2 Timothy 2:20-26

V20-26 – ²⁰In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. ²¹If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. ²²Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ²³Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. ²⁴And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. ²⁵Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

In v20-21, Paul gives an illustration to support his command for Christians to lead holy lives. The “large house” is the church, though elsewhere Paul uses a similar metaphor for the world (Romans 9:21). Some suggest that the articles “for noble purposes” are the true believers (the Church), while the articles “for ignoble” purposes are the unbelievers in the church. Others see this metaphor as describing the truth that some body parts are for less desirable tasks. Either way, v21 implies that a believer who, or a body part that, has been engaging in ignoble deeds can repent (“cleanses himself”) and be sanctified unto “any good work” (Ephesians 2:10). Sanctification is of God and, it seems, of men. We play a role in responding to God’s work within us (Philippians 2:12-13). And we best do that by resisting the devil, by fleeing “the evil desires of youth” (v22) – it seems that every stage of life has different temptations. Instead, as Paul issues a number of other short exhortations for Timothy in v22-25, we “pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace,” just as others “who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

We must avoid “foolish and stupid arguments, because…they produce quarrels” (v23). The word translated “stupid” is elsewhere translated “ignorant,” “trifling,” “un-edifying,” and “senseless.” This command implies that the false teachers not only engaged in these discussions to nowhere, but also that they knew the arguments were useless and did so anyway. Paul wraps up this series with the concept that there’s always room for repentance and forgiveness (v24-26). So Timothy must treat these fools a certain way – not quarrelling, not resentful, kind, gently instructing – “in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (v25-26). God grants repentance (Acts 11:18; 1 Corinthians 3:6); that’s the only way that sinners would and could repent. In coming “to their senses,” Paul envisions an awakening, such as that which Ezekiel saw in the valley of the dry bones (Ezekiel 37). And finally, seeing that the devil “has taken them captive,” Paul considers that, just as the gospel takes people captive (as it did to Paul), Satan hunts POWs for his service, taking advantage of their sin nature, which makes them willing and able to serve him apart from God’s intervention. And that is what we were (Ephesians 2:2), apart from grace.