2 Timothy 2:20-21: Vessels for Honor and Dishonor

2 Timothy 2:20,21 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. 

My friend Cody recently led a men's Bible study covering these verses and the men attending were expected to study ahead and be prepared to share. This was one of those verses that at first glance seems a little strange. In my recent experience those have been more loaded with meaning than the more straightforward verses; not necessarily because there's more to be found there, but the harder to understand verses make me ask a lot more questions.
I started by looking up the word for "vessel" in the original Greek on Blueletterbible.com which is "skeuos". It literally means a tool or container. The Greeks also used it allegorically to refer to the human body, as they believed the body is a vehicle for the human soul. It was also used in Romans 9 in the exact same way comparing what I think are believers to either being vessels of honor or dishonor, except that Romans 9 goes as far as saying the vessels of dishonor were meant for wrath. Really reading all of Romans is what's needed to put this in more of a proper context, but the gist is that Paul is telling the Roman Church that even though all Jews were born of Isaac, not everyone born of Isaac was a true Jew. The descendants of Esau were rejected (9:13) and became the Edomites. Paul poses the question, "Is there unrighteousness with God?" Was it fair of God to "play favorites"? Personally, I think it's a joke whenever people, in our abysmally small understanding of the big picture, point a finger at God to doubt the only One who's never failed or been unfaithful. Unless you're willing to ask the question and get to other side of it though, I don't think you can really come to a complete trust in God. So Paul indulges those who would think that God is unjust. In the verses following, Paul basically says that none of us deserve anything good from God. Those of us who have received His mercy are fortunate because His mercy to us is completely unmerited. Paul goes back to the example of Pharaoh and points to the fact that God hardened his heart. He says that people point to that and say, "How can God find fault with Pharaoh is He's the one who hardened his heart?"(9:19) Ultimately we always have the choice. We judge ourselves and we judge God by saying that we are the masters of the law and that His way is not good enough. We've been saying it since Genesis 3:5. God allows us to make our own choice: His way, or our way. When we choose our way, God will still use us to glorify His name. That should not be encouraging though. Verse 22 says that for people who choose their own way, God will glorify Himself by showing patience and enduring their rejection of Him until they finally expend their entire lives in a pattern of rejecting Him, at which point their own judgment of themselves brings them to eternal destruction. The good side of that is that those of us on whom God has extended His mercy stand out as the ones who will share in God's glory. Again, not by our own merit, but purely by His grace.
Verse 30 ends this thought by summing up the fact that God saved the gentiles, who were not originally His chosen people, because in faith they trusted in God's righteousness instead of their own; the Jews however, continued to pursue their own righteousness by works of the law in the flesh.

Romans 9:33 Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.

Jesus was an offense because He said the righteousness of the Jews could never be good enough. The best person in the history of the world could never reach the perfection required to approach the absolutely 100% pure holiness of God. They wanted to hold on to their righteousness. They were in control of their righteousness, and it let them be their own masters instead of submitting and forfeiting their pride.

Now I believe that Timothy would have been familiar with the Romans 9 teaching, and that's why Paul only spends 2 verses on the idea. Timothy knew the broader context and what Paul was implying.

I understood more what Paul meant in 2 Timothy after this Romans 9 cross-reference, but still didn't feel like I really understood why he used vessels in a house as an analogy, so I went to another place "skeuos" was used.

Hebrews 9:21 Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the VESSELS of the ministry.

