“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. 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” (2Tim 2:20-21).
The so called “good dishes.” Just about every family has them. That very special set of china you use for very special occasions. For us that means big holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Occasionally we even bust them out when we’re putting on the dog for certain special guests.
At our house, we only use the good china when we eat in the dining room. Garden variety meals are at the kitchen table with the everyday plates. But when my wife makes the announcement that a particular dinner rises to the level of the dining room, it’s a done deal that we’re using the good dishes.
When those meals are over, we don’t just give them a quick rinse and chuck the good china back in the hutch. We take the time to carefully clean each and every piece. It needs to washed and ready for the next special spread. The last thing you want to see on when you’re loading your plate with a delicious piece of Christmas ham is a crusty chunk of Thanksgiving turkey. They go back in the hutch clean and ready for the next time.
That’s what Paul tells Timothy here in the second chapter of his second letter to his young protege. “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. 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” (v20-21). Just like the good dishes, we need to be clean and ready for the next time God wants to use us.
Interestingly Paul couldn’t be any further from throwing a dinner party in the dining room with the good dishes. That’s because he’s locked up on Death Row in Rome waiting for his execution date (2Tim 1:16; 2:9; 4:6-7). The apostle fires off what will be the last letter of his life. He writes to Timothy, his spiritual son he’s left to lead the church in the Ephesus (1Tim 1:2-3; 2Tim 1:2) with a pair of purposes. One, he desperately wants Tim to do whatever he can to see him one last time (2Tim 4:9, 21). Two, Paul passes the torch of spreading the Good News of Jesus to the young pastor (2Tim 2:1-4:5).
A huge part of anyone being a spokesperson for our Savior is doing everything within your power to keep yourself legit and credible. Don’t get suckered into a war of the words over stuff that doesn’t matter (2Tim 2:14). Understand how to safely and effectively use God’s razor-sharp word (2Tim 2:15). Sometimes that means carefully cutting out the cancer of false teachers who drive people further away from Jesus instead of closer to Him (2Tim 2:16-18). Ultimately you must be confident that God and God alone is in total control of who is on His roster (2Tim 2:19a).
Before he gets to his analogy of the good dishes, Paul tells Tim to take a closer look at the cornerstone of God’s immovable foundation, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity” (2Tim 2:19b). If we claim to follow Jesus, we must do what we can and ruthlessly eliminate sin from our lives. If we say we are His, we must constantly “do the dishes.” That means being clean and ready.
From his cold, dark cell in a Roman dungeon, the apostle paints a picture of a dinner party at a mansion. He wants us to imagine a “great house” (v20). He chooses words (Gr. μεγαλη οικιαι) literally depicting a “mega house.” It’s giant joint in the good part of town. Every believer receives an invitation to this particular palace that symbolizes the kingdom of God. Jesus tells His crew that His Dad has a crazy good crib where all His followers will live (Jn 14:2). This party is what is actually the wedding reception for Christ and His church (Rev 19:7, 9). This isn’t just the can’t miss event of the season but for all eternity!
Paul tells Tim all about what to expect once you get inside. “There are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay” (v20). If you’re a Star Trek fan, you know Chekov always says “wessel” when he sees another starship headed toward the Enterprise. But in the NT, the word “vessels” (Gr. σκευος) is a generic term for any utensil or item like jar, jug, plate, tool, or even piece of equipment.
For instance, the resurrected Jesus tells Ananias how He’s transforming murderer Saul into missionary Paul. “He is a chosen instrument (Gr. σκευος) of Mine to carry My name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). Paul goes on to write the folks in Corinth how Christ loves to shine His light through cracked pots. “But we have this treasure in jars (Gr. σκευος) of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not us” (2Cor 4:7). The apostle reminds Roman disciples that our relationship with our Creator is like that of a craftsman and his creation. “Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel (Gr. σκευος) for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?” (Rom 9:21).
In this case, the apostle uses σκευος to describe plates and dishes. It’s almost like he’s looking at a wedding gift list for a couple registered at Bed, Bath & Beyond. (I don’t know know about you, but I’ve NEVER found the “Beyond” section when I go there. Is there some sort of wormhole to another dimension on the far side of the bed linens I need to know about?) These are “vessels of gold and silver” (v20). In other words, the fine china and flatware for special occasions. They’ve also listed casual dinnerware made of “wood and clay” (v20) on their registry. That’s their everyday dishes.
Paul makes the distinction between how certain pieces of dinnerware have specific uses. “Some for honorable use, some for dishonorable” (v20). No, he’s not trying to help us out by telling us which one is the salad fork. The apostle wants each of us as followers of Jesus to see ourselves as plates for a particularly important purpose. “Honorable” (Gr. τιμε) describes anything of high value and usefulness.
He’s not so much pointing out the difference between the good china and the everyday plates but items used for serving a delicious banquet and those used for household maintenance. For whatever reason, the “dishonorable” dishes aren’t good enough for eating meals. Maybe it’s the cup you now use to scoop gunk out of the gutters. Or the glass you keep in the garage for cleaning paintbrushes. It’s like using your trash can as a punchbowl (Not that anybody’s every done that back in the day at a college party!). You’d never even consider putting them on the table at dinnertime.
