Images of a Faithful Teacher

2 Timothy 2:20-22

Paul moves to household images to describe the lifestyle of responsible Bible expositors in these three verses. The illustration is simple enough. Houses are filled with utensils. There are pots and pans, cups and glasses, forks and dishes, and more. The gold and silver vessels are "for honorable use." The wood and clay vessels are used for "ordinary" or "dishonorable" use. The Master of the house uses the honorable vessels for special occasions. The dishonorable vessels are used for other menial tasks (and sometimes thrown away with their contents).

This "large house" (v. 20) seems to be the visible church ("God's household," 1 Tim 3:15). These "bowls" seem to be two types of teachers, not two types of believers (see Stott, Message, 71). Paul himself was described as a chosen "vessel" or "instrument" set apart for the special purpose of making Christ known among the Gentiles (Acts 9:15). These two types of vessels represent two types of teachers present in the first-century church at Ephesus and also in the church today. There are the good workmen and bad workmen or honorable vessels and dishonorable177 vessels, the Timothys and the Hymanaeuses. Faithful teachers are honorable vessels used by the Master of the house.

What then characterizes such privileged individuals? Paul says there is one indispensable condition: he must purify himself (v. 21). If the vessel is clean, it will be an honorable vessel used for special purposes.

The cleansing in view here is of both life and doctrine. Paul says, "If anyone cleanses himself from these things" (v. 21 NASB; emphasis added), and in this passage "these things" seems to refer back to the corrupt teaching of Hymenaeus and Philetus and the consequent result: "godlessness" (vv. 16-18). Paul also shows the connection between impure doctrine and impure living (see 1 Tim 1:19-20; 6:3-5). Another clue that a pure life (not just pure teaching) is in view is that the clean vessel metaphor is sandwiched between two verses that speak of personal holiness: "turn away from unrighteousness" (v. 19) and "flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness" (v. 22). To be an honorable vessel, one must pursue pure doctrine and pure living. This charge is consistent with Paul's qualifications for pastor-elders (1 Tim 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). A clean vessel heeds the exhortation, "Pay close attention to your life and your teaching" (1 Tim 4:16).

While God has chosen impure vessels for His purposes in redemptive history (such as Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus), we should remember that these were exceptional cases. The consistent command and expectation of God is for His people to be holy as He is holy (Lev 11:45; 1 Pet 1:16).

Paul gives three descriptions of this clean vessel. First, it must be "set apart" from unrighteousness and for righteousness. Second, clean vessels must be "useful to the Master," knowing He owned them and may do with them as He pleased. Third, clean vessels are also "prepared for every good work," meaning that they were willing and eager to be used of God for His glory.

In verses 22-23, Paul tells us specifically how to purify ourselves. He states both the negative and positive elements. Negatively, we must "flee from youthful passions." Often this phrase "youthful passions" is interpreted as sexual sin. While Scripture indeed teaches we must avoid this type of sin (see 1 Cor 6:18), the command in this context is not limited to sexual sin. What are these youthful passions, then? If we glance at verses 23-25, it seems best to understand these desires as the temptation to quarrel, be unkind, or be harsh. The remaining words in verse 22 also point us in this way, as we note how Timothy was to pursue love178 and peace. Young leaders have the temptation to indulge the flesh in a variety of ways including impatience, arrogance, stubbornness, recklessness, harshness, and unkindness.

I am personally challenged by this command because it is not just limited to sexual passions. It would be easy for a young leader to think that he is growing in maturity if he is abstaining from one particular temptation. But Paul will not allow us to reduce sanctification to abstaining from looking at pornography or engaging in adultery. Honorable vessels are clean vessels. Clean vessels flee from all that is not Christlike.

Positively, Paul tells Timothy to "pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart" (v. 22). The contrast could not be greater. The word "flee" is the term pheugo, from which we get our word fugitive. Paul is saying, "Run like Harrison Ford away from youth's passions!" But the term "pursue" (diako) is about running in the opposite way—toward something. (Paul makes the same "flee/pursue" challenge in 1 Tim 6:11.)

While believers are urged to flee certain things like idolatry, materialism, and sexual sin, they are not simply to say no to sin. They are also to say yes to God! They are to turn their minds away from sin and to meditate on the person of Christ and on their position in Christ. They must savor the Savior. They must delight in Jesus' finished work. And as they behold the glory of Christ, they will grow in godliness and experience His peace.

Do you want to be useful to the Master? By Christ's grace and through His power, you must pursue practical holiness. To a young ministerial student, the Scottish Pastor Robert Murray M'Cheyne (young himself!) said,

If we neglect the priority of being a clean vessel, we will forfeit the privilege of being used by God. Still, many fail to take this call seriously. I have watched friends fall every year because of moral failure (mostly sexual sin). These were gifted men. They were theologically bright. They could teach systematic theology, parse Greek words, define "contextualization," provide a philosophy of multisite churches, and preach great sermons. Yet they failed to take care of the inner man.