Jackpot! One thing to note is that when looking up words in the original language, just because the English word is the same in the Old and New Testament doesn't mean the original language had the same meaning in Greek (New Testament) and Hebrew (Old Testament). Here Paul (who I personally believe wrote Hebrews) gives us a definite link between the Hebrew and Greek word for vessel because he's referencing the items that were used to serve God in the Tabernacle. Their construction is outlined in Exodus 25-35 and their use is outlined in Leviticus 1-17.
In Leviticus 1:5 and 3:8, Moses is outlining God's instruction to sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the vessels of the Tabernacle (namely the altar) to purify it and sanctify it for service. Interesting considered we as vessels are purified by the blood of Jesus who was the ultimate sacrifice.
There was another type of vessel in use in the Tabernacle. Common vessels were used by the priests after sacrifices were made in order to prepare and eat the meat that was allotted to them by God's law for their sustenance. Note that these vessels were made of clay and they could not be used to serve God, only man. If these vessels came into contact with anything holy, even the meat from the sacrifice which the priests were allowed to eat, it had to be broken immediately after use. If metal vessels were used, they had to be scoured, but clay vessels had to be destroyed. (Romans 9:22 "vessels prepared for destruction").
This really points to the interpretation that vessels of clay and wood are the works of man. They look godly and are in God's house, but are for people.
I began a search on how the words wood and stone were used in the original Hebrew, and it really backed up this understanding. Those words are used together 16 times, 9 of which refer to false gods, which are the lifeless works of man's hands. Ezekiel 20:32, Deuteronomy 28:36, and Deuteronomy 28:64 all demonstrate what happens when we try to replace God with man: we end up serving false gods of wood and stone.
Isaiah 37:19 and 2 Kings 19:17,18 tell us that these false gods of wood and stone are meant for destruction (another reference to Romans 9:22).

2 Peter 3:10 "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up."

1 Corinthians 3:10-23 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation [with] gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on [it] endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and [that] the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which [temple] you are. Let no one deceive himself, if anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness"; and again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile." Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come--all are yours. And you [are] Christ's, and Christ [is] God's.

In Exodus 7 God through Moses turns water to blood. Interestingly enough, the Egyptians carried their water in vessels of wood and stone, which the Holy Spirit goes through the trouble of making special mention of in 7:19. This water was used for 2 purposes: sustenance and cleansing. Reading through the rest of the chapter, what God does is take their sustenance and their purity and shows it for what it is: death.
In Revelation 3:14-18, Jesus Himself is addressing the Church in Laodicea. Laodicea was a city known for several things: an eye salve that was exported throughout the ancient world, a special kind of black wool that was used in expensive clothing, immense wealth because it lay on a main trade route, and the worship of 3 particular Greek gods which are Zeus (god of thunder and characteristically erotic), Apollo (god of light), and Æsculapius (god of healing). Jesus has a stern rebuke for the Church in this city.

Revelation 3:17,18 Because you say, "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing"-- and do not know that you are wretched (vs mighty like Zeus), miserable(vs healed and enlightened like Æsculapius and Apollo), poor (vs their material wealth), blind (vs their eye salve), and naked (vs their luxurious wool)--. I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, [that] the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

Jesus shows the church of Laodicea that where they think they are the strongest in their flesh, they are actually their weakest. A study of the first 3 chapters of Revelation shows Laodicea to represent the modern day Church, but that's for a different study, though it is extremely appropriate for this study.

So What?

Our works of flesh, especially when done in the house of God, are nothing more than death (Exodus 7). Most if not all of us start off like that, thinking that God wants our works and thinking that we have to be good enough, but we miss the point. The work of Jesus Christ makes us good enough. The things we do that are driven by love for Him are the only things are acceptable to God and the only things that have any eternal value once all things are judged. The vessels in the Tabernacle were purified by the blood of sacrifices just like we are purified by the blood of Christ. If you take an honest look at yourself and your actions and find that you are attempting to please God with works of your flesh, there is hope.

2 Timothy 2:21 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. 

Now we may try to cover our fleshly works in false holiness.

Habbakuk 2:19 Woe to him who says to wood, "Awake!" To silent stone, "Arise! It shall teach!" Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet in it there is no breath at all.