We can make ourselves available to Jesus by doing what we can to regularly scrub away the crud. “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use” (v21). In other words, I can go from the shelf in the garage to a place setting on God’s dining room table.
Paul uses the word “cleanses” (Gr. εκκαθαιρω) which means to wash thoroughly or completely purge of any impurity. The only other time we see it in the Bible is when the man from Tarsus reminds the Corinthians to make sure they’ve carefully removed the filth of their former lifestyle. “Cleanse out (Gr. εκκαθαιρω) the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened” (1Cor 5:7).
Let’s be clear about what the apostle is NOT saying. He’s NOT saying I have to clean myself up before Jesus will save me. Not possible. Remember the criminal crucified next to Christ (Lk 23:40-43)? In the agonizing moments before death, he simply asks Jesus not to forget him. Our suffering Savior surprises everybody by promising him a spot in Paradise! Jesus doesn’t make him get cleaned up before coming to church. Come as you. Repentant. Broken. In need of rescue.
The kind of cleansing Paul is talking about is to stop messing around with those who not only teach error but encourage sin. Stop playing footsie with folks who are a bad influence (Prov 1:10-19; 13:20; 1Cor 5:6, 11; 15:33; Titus 1:16). While we must never quarantine ourselves from the rest of the world, we need to be careful. We live in a culture that constantly coaxes us to compromise what we believe. The OT story of Daniel is a great example. As Mike Lee says, if you choose to be a person of integrity, God will use you because light cannot be ignored when it’s in the darkness.
Just like Dan-o refused to budge in order to be used by God in a foreign land, we can be “set apart as holy, useful to the Master of the house” (v21). What a powerful reminder of how the Lord can use each and every one of us no matter who we are. Worried about what might come up on your background check? Concerned about your spiritual credit report? Once we trust in Jesus, there’s no reason to be. He knows you and your history better than you do. And He has a special purpose for you. He’s set you apart. He’s made you holy. As the Host with the Absolute Most, He’ll make sure you have a special spot on His table, “ready for every good work” (v21).
God wants you to be part of His good dishes. For that to happen, we have to do what we can to clean ourselves from the daily grime. That comes from regular repentance from sin and daily dependance on Him. Remind yourself of His Gospel everyday because we need His Gospel everyday. It’s all about being clean and ready for use.
Check out the Message paraphrases these verses. “In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets—some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to His guests for their blessing” (v20-21 The Message).
The so called “good dishes.” Just about every family has them. That very special set of china you use for very special occasions. For us that means big holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Occasionally we even bust them out when we’re putting on the dog for certain special guests.
At our house, we only use the good china when we eat in the dining room. Garden variety meals are at the kitchen table with the everyday plates. But when my wife makes the announcement that a particular dinner rises to the level of the dining room, it’s a done deal that we’re using the good dishes.
When those meals are over, we don’t just give them a quick rinse and chuck the good china back in the hutch. We take the time to carefully clean each and every piece. It needs to washed and ready for the next special spread. The last thing you want to see on when you’re loading your plate with a delicious piece of Christmas ham is a crusty chunk of Thanksgiving turkey. They go back in the hutch clean and ready for the next time.
That’s what Paul tells Timothy here in the second chapter of his second letter to his young protege. “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. 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” (v20-21). Just like the good dishes, we need to be clean and ready for the next time God wants to use us.
Interestingly Paul couldn’t be any further from throwing a dinner party in the dining room with the good dishes. That’s because he’s locked up on Death Row in Rome waiting for his execution date (2Tim 1:16; 2:9; 4:6-7). The apostle fires off what will be the last letter of his life. He writes to Timothy, his spiritual son he’s left to lead the church in the Ephesus (1Tim 1:2-3; 2Tim 1:2) with a pair of purposes. One, he desperately wants Tim to do whatever he can to see him one last time (2Tim 4:9, 21). Two, Paul passes the torch of spreading the Good News of Jesus to the young pastor (2Tim 2:1-4:5).
A huge part of anyone being a spokesperson for our Savior is doing everything within your power to keep yourself legit and credible. Don’t get suckered into a war of the words over stuff that doesn’t matter (2Tim 2:14). Understand how to safely and effectively use God’s razor-sharp word (2Tim 2:15). Sometimes that means carefully cutting out the cancer of false teachers who drive people further away from Jesus instead of closer to Him (2Tim 2:16-18). Ultimately you must be confident that God and God alone is in total control of who is on His roster (2Tim 2:19a).
Before he gets to his analogy of the good dishes, Paul tells Tim to take a closer look at the cornerstone of God’s immovable foundation, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity” (2Tim 2:19b). If we claim to follow Jesus, we must do what we can and ruthlessly eliminate sin from our lives. If we say we are His, we must constantly “do the dishes.” That means being clean and ready.