Remember, the condition for usefulness is not skillfulness but holiness. Spurgeon said, "But let a man once become really holy, even though he has but the slenderest possible ability, and he will be a fitter instrument in God's hand than the man of gigantic accomplishments who is not obedient to the divine will, or clean and pure in the sight of the Lord God Almighty" (Spurgeon, Soulwinner, 41). Are you fleeing from sin and pursuing Christ?

Image 3: The Lord's Servant

2 Timothy 2:23-26

Paul's final word picture is a "slave" or servant (doulos). Before getting to it, notice again that Paul mentions the need to avoid word battles. This time Paul refers to them as "foolish and ignorant disputes" (v. 23). The word for "disputes" (zetesis) occurs once in each of the three Pastoral Epistles, with 1 Timothy 6:4 and Titus 3:9 being the other two. Paul seems to be alluding to foolish debates about speculations, myths, and genealogies (see 1 Tim 1:4). Of course, pastor-teachers must not avoid all controversy. In fact, they cannot escape it if they are teaching the Bible since everything a faithful teacher presents is by its nature controversial! These controversies refer to things that do not deserve time and energy. Senseless arguments only breed division and quarreling. Faithful teachers must be devoted to preaching revelation, not debating man's speculations.

The character of the Lord's servant is contrasted with false teachers who wished to quarrel about speculations. Fundamentally, the Lord's servant is to be gentle. Paul mentioned this twice in verses 24-25: "The Lord's slave must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone... instructing his opponents with gentleness" (emphasis added). Paul mentions this trait in his list of pastoral qualifications elsewhere (1 Tim 3:3). The faithful teacher is not to be hot tempered or violent (Titus 1:7). The easy road, the way of the flesh, would be to take our frustrations out on180 people with rash words or with a right hook! But the Lord's servant must pursue Christ, who by the Spirit produces the fruit of gentleness (Gal 5:23). Paul said to the Thessalonians that "we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother nurtures her own children" (1 Thess 2:7). What an image!

But do not miss what else Paul says. He does not tell Timothy to shrink back. That would be inconsistent with what has already been said in this letter. No, the Lord's servant was also charged to be "instructing his opponents" (v. 25). Gentleness does not mean timidity. It is strength under control. Timothy was called to correct his opponents but to do so gently.

The goal of such an attitude and such an approach is the opponents' salvation. Paul expresses the heart of an authentic evangelist with this phrase: "Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth." Paul tells Timothy that the Lord's servant is not out to win arguments but to win souls. Faithful teachers want to see people turn from sin and to Christ ("repentance") and lay down their false doctrines for the truth of the gospel ("to know the truth").

Behind this is the belief that the real enemy is not the false teachers but the Devil, who has captured them to do his will. Paul wanted Timothy to share his desire in seeing that these opponents "may come to their senses and escape the Devil's trap." Notice the warfare. Those who oppose the gospel are in the grip of the evil one. They desperately need to come to the truth. Their hope is in the gentle gospel witness of the Lord's servant and in the Lord of grace, who may "grant them repentance," opening up their eyes to the person and work of Christ (cf. 2 Cor 4:4-6).

Who Is Sufficient for These Things?

The call in this chapter is weighty. Faithful teachers, as unashamed workmen, must be diligent in Bible study and accurate in Bible teaching. They must work hard to keep the hearers on the right path. Faithful teachers, as honorable vessels, must maintain purity in both life and doctrine if they want to be used by the Master. They must flee youthful passions and pursue Jesus. Faithful teachers, as the Lord's servants, must avoid foolish controversies. They must gently speak truth to their opponents, praying that God may grant them repentance.181

These challenges make us cry out with Paul, "Who is sufficient for these things?" (2 Cor 2:16 ESV). Remember, "our competence is from God" (2 Cor 3:5). While we will fail at these tasks, we should take heart in the fact that there is One who fulfilled them all, and in Him and through Him we live out these exhortations faithfully.

Jesus was the ultimate unashamed workman, who perfectly taught God's Word. He taught with authority and not as the scribes, leading us on the path of eternal life. He could stand before the Father with no shame because He perfectly fulfilled the Father's will.

Jesus was the ultimate honorable vessel. He was set apart for the special occasion of rescuing sinners. Because of His perfect fulfillment of God's righteous requirements and His substitutionary death for sinners, we can be made righteous and are given the power to live out His character.

Jesus was the ultimate Lord's servant. He said He was "gentle and humble in heart" and that we can find rest if we come to Him (Matt 11:29). He is portrayed as both meek and majestic in the great Servant Songs of Isaiah. The suffering Servant endured the flogging of evil men and the mocking of sinners. He went to the cross like a sheep led to the slaughter (Isa 53:7). The Lord's Servant was wounded for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities (Isa 53:5). "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth.... He bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels" (Isa 53:7, 12). Jesus Christ, the Lord's Servant, is not only the model for all teachers, but He is also the person who gives us power to accomplish our mission of teaching the Word.