But only God can cover us, who ourselves are just clay (Gen 3:19). 
The vessels in the Tabernacle were not solid gold, but wood covered in gold (Exodus 25-27).We are sinful and unholy, but we are covered by the works of Jesus Christ, the same foundation Paul spoke of in 1 Corinthians 3. This foundation (the work of Christ, not our works) and what we build on that foundation are the only things that will last.
In Revelation Jesus counsels the Laodiceans to buy from Him "gold refined in the fire". How do we buy it? We trade our worthless works of the flesh for the perfect work of Christ.
We accept that we are not good enough and we stop trying to be good enough to please God. In humility we say, "Lord, I am poor and wretched and naked and blind," and we rest on the completed work of Christ.

1 Corinthians 13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. Though I have the gift of prophecy and can understand all mysteries and knowledge but have not love, and though I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Love suffers long and is kind. Love does not envy, love does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
Love never fails, but whether there are prophecies they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For now we know in part and we prophecy in part, but when that which is perfect has come, that which is in part will be done away.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, and I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. For now I know in part, but then I will know just as I also am known. 
And now abide faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
~1 Corinthians 13

It's been really really good for me working hard to memorize scripture lately. I've been responsible for memorizing Romans 8, but on Thursday I really felt prompted to memorize this chapter, so I did it. It's been a long long time since I've sat there and memorized a whole chapter in a day, and it was a struggle from the beginning. I was only a few verses into it on the bus, then right next to me this lady started talking on her cell phone (inappropriately loudly I might add) to one of her girl friends about how it's good to try and work at a marriage, but if it doesn't work out, you need to make sure you do all these things in advance to protect yourself and set up secret finances and get living arrangements figured out just in case something happens and you don't feel like it's good for you to be in the relationship anymore. I wonder how many people have that mindset toward their marriage. "It's great when it's good, but if it gets to the point where it's not making me happy anymore, it's time to just cut my losses and leave." It's no wonder marriages don't last anymore. We set up prenuptual agreements and set up a legal framework against the other person before the marriage even starts. To me, that seems like the best way to make sure it fails.
I think people are so confused about what love is. Almost everyone has felt that heart-pounding passionate infatuation that makes you unable to think about anything else other than the person you love. There are no fights because nothing else matters and the most significant event in your life becomes a kiss or a touch form that person. I've been there and felt that. It's amazing. It's like for a little while your heart and head and hormones are all in agreement and nothing is strong enough to come against the way you feel.
Is that love though?
What about this picture of love from the Bible? Suffering? Enduring? Giving my body to be burned? Dim mirrors? Do these really belong in a chapter devoted to describing the attributes of love?

I'll tell you what's really convicting and inconvenient about this chapter. "When I became a man, I put away childish things." When you really start thinking about the place this has in the chapter, you might start looking at the way you love and it makes you uncomfortable. That's what it did for me.
Kids are very uncomplicated. Everything is about them. I will share MY toy if you share YOUR toy that I want to play with more anyway. I will listen to you only because you have the ability to inflict pain on me because you're an adult. I will scream if you don't give me what I want exactly when I want it. I like you because you give me things. I refuse to walk because when you carry me it's much easier.
Basically if you take that verse in the context of the chapter, Paul is saying there is an understanding of love that is immature like a child's way of thinking.
I'll be really honest. I want my love to be reciprocated. When I perform an action out of love for someone, I want something back. Generally if I extend love and it is not reciprocated, I withdraw it and my energy is spent on someone who I know will love me back. In some situations that's not possible. Family, marriages, etc.
Love suffers long. Love does not seek its own. Love endures all things. 

I've come to understand some things about suffering love. I think that a love that suffers has to be one of the most painful things you can endure. Sometimes you pour out more and more until you feel like there is nothing left to pour out. You're trying to get a reaction that shows that your worth and efforts are validated by the person you're pouring into, but there is nothing. You wonder if your love isn't good enough, if you're just not doing the right things, if YOU'RE not good enough. At that point you have to make a decision.
Why do you love?
A love that exists to get reciprocation, in other words, a love that's only there as long as love is returned, is childlike and immature. I don't think very many people understand that and they're always stuck in a place where love isn't self-sacrificial, not really. Does your love suffer long, or is it willing to be inconvenienced for a while as long as it is made up for later? I have to say that that's really convicting for me. What 1 Corinthians 13 implies is something that I want to plug my ears to. I can't say that on my own free will that I'm willing to suffer long or endure without some kind of compensation soon. It hurts a lot to really love someone and by their actions, you're not sure if they even love you back. It hurts for a day much less months or years, and I think a lot of people experience that. How long would you last? What choice would you make?

