Sermon Tone Analysis

20 [But] in a great house

[there] are not only vessels

 of gold and silver,

[but also] of wood and clay,

some for honor [and]

some for dishonor.

21 [Therefore] if anyone */cleanses/* himself from the latter,

he will be a vessel for honor,

sanctified and */useful/* for the Master,

prepared for every good work.

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| But in a great house | Represents the world, great probably means big, so in the whole or big world |

|   | literal |

| There are not only vessels | Vessels is reference to people, there are not only people, vessels compared to people because they are worthy of what is inside of them.

It is according to the content.

Just as a person |

|   | Vessel (a man of quality, a chosen instrument),goods, we are Gods Vessels we are his goods he owns us |

| Of gold and silver | Literal, why gold and silver possibly because of the value, or purity, scarceness, or hard work it takes to make these products.

Just as it is hard to find Christians today |

|   |   |

| But also of wood and clay | Literal.

Why wood and clay, possibly because of the opposite of above, they are easy to find, not so worth because great resource of the product, not pure.

Just as sinners |

|   |   |

| Some for honor | Honor is a high regard or to be lifted up in service that one gives to the lord.

Regard given to the Christian that serves rightly |

|   | of the honour which one has by reason of rank and state of office which he holds |

| Some for dishonor | Low regard one that does not serve the lord or not the right way, or even a Christian that has fallen off |

|   | disgrace |

| Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter | Cleanses as meaning at wash, or rid oneself of the dirt of unrighteousness.

So you should rid yourself of the filth and dirt of dishonor |

|   |   |

| He will be a vessel of honor | Vessel (people), You will be a person of greta regard in the kingdom.

Great things will come to he that follows the above |

|   |   |

| Sanctified and useful for the master | Sanctified means to be pure and right in there way as a Christian, master is regard to God.

Pure and useful for the works of God |

|   | to separate from profane things and dedicate to God |

| Prepared for every good work | Prepared is to be trained or made ready Good work is the works that God has in store for you |

|   |   |

|   |   |

 

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*But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.

Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.*

a. *But in a great house*: Paul just used the picture of God’s building (/the solid foundation of God stands/).

Now he thinks of that building as a *great house* that has a variety of *vessels* in it – bowls, plates, vases, and other such things.

i.

The church of God is indeed a *great house*.

It is a *great house* because of /who it belongs to/.

The house of our great God is certainly a *great house.*

It is a *great house* because it is planned and designed on a great scale.

It has the most brilliant Architect and houses a great multitude of the greatest people to ever walk the earth.

It is a *great house* because of the great cost it took to build it.

This is a mansion far more valuable than any real estate on earth, built by the great work of Jesus on the cross.

It is a *great house* because of its importance.

This house and what happens in it is at the center of God’s plan of the ages.

The business of this house is more important than any of the trivia most of the world is interested it.

b. *Vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay*: Some of these *vessels* are made of *gold and silver*, and some are made of *wood and clay*.

Some are used on occasions of great *honor* (the gold and silver vessels), and some are used for *dishonor* - such as a garbage bin or an ashtray.

c. *Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from the latter*: The *latter* things are the things of *dishonor* mentioned in 2 Timothy 2:20.

If we cleanse ourselves from dishonorable things, God will regard us as *vessels of honor, sanctified and useful for the Master*.

d. *If anyone cleanses himself*: Paul spoke about a cleansing that isn’t just something God does for us as we sit passively.

This is a /self-cleansing for service/ that goes beyond a general cleansing for sin.

i.

There is a main aspect of cleansing which comes to us as we trust in Jesus and His work on our behalf.

This work of cleansing is really God’s work in us and not our work.

This is the sense of 1 John 1:9: /If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness./

ii.

But there is another aspect of cleansing which God looks for us to do with the participation of our own will and effort.

Not that it is our work apart from God, but it is a work that awaits our will and effort: *If anyone cleanses /himself/*.

This aspect of cleansing is mostly connected with usefulness for service, and closeness to God.

iii.

“Oh, happy be you that you be now in this scouring-house; for shortly you shall be set upon the celestial shelf as bright as angels.”

(Trapp)

e. *Sanctified and useful*: *Sanctified* means /set apart/, just as much as there are certain bowls and plates that we use more than others, or are set aside to some honorable purpose, so some people are more *sanctified and useful* to God than others.

They are more *prepared for every good work* than others.

i.

We must never think that some Christians are better than others, or that some have passed into a place where they are super-spiritual.

However, we must also realize that some Christians /are/ more able to be used by God than others, because they have cleansed themselves, and made themselves more usable to God.

f. *Prepared for every good work*: We must not think of being usable primarily in the sense of serving in the church.

God wants to use His people for *every good work*, including those at the workplace, the school, in the home, in the community.

This happens as one will cleanse himself and set yourself aside to God as a *vessel for honor*.

i.

There is a large sense in which it is left to us how we want to be used by God.

We have the potential to be used as a *vessel of honor* or as a vessel of *dishonor*.

According to this picture, we could be a gold platter in the house of God, beautifully displaying the fruit of the Spirit.

Or we could be an ashtray or a garbage can in God’s house.

ii.

Your conduct - clean or unclean; set apart to God or not set apart to God; useful to Jesus or not useful to Jesus - really matters.

It greatly effects how God can use you and will use you to touch the lives of others.

*2 Timothy 2:20*

*In a great house* (en megalhi oikiai).

Metaphor of a palace.

He doubtless has the Kingdom of God in mind, but he works out the metaphor of a great house of the rich and mighty.

*Vessels* (skeuh).

Old word skeuov.

See Romans 9:21 for the same double use as here.

*Of gold* (xrusa).

Old contracted adjective xruseov, only here by Paul.

*Of silver* (argura).

Old contracted adjective argureov, in N.T. here, Acts 19:24; Revelation 9:20.

*Of wood* (xulina).

Old adjective, in N.T.

only here and Revelation 9:20.

*Of earth* (ostrakina).

Late adjective, from ostrakon, baked clay, in LXX, in N.T.

only here and 2 Corinthians 4:7.

*2 Timothy 2:21*