faith, so that we can be “declared righteous” (see dikaioō, above) before his throne. This process of justification by faith goes all the way to Abraham, who “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Rom. 4:3, 5, 9; Gal 3:6). All those, then, who believe in Jesus are credited with righteousness and have Abraham as their father (4:11–12). Keeping the law plays no role in our being counted as righteous in his sight (cf. 10:1–10; Gal 3:21; Phil. 3:9); rather, God’s grace is at work.
(4) But does this mean that obedience to God’s law has no role to play in our lives? Absolutely not! Those who have been justified by faith have been set free from sin and thus must offer themselves to God “as instruments of righteousness” (Rom. 6:11–14). We find God’s will for us described in the inspired Scriptures, through which we receive “training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16–17). It is impossible for those who have been born of God not to do what is right (1 Jn. 3:7–10). As Jesus puts it, those who belong to him “hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Mt. 5:6).
(5) Finally, there is a future aspect to righteousness. God has set a day when he will judge the world by his standard of righteousness (Acts 17:31). On that day of days, we “will reap a harvest of righteousness and peace” (Heb. 12:11) and thus become fully righteous; this is our Christian hope (Gal 5:5).
(6) In summary, therefore, like salvation (see salvation), “righteousness” is a gift that we receive from God when we believe, is a present reality in our lives, and is a future hope toward which we aspire
Noun: ἀγάπη (agapē), GK 27 (S 26), 116×. agapē signifies the true and pure love of God to his dear Son (Jn. 17:26), to his people (Gal 6:10), and to a depraved humanity that is in rebellion against him (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8). In fact, the Bible declares that the very nature of God can be defined as love (1 Jn. 4:8, 16). We can see that God is love, regardless of our situation in life; Heb. 12:6 explains that even though we may be under the correction of God, the correction is always guided by love. It is the love of God that prompts our obedience to him. Jesus told his disciples, “Whoever has my commandments and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him” (Jn. 14:21, using the related verb agapaō).
agapē encompasses the mind, emotions, and will of the individual because it comes from God. As such, we are to live the life of love as demonstrated by the Lord Jesus Christ himself (Eph. 5:2). Paul tells us, “The fruit of the Spirit is love” (Gal 5:22); it is only by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God that we can internalize and realize the love that God has for us. This type of godly love compels us to look for unmet needs among our fellow human beings. It is godly compulsion (2 Cor. 5:14), which brings us to a point where the world no longer sees us, but rather Christ in us. This idea prompted the translators of the KJV to translate agapē as “charity” (see, e.g., 1 Cor. 13). Derived from the Latin word caritas, charity is characterized in the KJV as an out-showing of God’s love and benevolence toward humanity. Further examination of 1 Cor. 13 reveals an inseparable relationship between faith, hope, and love (1 Cor. 13:13), yet the apostle affirms the supremacy of love. John explains that as the love of the church increases, God will strengthen the hearts of those in the church so that they “will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones” (1 Thess. 3:13).
God’s people are exhorted to be cautious where they place their love. “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 Jn. 2:15). Paul warns young Timothy that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils,” and as a result “some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs” (1 Tim. 6:10).
agapē is also used to describe an early Christian “love feast” or fellowship meal. Paul links this meal with the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11), but eventually it become a celebration all its own (Jude 12; 2 Pet. 2:13). The meal was significant to the life of the church insofar as it typified what the church represented. It was the church’s direct response to the command of the Lord Jesus Christ to love one another. This agapē served to undergird the koinōnia (see fellowship) that the church experienced.
Lastly, agapē is a beautiful word picture of sacrificial love. It is expressed in the fact that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). As such, agapē can be defined as unmerited and unwavering love. God is the originator of this love, and it can only be experienced by one who truly knows God and has received his Son as Lord and Savior. The ultimate expression of God’s unmitigated love is the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross.