From his cold, dark cell in a Roman dungeon, the apostle paints a picture of a dinner party at a mansion. He wants us to imagine a “great house” (v20). He chooses words (Gr. μεγαλη οικιαι) literally depicting a “mega house.” It’s giant joint in the good part of town. Every believer receives an invitation to this particular palace that symbolizes the kingdom of God. Jesus tells His crew that His Dad has a crazy good crib where all His followers will live (Jn 14:2). This party is what is actually the wedding reception for Christ and His church (Rev 19:7, 9). This isn’t just the can’t miss event of the season but for all eternity!
Paul tells Tim all about what to expect once you get inside. “There are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay” (v20). If you’re a Star Trek fan, you know Chekov always says “wessel” when he sees another starship headed toward the Enterprise. But in the NT, the word “vessels” (Gr. σκευος) is a generic term for any utensil or item like jar, jug, plate, tool, or even piece of equipment.
For instance, the resurrected Jesus tells Ananias how He’s transforming murderer Saul into missionary Paul. “He is a chosen instrument (Gr. σκευος) of Mine to carry My name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). Paul goes on to write the folks in Corinth how Christ loves to shine His light through cracked pots. “But we have this treasure in jars (Gr. σκευος) of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not us” (2Cor 4:7). The apostle reminds Roman disciples that our relationship with our Creator is like that of a craftsman and his creation. “Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel (Gr. σκευος) for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?” (Rom 9:21).
In this case, the apostle uses σκευος to describe plates and dishes. It’s almost like he’s looking at a wedding gift list for a couple registered at Bed, Bath & Beyond. (I don’t know know about you, but I’ve NEVER found the “Beyond” section when I go there. Is there some sort of wormhole to another dimension on the far side of the bed linens I need to know about?) These are “vessels of gold and silver” (v20). In other words, the fine china and flatware for special occasions. They’ve also listed casual dinnerware made of “wood and clay” (v20) on their registry. That’s their everyday dishes.
Paul makes the distinction between how certain pieces of dinnerware have specific uses. “Some for honorable use, some for dishonorable” (v20). No, he’s not trying to help us out by telling us which one is the salad fork. The apostle wants each of us as followers of Jesus to see ourselves as plates for a particularly important purpose. “Honorable” (Gr. τιμε) describes anything of high value and usefulness.
He’s not so much pointing out the difference between the good china and the everyday plates but items used for serving a delicious banquet and those used for household maintenance. For whatever reason, the “dishonorable” dishes aren’t good enough for eating meals. Maybe it’s the cup you now use to scoop gunk out of the gutters. Or the glass you keep in the garage for cleaning paintbrushes. It’s like using your trash can as a punchbowl (Not that anybody’s every done that back in the day at a college party!). You’d never even consider putting them on the table at dinnertime.
We can make ourselves available to Jesus by doing what we can to regularly scrub away the crud. “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use” (v21). In other words, I can go from the shelf in the garage to a place setting on God’s dining room table.
Paul uses the word “cleanses” (Gr. εκκαθαιρω) which means to wash thoroughly or completely purge of any impurity. The only other time we see it in the Bible is when the man from Tarsus reminds the Corinthians to make sure they’ve carefully removed the filth of their former lifestyle. “Cleanse out (Gr. εκκαθαιρω) the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened” (1Cor 5:7).
Let’s be clear about what the apostle is NOT saying. He’s NOT saying I have to clean myself up before Jesus will save me. Not possible. Remember the criminal crucified next to Christ (Lk 23:40-43)? In the agonizing moments before death, he simply asks Jesus not to forget him. Our suffering Savior surprises everybody by promising him a spot in Paradise! Jesus doesn’t make him get cleaned up before coming to church. Come as you. Repentant. Broken. In need of rescue.
The kind of cleansing Paul is talking about is to stop messing around with those who not only teach error but encourage sin. Stop playing footsie with folks who are a bad influence (Prov 1:10-19; 13:20; 1Cor 5:6, 11; 15:33; Titus 1:16). While we must never quarantine ourselves from the rest of the world, we need to be careful. We live in a culture that constantly coaxes us to compromise what we believe. The OT story of Daniel is a great example. As Mike Lee says, if you choose to be a person of integrity, God will use you because light cannot be ignored when it’s in the darkness.
Just like Dan-o refused to budge in order to be used by God in a foreign land, we can be “set apart as holy, useful to the Master of the house” (v21). What a powerful reminder of how the Lord can use each and every one of us no matter who we are. Worried about what might come up on your background check? Concerned about your spiritual credit report? Once we trust in Jesus, there’s no reason to be. He knows you and your history better than you do. And He has a special purpose for you. He’s set you apart. He’s made you holy. As the Host with the Absolute Most, He’ll make sure you have a special spot on His table, “ready for every good work” (v21).
God wants you to be part of His good dishes. For that to happen, we have to do what we can to clean ourselves from the daily grime. That comes from regular repentance from sin and daily dependance on Him. Remind yourself of His Gospel everyday because we need His Gospel everyday. It’s all about being clean and ready for use.
Check out the Message paraphrases these verses. “In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets—some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to His guests for their blessing” (v20-21 The Message).
If Jesus is going to use us to be serve and be a blessing to others, we need to be clean and ready for use. Just like the good dishes.
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