I think the first level of application we look to this chapter for is our interpersonal relationships. We think about being kind and patient with each other, not being selfish in our love for each other. What about God? When I was memorizing it, that thought popped into my head when I was almost done. "Yeah, I understand a lot of ways that this applies to how I love my wife and family, but I love God right? This would probably apply to that too right?"
The answer is yes in two ways. The first way is that without a genuine love for God, all of our faith and gifts and sacrifice are nothing. All the way through the New Testament, we're told by Jesus and Paul and others that the greatest and really only commandment in humanity's post-law relationship with God is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Are your gifts to the poor for your own ego or are they originated with a pure love for God? Do you have faith and exercise your gifts through a genuine love for God and to see Him glorified, or yourself glorified? Would you suffer long for Jesus, are your words and thoughts kind toward Him? are you seeking your own when you pray? Are you easily provoked to anger against God when things happen that you don't understand? Do you rejoice in the Truth we have about who God is in the Bible?
The second way this chapter applies to our walk with God, and probably the more profound of the two, is that this models directly how Jesus loved and still loves. He suffered long when we as humanity rejected Him. Really, we still reject Him. If we're honest, how many times do we who profess to be Christians reject Him? Jesus never sought His own, He sought us. He wasn't provoked, not even when He was tortured before going to the cross because His love was such that He would endure even that, with no repayment on our part, just for the sake of giving us a chance to just have a relationship with Him.
If you find yourself in a relationship where you feel like your love is not reciprocated either short term or long term, think about how long Jesus needs to wait for you to reciprocate His love. Do you ever? If you were in a marriage, how long would you be happy if your spouse talked to you once or twice a week, and then only to ask you to do something for them? What if once a week your spouse sang you the words to a great love song, and then you tried to talk to them about how much you love them and your plans for the future and they started nodding off because they were bored and just not really into it? Would the songs mean much? What if that's the only time you saw your spouse and you were trying all week to call them and did all kinds of things to show them that you loved them? What if you always provided for them and gave them really meaningful, thought-out gifts and they took the gifts and ignored you for days? Isn't that how we treat God?
There isn't a difference between our love for each other and our love for God, except that God is the only one who loves perfectly. In fact, there are a lot of references in both the Old and New Testaments describing how our relationship with Jesus is like a marriage. That's on purpose, and it's a deep analogy.

So What?

I think we are allowed pain in our relationships to teach us what real love is. If your love is tested by you not getting something back, does it fail? That's not love. If your love can't endure when your emotions aren't there to make it feel good, is it really worth anything? Does it have any real strength? Is it childish and always wanting to be indulged? If so, that's not real love, but a counterfeit emotion. Emotions are constantly coming and going and swaying back and forth with circumstances and hormones and the weather. Can anything based on that be trustworthy and strong? I would say no. It's a great, great thing when our emotions back up what we know is right, but man those times seem to be so few and far between.
I'm not trying to be hard on people who give up or be flippant about what people can go through. I KNOW that pain. I KNOW the temptation of giving up the hard love that doesn't feel good a lot of the time, especially when there are more places you could go where the acceptance and good feelings come at a lower cost. You have to be strong and use your head in spite of your feelings though. What is fought hard for is worth much more, if for no other reason than it makes you stronger and better and it makes your love more true.
If you struggle with pain caused by love, remember the love Jesus has for you and try to identify in His pain caused by His love for you. He always wants us and unlike us to other people, is always 100% available to give His attention to us. Be happy when love comes with pain, because it's a chance not only to refine your own ability to love, but also to identify with Jesus, who will always have a more real love than we are capable of.