Paul acknowledges that eirēnē is a direct derivative of justification, of “having been made right with God” (Rom. 5:1): “Since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God.” Perhaps this is why the noun appears in tandem with “grace” in the introductions of his and other NT letters (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:3, 1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2; Tit. 1:4; Phlm. 3; 1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Jn. 3; Rev. 1:4). This combination of terms demonstrates the wide-ranging scope of salvation.
In a sense, then, eirēnē is the opposite of disorder. Paul uses the word in his lengthy marriage chapter in 1 Cor. 7 as the reason why a Christian believer ought to stay in a “mixed marriage” as long as the unbelieving partner desires it (7:15). If the unbelieving partner desires to leave, however, that may achieve the goal of harmony among individuals. Paul uses the same reasoning in 14:33, where order in church meetings is the main subject under discussion. Order, structure, and clear communication will more likely lead to a confession, not confusion. Ultimately, the salvation of the unbelieving partner (ch. 7) or a visitor (ch. 14) is in focus.
eirēnē should also be pursued among people in general. Our peaceful disposition should extend beyond the walls of the church in an attempt to impact outsiders (2 Tim. 2:22). Heb. 12:14 affirms the thought: “Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness—without it no one will see the Lord.” Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers [a compound word using eirēnē], because they will be called the sons of God” (Mt. 5:9). Peace starts with God, is revealed most graphically on the cross of Christ, is observed as a chief fruit in the transformed children of God, and is a major spiritual component of the ever-growing kingdom of God.
The exciting of our graces will be the extinguishing of our corruptions; the more we follow that which is good the faster and the further we shall flee from that which is evil.
When Paul wrote these words, Timothy must have been 37–42 years of age (see on 1 Tim. 4:12). He was still rather young, especially in relation to the position of trust and responsibility which he occupied. So the apostle warns him against “the (or “those well-known,” note the article) desires of youth.” But just what does he mean?147
The word desire that is used in the original, whether in a favorable or unfavorable sense, always indicates strong yearning. As the footnote indicates, it is used far more often in an unfavorable than in a favorable sense. In the present passage, it is definitely sinful desire that is meant (“From the desires of youth flee away”). Such sinful desires, as the footnote also proves, can be classified more or less after the manner of modern psychology (though here these yearnings would hardly be called sinful), as follows:
(1). Pleasure, etc., the inordinate craving for the satisfaction of the physical appetites: the “lust” for food and drink, pleasure-madness, uncontrolled sexual desire (Rom. 1:24; Rev. 18:14, etc.)
(2). Power, etc., the ungoverned passion to be Number 1, the lust to “shine” or be dominant. This results in envy, quarrelsomeness, etc. This sinful tendency is included prominently in such references as Gal. 5:16, 24; 2 Peter 2:10, 18; Jude 16, 18.
(3). Possessions, etc., uncontrolled yearning for material possessions and for the “glory” that goes with them (see 1 Tim. 6:9 in its context).
Objectively speaking, Christ triumphed over the first when in the first temptation he said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:1–4); over the second, when in the second temptation he refused to cast himself down from the pinnacle of the temple (Matt. 4:5–7); and over the third, when in the third temptation he refused to receive as a gift out of Satan’s hand “the kingdoms of the world and their glory” (Matt. 4:8–10). As a result of his triumph he in a far more glorious sense received from his heavenly Father the very things with which the devil had tempted him. (In Christ’s case, however, the temptations were entirely objective; there were no subjective, sinful tendencies.)
Since these inordinate desires often assert themselves more turbulently in youth than in old age—as he grows older a Christian rises above them through the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit, bringing him gradually to spiritual maturity—, they are here fittingly called “the desires of youth” (literally, “the youthful desires”).
Two extremes should be avoided. First, it is wrong to construe the reference to be, either exclusively or predominantly, to uncontrolled sexual desire. Secondly, it is not necessary to exclude this evil entirely from view. The term, as here used, must probably be taken in its most general sense, as indicating any sinful yearning to which the soul of a young or relatively young person is exposed.