Is he
referring to the Church and 'dishonor'-able vessels within it? You might think
that at first glance but when we look at the further personalized exhortations
in v.22 which seem to flow out of this illustration we are led to conclude the
great house (as it were) is a reference to Timothy or in general terms to the
believer. This is a continuation of the charge in v.14 to remind them (the
elect v.10) of these things, be diligent to (v.15), but shun (v.16) and now
finally in v.22 the exhortation to flee.
Paul seems
to suggest that part of how we understand 'the Lord knowing them that are His'
is that they will depart from iniquity, or as Christ put it you shall knew the
tree by its fruit. Continuation in sin is sign that someone is not 'known' as
His. This is not to say that Christians don't sin. This is not a question of
counting sins or quantity but a testimony to qualitative change, an ongoing
enduring change in the character of the person.
If we might
expand on Paul's illustration and mix it with another of Christ's examples we
might say you'll know them by the shape of their house.
Every house
has select and important vessels used for special occasions and there are also
many common vessels utilized for things less than glamorous. In fact the idea
might even be to convey the sorts of things that are unpleasant and get tossed
out.
He exhorts
Timothy to cleanse himself from the dishonorable vessels. If we take the
building to be the Church this would imply some kind of ecclesiastical censure
or discipline applied to the false teachers, but again the context seems to
demand otherwise. That is not to say that individual exhortations are unable to
be multiplied and applied to the congregation at large and spoken of in a
corporate sense.
Interestingly
Hymenaeus was already delivered unto Satan in 1 Tim 1.20, by which we might
take it that he was excommunicated. We think of Paul's dealing with the
incestuous man in 1 Corinthians 5. If Hymenaeus was already outside the Church
this would also make the 'Church' interpretation of v.20 less plausible.
But if Paul
is speaking of Timothy cleansing himself from the dishonourable what we have is
a call for mortification. This doctrine largely ignored today and more or less incompatible
with many popular forms of the gospel is something that badly needs revisiting.
It chafes against the impulses of our culture. It is a doctrine easily subject
to abuse as many attempt to codify it by means of legalistic checklists, but
such a misuse in no way detracts from its truth.
The
Scriptures speaks of us being dead to sin but Paul also speaks of dying daily.
The path of abnegation, the rejection of our own desires and learning to 'live'
unto Christ is an oft repeated theme throughout Scripture.
We can say
with Paul that in addition to being dead to sin we need to continue dying to
sin. We need to die unto sin and live unto righteousness. Dying to sin is
removing the vessels of dishonour from our lives, the sinful tendencies and
desires.
Paul
switches gears in terms of his picture and instead of referring to Timothy or
any believer as the house he now refers to him as the vessel. Or it could be
said he's using vessel as another expression for the great house.
We are
encouraged to depart from iniquity that we might be set apart for use, for good
works and to serve God. This in no way detracts from the grace of God but it is
an exhortation to action in light of that saving grace. It's not optional and
it's not something for those who experience a higher type of spirituality. This
fleeing from iniquity and cleansing ourselves from it is part of the seal by which
God's people are recognized (v.19).
The rotten
diseased teaching of the false teachers bears a corrupted fruit. The ethics
that flow from their doctrine does not promote godly living but instead ensnares
and traps people as Paul warns back in 1 Tim 6 regarding the desire for riches
and the lusts that flow from it.
Paul tells
Timothy to flee youthful lusts. He's not talking about lust in the way we
normally think of it. The youthful lusts Paul is speaking of refer to pride,
the love of mastery and superiority, the love of argument and debate.
Part of our
mortification and an aspect of our suffering is the reality that when we stand
for the Gospel and proclaim it, we will often appear to lose the argument, we
will often appear as fools. We are to engage but not wrangle, not allow the
enemy to set the terms of the debate.
We are not to
get caught up in their frameworks as it were. It requires wisdom and it's not
easy but we need to learn to identify the core problem of false teaching. Find
out at what point they made a wrong turn and stand there. Proclaim the truth
and at some point we have to realize the problem is not merely intellectual but
spiritual in nature. We cannot intellectually argue someone into belief. We can
tear down strongholds as Paul says in 2 Corinthians but at some point we have
to stop or else we end striving about words to no profit or we run the risk of
being caught up unprofitable idle babblings. No one is suggesting this is easy
or that it's always clear where exactly to draw the lines. We are not given much
in the way of the specifics regarding the errors of the false teachers nor are
we given precise or exact steps to combat their errors. It's interesting
because it allows these texts to be applicable in all contexts. We don't need
the details or a checklist to follow. What we need is wisdom.
