2 Timothy 2:20

Contextual Overview

¹⁹Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." ¹⁹ Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." ¹⁹ Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness." ¹⁹Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to depart from wickedness." ¹⁹But the bedrock of God's truth is inscribed with, "The Lord knows who his cowboys are," as well as, "All who ride for the brand must ride off from evil ways." ¹⁹ But God's strong base is unchanging, having this sign, The Lord has knowledge of those who are his: and, Let everyone by whom the name of the Lord is named be turned away from evil. ¹⁹ Yet the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, [The] Lord knows those that are his; and, Let every one who names the name of [the] Lord withdraw from iniquity. ¹⁹ Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, having this inscription: The Lord knows those who are His, and Everyone who names the name of the Lord must turn away from unrighteousness. ¹⁹ However God's firm foundation stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness." ¹⁹ But the foundation of God standeth fast, having this seal, The Lord knoweth those that are his: and, Let every one who nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

in a: 1 Corinthians 3:9, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 3:17, Ephesians 2:22, 1 Timothy 3:15, Hebrews 3:2-6, 1 Peter 2:5

vessels: Exodus 27:3, Ezra 1:6, Ezra 6:5, Lamentations 4:2, Daniel 5:2, 2 Corinthians 4:7

and some to honour: Romans 9:21-23

Reciprocal: Exodus 37:16 - dishes 1 Samuel 21:5 - the vessels Proverbs 25:4 - General Isaiah 22:24 - vessels of small Jeremiah 22:28 - a despised Jeremiah 48:38 - broken Hosea 8:8 - a vessel Acts 5:1 - General Acts 9:15 - a chosen Romans 1:24 - to dishonour Romans 9:22 - the vessels 1 Corinthians 3:12 - gold 1 Thessalonians 4:4 - his 1 Thessalonians 5:9 - not 2 Timothy 2:21 - a vessel

Cross-References

Genesis 2:18
The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

Genesis 2:18
The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

Genesis 2:18
Then Yahweh God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."

Genesis 2:18
Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."

Genesis 2:18
And the Lord God sayde: It is not good yt the man should be alone, I wyll make hym an helpe lyke vnto hym.

Genesis 2:18
Then the Lord God said, "I see that it is not good for the man to be alone. I will make the companion he needs, one just right for him."

Genesis 2:18
Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."

Genesis 2:18
And the Lord God seide, It is not good that a man be aloone, make we to hym an help lijk to hym silf.

Genesis 2:18
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone: I will make him an helpe meet for him.

Genesis 2:18
And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But in a great house,.... This simile the apostle makes use of, to show that it need not seem strange, nor should it be distressing to anyone's mind, to hear that men of such wicked principles and practices should be in the church of God, who are before mentioned; since in every great house or palace, the house of a nobleman, or palace of a king, there is a variety of vessels of different matter, and for different uses, and some are mean, despicable, and dishonourable; and so it is in the church of God: for by this great house, in the application of the simile, is not meant the world, as some think; for though that is a house built by God, who built all things; and is a very large one, and full of inhabitants, comparable to vessels; and there are in it both good and bad, as always have been; yet it is no startling thing to any man, that there should be bad men in it; rather the wonder is, that there should be any good; but by this house is meant the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth, 1 Timothy 3:15

1 Timothy 3:15- :.

There are not only vessels of gold and of silver; persons who are members of the visible church, who are comparable to gold and silver, for their worth and value, and preciousness in the sight of Christ, who accounts them his jewels, and peculiar treasure; and for their excellency and usefulness in the church, by reason of those differing gifts bestowed upon them; and for their lustre and purity, both of doctrine and of life; and for their solidity and duration:

but also of wood, and of earth: there are others in a visible church state, who are like to dry wood, destitute of the grace of God, and are fit matter for Satan to work upon, and by them raise and increase the flames of contention and division, and will be fit fuel for everlasting burnings; and there are others who are sensual, and carnal, and worldly, who mind earth, and earthly things, and have no spirituality, nor spiritual mindedness in them:

and some to honour; who are designed for honourable service, and behave honourably, and are worthy of honour in the church; are honourable officers, or members in it; and are to the honour of Christ, and the Gospel; and shall at last enjoy honour, glory, immortality, and eternal life.

And some to dishonour; who are to the disreputation of the church, the dishonour of religion, and scandal of the Gospel; by them God is dishonoured, his ways evil spoken of, his doctrines blasphemed, and his name reproached; and who are themselves dishonourable among men now, and will be covered with shame and everlasting contempt hereafter.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But in a great house - Still keeping up the comparison of the church with a building. The idea is, that the church is a large edifice, and that in such a building we are not to expect entire uniformity in all the articles which it contains.

There are not only vessels of gold and of silver, ... - You are not to expect to find all the articles of furniture alike, or all made of the same material. Variety in the form, and use, and material, is necessary in furnishing such a house.

And some to honour, and some to dishonour - Some to most honorable uses - as drinking vessels, and vessels to contain costly viands, and some for the less honorable purposes connected with cooking, etc. The same thing is to be expected in the church. See this idea illustrated at greater length under another figure in the notes at 1 Corinthians 12:14-26; compare the notes, Romans 9:21. The application here seems to be, that in the church it is to be presumed that there will be a great variety of gifts and attainments, and that we are no more to expect that all will be alike, than we are that all the vessels in a large house will be made of gold.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 20. But in a great house — Here the apostle carries on the allusion introduced in the preceding verse. As the foundation of God refers to God's building, i.e. the whole system of Christianity, so here the great house is to be understood of the same; and the different kinds of vessels mean the different teachers, as well as the different kinds of members. In this sacred house at Ephesus there were vessels of gold and silver-eminent, holy, sincere, and useful teachers and members, and also vessels of wood and of earth-false and heretical teachers, such as Hymeneus and Philetus, and their followers. There are also in such houses vessels employed, some in a more honourable, others in a less honourable, office. To these he seems also to compare the same persons.