2 Timothy 2.20-Paul Reinforces His Command in Verse 19 with a Household Metaphor
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday May 27, 2015
Second Timothy: Second Timothy 2:20-Paul Reinforces His Command in Verse 20 with a Household Metaphor
Lesson # 51
2 Timothy 2:20 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. (NASB95)
Second Timothy 2:20 Indeed, in a large home, by no means does there exist only gold as well as silver vessels, but also wood as well as clay. In other words, on the one hand, some do exist in the state of being for honorable use while on the other hand, some do exist in the state of being for dishonorable use. (My translation)
In Second Timothy 2:20-21, the apostle Paul continues his thought from the command he issues in Second Timothy 2:19 which required that each and every person who does confess the Lord’s name, i.e. who is a Christian must make it their top priority of abstaining from unrighteousness.
Most English translations mark Second Timothy 2:20 as a transitional which is indicated by the fact that they translated the conjunction de, in this verse with the English word “now.”
However, this conjunction should not be translated as such because Paul in verse 20 employs a household metaphor to affirm his command in verse 19.
The metaphor in verses 20-21 is designed to reinforce the command in verse 19.
This household metaphor is presented in verse 20 and explained in verse 21 and emphasizes the importance of Timothy and the Ephesian Christian community living godly lives which honor the Lord.
Consequently, they will stand in mark contrast to those who are living ungodly lives in the Ephesian Christian community as a result of adhering to the false doctrine taught by the apostate pastors, which included Hymenaeus and Philetus.
Then, in verses 22-26 the apostle Paul spells out specifically how Timothy was to conduct himself.
This metaphor in verses 20-21 and the prohibitions and commands in verses 22-26 are all designed to encourage Timothy to continue being faithful to Paul’s apostolic teaching and his ministry in Ephesus on behalf of the Christian community in that city.
They are also designed to encourage Timothy to continue to reject the false doctrine taught by these apostate pastors.
In this household metaphor, the church is clearly the house and the various articles represent the individual members of the church.
Notice, that there are some articles that are for honor and some for dishonor which is an acknowledgement that there are faithful Christians and unfaithful ones who are in apostasy.
So in the metaphor he is distinguishing between two kinds of Christians but some argue that he is not doing so but only distinguishing between two types of teachers, those who are unfaithful to the gospel and those who are.
However, the command in verse 19 which states that everyone who does confess the Lord’s name must abstain from unrighteousness is clearly a reference to anyone who is a Christian and not just teachers.
Although Paul in verses 14-18 has been addressing the apostate pastors in Ephesus who were teaching false doctrine such as Hymenaeus and Philetus and Timothy’s responsibilities as a pastor in verses 22-26, this command in 19 is applicable to every Christian and not just Timothy.
In fact, in verse 19, Paul assures Timothy that despite the false doctrine by Hymenaeus and Philetus, the church will endure forever.
He states that the reason for this is that the church which is “the firm foundation” in verse 19 remains standing because it bears a seal, which says that the Lord knows those who are His.
So this metaphor emphasizes with Timothy that the church will endure forever despite this attack of false doctrine from these apostate pastors within the Ephesian Christian community because the church is God’s possession which is designed to fulfill His purpose.
Then, he issues the command for every Christian to abstain from unrighteousness.
He is not only addressing Timothy specifically or only pastors but the entire church.
By the Christian community and Timothy obeying this command they will protect themselves from the false doctrine taught by these apostate pastors.
Therefore, the household metaphor in verses 20-21 is not applicable to just only to pastors or to just Timothy but also the entire Christian community.
Furthermore, in verse 21, Paul says that if “anyone” cleanses himself, he will be a vessel of honor, sanctified and thus useful to the Master, prepared for every good work, which indicates the metaphor is directed at the entire church.
Lastly, even if we interpret the metaphor in verses 20-21 as applicable to only Timothy as a pastor, the metaphor is still applicable for every Christian since if any Christian obeys Paul’s apostolic teaching, they will be a cleansed vessel that will be of use to the Lord and a vessel of honor.
The household articles in the metaphor are distinguished on the basis of the material which they are composed of.
There are materials mentioned, namely wood, earthenware or clay, gold and silver.
The presence of gold and silver articles in this metaphor indicates that Paul is speaking specifically of a wealthy homeowner.
This is also indicated by the fact that the apostle is speaking of articles contained in a “large house.”
The gold and silver articles represent faithful Christians and the wood and clay those who are unfaithful which is indicated by the fact that in Paul’s day in the first century gold and silver vessels in a wealthy home were esteemed as honorable because they were used for honorable functions.
On the other hand, the wood and clay vessels were regarded as dishonorable because they were used for garbage or excrement and were sometimes thrown out with their contents.
Paul’s statement in verse 21 which explains the metaphor would make clear to Timothy that those teachers and Christians who are faithful are represented by the gold and silver vessels in the metaphor which are regarded by the Lord as possessing an honorable function.
On the other hand, those who were unfaithful to Paul’s apostolic teaching were regarded by the Lord as possessing a dishonorable function in the church.
Verse 21 emphasizes that Timothy must be obedient to his apostolic teaching if he is going to be a vessel which honors the Lord.
The apostate pastors in Ephesus were vessels of dishonor because of their rejection of Paul’s apostolic teaching whose content of course was the gospel and this would then support or reinforce the command in verse 19 that the Christian must make it their top priority of abstaining from unrighteousness.
Now, Second Timothy 2:20, Paul is affirming his command at the end of verse 19 that each and every Christian must make it their top priority of abstaining from unrighteousness.
The metaphor emphasizes that if the Christian wants to be considered by the Lord as a vessel of honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work, then they must remain faithful to Paul’s teaching, which presents the gospel.
In the metaphor, Paul says that this house is a large one which contains gold and silver articles or vessels, which would indicate that this a wealthy person’s home because only such people could afford such expensive vessels and afford to live in such a spacious home.
Verse 20 is composed of two correlative clauses and the first is emphatic stressing that a large home of a wealthy person is not limited to possessing gold and silver vessels but also possesses wood and clay vessels as well.
This first correlative clause presents an emphatic contrast between gold and silver articles in a large home of a wealthy person and wood and clay vessels in this home as well.
The emphatic contrast is between the vessels in a home which are valuable and those which are not and also between those vessels which have an honorable use and those an ignoble use.
The second correlative clause actually is epexegetical meaning that it explains specifically the two different categories of vessels mentioned in the previous correlative clause and specifically it is explaining the purpose of these two categories of vessels in a large home of a wealthy person.
This second correlative clause expresses a contrast between those vessels in a large home of a wealthy person having a noble or honorable use and those which have an ignoble or dishonorable use.
The gold and silver vessels which were for honorable use represent those Christians and pastor-teachers who remained faithful to his apostolic teaching whose content is the gospel.
In direct contrast, those vessels which were for dishonorable use represent those in apostasy in the church who did not remain faithful to the gospel and were not obeying it.
All of this would encourage Timothy to not be shocked or taken back by the fact that there are Christians whose conduct dishonors the Lord.
They are still a part of God’s household, the church but because their conduct dishonors the Lord, they are not as valuable to Him as those whose conduct honors Him just as the gold and silver vessels in a wealthy home are of more value than wood and clay vessels.
Those in apostasy in the church are ineffective in advancing Jesus Christ’s cause in the devil’s world whereas those who are faithful are indeed advancing the cause of Jesus Christ.