But there's
a real temptation especially for young men to engage in intellectual jousting
and to vanquish the enemy. But Paul exhorts us in v.24 not to quarrel but to be
gentle and patient. It is wrong to be motivated by the idea of scoring an
intellectual victory. Pride can play no part in what we're doing.
I learned
this lesson as a young Christian. I remember having lunch with an older
Dispensational man, one easily old enough to be my father. We engaged and it
was clear he had never really encountered serious opposition to his theology.
In my foolishness I will boast, though I have nothing to be proud of. Intellectually
I thoroughly demolished him. The system is of course flawed and for someone
unprepared it was pretty easy to sit down and deconstruct it over the course of
a half-hour. I won that day, but I lost. I failed badly.
I had not
dealt gently or with right motive. In my pride I relished in the intellectual
swordplay and triumph. I had insulted him and foolishly done so. I had shown
him disrespect as an older man and certainly made no friend. I was a jerk and I
probably drove him to be more entrenched in that system. Now if he became
bitter and clung to it despite the fact that he had been shown the Scriptures
teach otherwise, then he was wrong and in sin.
But whether
I was doctrinally correct or not, I was wrong and had done no service to the
Kingdom.
What I
did... this is exactly what Paul is warning about, telling us not to do.
By fleeing
these youthful lusts we are to pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, a
peace that we can know and it's something that we through the Gospel can bring
to others.
Gentleness
in teaching requires patience and it's motivated not by the desire to vanquish
an enemy but to steer someone from the error of their ways, to realize in all
humility that you could all too easily be in their shoes, and with humility
understand the awesome prospect that in God's providence you at that moment are
acting as God's agent, the Holy Spirit is working through you to rescue a
wayward soul that is ensnared.
In addition
we have all grown in grace and knowledge and have all changed over time. We
have all said foolish things in the past and that ought to provide with some
longsuffering and grace toward others.
We cannot
know the Providential purposes of God. Our testimony to the truth may indeed
add to their condemnation or it may be the means employed by God wherein they
are rescued from the trap they are in. We plant seeds, we water but God gives
the increase.
And we need
to be clear, their oppositional doctrine is sinful. They need to repent of
their un-orthodoxy, their wrong thinking. Their false theology is the result of
sinful reason or motivations. They need to repent and even though you won't
always know the outcome we need to be faithful in the pursuit of this delicate
and mighty work... of which we are not worthy.
There is a
demonic element at work. The 'outside', the realm beyond the confines of the
covenant is the realm of the god of this world. Those who are not 'in the
Spirit' are slaves or captives to his will. Once again the Church errs in
thinking the real threat is external. The world will hate us but cannot harm
more than the body, unless we let it.
If we let in
the false teachers, they will bring their evil theology, their philosophies and
speculative frameworks, their profane worldly babblings and aspirations, their
lust for money and thus power... these things 'are' the world but when they
enter into the Church and are theologized and brought into the framework or
syncretized with Christian thought...
Then Satan
is among us. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel
of light... a messenger of light.
How do we
tell? Well, Paul has already touched on the nature of his Gospel back in
Chapter 1 and will in chapter 3 give Timothy the final word or standard by
which all things are to be judged... the Sacred Writings, Holy Scripture, the
God-breathed Word.
The weapons
of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the
knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of
Christ...
Do not look
at things according to the outward appearance. It may seem like we lose the
argument. It may seem like our foes have run intellectual circles around us.
The Spirit will convict. It is He does the work. We are to proclaim faithfully
and thus we do not quarrel and we avoid foolish disputes. They will produce
strife, angry and bitter conflict and division. The arguments will sidetrack
and do greater damage in a wider venue.
Don't worry
about your pride in losing an argument. Paul has already said the Lord knows
those who are His and to summarize, those that are Christ's will depart
iniquity.
If the
agents of Satan bring the world into the Church and sweep away some, it is
cause for grief but not despair. It should drive us to humility and prayer, to
diligence to present ourselves approved of God, workers who do not need to be
ashamed. Let us strive to be vessels of honor set apart for every good work God
would have us do.
We have to
learn to think differently about the spiritual conflict. Many have confused it
with earthly political wranglings and culture war. They're fighting the wrong
fight. They're out on a front they cannot hope to capture and must resort to
the world's weapons in order to fight it. They destroy themselves and like bad
shepherds they've left their own lines, their own flock unguarded and the
wolves are attacking. They seek to capture and ensnare believers, to ruin them
as Paul said in verse 14. They seek to overthrow the faith of the sheep and
make it shipwreck.
If we want
to fight we have to understand the nature of the war. Paul goes on in the next
section. He wraps up this section about the false teachers and tells Timothy
how this age will be characterized. He tells Timothy to know this, to mark
this. This is how it's going to be. It's sobering but in Christ we need not
fear.
