1. Live Like Approved Workers (2:14-19)

2. Live Like Honorable Vessels (2:20-22)

3. Live Like Servants (2:23-26)

Humanity and God’s Image in the World: Before we begin to dive deeper into Paul’s metaphors for living in the world (approved worker, honorable vessel, Lord’s servant), it’s important to establish a biblical understanding of being human beings created in God’s image in relation to the world. Let me share five observations. 

First, we were created in God’s image: “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26-27). 

What does it mean to be created in God’s image? (Ken Jung, Go Deeper, 28-29) (1) We were created with an intellect, emotions, and will. (2) Human beings were created with a spiritual dimension. (3) We were created to love, support, and care for one another. 

(4) Human were created to desire and pursue truth, justice, goodness, peace, love, joy, and beauty. (5) We were created to be stewards of creation (birds, fish, crawling creatures, environment). (6) Human beings were created to lead, organize, and manage organizations and heal and restore living organisms. What’s important to note is that all six of these dimensions derive their significance and purpose from being “lived out” in the world. 

Second, we were created to fulfill the cultural/creation mandate (Genesis 1:26-27). Let me summarize the idea of a cultural/mandate with three observations. (1) The cultural/creation mandate refers to proclaiming and “living out” God’s truth in all forms of cultural activities including science, law, environmental studies, homemaking, art, education, literature, media, philosophy, technology, politics, economics, and exercise. The cultural/creation mandate must be lived out in the world. 

(2) God values our studies, work, jobs, careers, homemaking, and retirement. While people may assign different values to various callings and careers, they are all holy callings and careers from God’s perspective. 

(3) By “living out” our cultural/creation mandate in the world, we build common bridges for sharing the gospel. Thus, we must faithfully fulfill our callings and careers in the world in order to impact it for God’s glory.

Third, the world possesses lies, sin, and ugliness, but it also has truth, love, and beauty. Our world is composed of people who commit evil, live selfishly, and do hurtful things and others who pursue justice, mercy, and compassion. The world is blinded by Satan’s schemes (spiritual warfare) and corrupted by the desires of fallen humanity, but the world also includes rays of light revealed by God’s Word and redeemed followers of Christ.           

Fourth, Christians are called to live in the world and stand firm against the world (John 17:6-26). This means that on the one hand, we’re not supposed to retreat from culture (into our holy huddles), but on the other hand, we’re should not become “one” with the world and lose our Christian identity. 

Christians should affirm and learn from the true, good, and beautiful things of the world, but also stand firm against those things that contradict or undermine our Christian worldview and faith. So, how can Christians live in the world and stand firm against the world? Only transformed Christians can live in the world and stand firm against the world. 

The first step in to begin the process of transformed discipleship (PLATES). We become transformed disciples by (1) proclaiming the gospel, (2) doing life together, (3) aligning our souls with God (prayer), (4) teaching of the Word, (5) exalting God, and (6) serving others.          

Leaving aside the idea of PLATES (for now), let’s direct our attention 2 Timothy 2:14-26, where Paul identifies three metaphors (approved worker, honorable vessel, Lord’s servant) for living in the world.  

2:14: Paul emphasized the importance of his teaching in two ways (2:14). First, Timothy should “remind” Christians of “these things” (gospel, doctrine). Second, Timothy should “charge them before God” to not “to quarrel about words,” a phrase that could be translated “not to engage in word battles, a useless procedure” (Guthrie, 159).  

2:15: Paul provides three metaphors for living in the world (approved worker, honorable vessel, servant). First, transformed disciples live like approved workers. Paul highlights three characteristics of an approved worker. 

First, an approved worker is diligent; he/she makes their best effort “to present [themselves] to God.” This person doesn’t cut corners. This person isn’t a lazy. This person doesn’t just “punch the clock” for work. In the same way, Christians must be diligent in presenting their life before God.

Second, there would be no need to feel ashamed of one’s work or finished product if you were passionate and persistent in your effort. Likewise, Christians need not to feel ashamed if they are passionate and persistent in their craft. 

Third, just as a worker needs to handle wood or metal properly, a Christian must also accurately handle God’s Word. But how do Christians handle God’s Word accurately? Let me make three suggestions by using the acrostic of ITA (interpret, teach, apply). Christians must (1) interpret the Word correctly, (2) teach the Word clearly, and (3) apply the Word universally (in all circumstances; everyday life). 

2:16-18: Having identified what an approved and unashamed worker looks like, Paul now warns Timothy about an unapproved and ashamed worker. According to Paul, a key is the way he/she uses their words. First, their “irreverent babble” leads to “more ungodliness” (2:16).

Second, “their talk will spread like gangrene” (2:17). Gangrene is a medical condition that occurs when body tissue dies (caused by some kind of infection or lack of blood flow). If left untreated, gangrene can spread to other parts of the body and can even cause shock and lead to amputations or even death. 

Gangrene cause extreme pain, numbness, and a foul smell. What an incredible picture of what happens when we gossip, argue, and use disrespectful and derisive words with another. 

Third, people like Hymenaeus (briefly mentioned: 1 Timothy 1:20) and Philetus “have swerved from the truth” (missed the mark) and were “upsetting the faith of some” (2:18). They were teaching “that the resurrection has already happened.” In short, they were teaching that there will not be any future physical resurrection for our bodies (perhaps this was due to the belief that the body was evil and only the soul/spirit was good). 

 

2:19: Although irreverent talking and false teaching impact the Christian community (doubting their faith, slowly falling away), Paul wanted to encourage Timothy in two ways. First, God “knows those who are his” (cf. Numbers 16:5: God set apart and affirmed Moses but judged Korah for his rebellion and attempting to lead others astray). Ultimately, God know who are His children and that’s good enough.  

Second, those who “depart from iniquity” provide evidence that they are genuine Christ-followers. So, Timothy, keep handling God’s Word accurately and you’ll witness proof of authentic Christian faith via repentance and godliness.    

2:20: Second, transformed disciples live like honorable vessels. Most likely, the vessels refer to teachers and the great house is the Church (or local church). According to Paul, there are honorable teachers (vessels of gold, silver) and dishonorable teachers (vessels of wood and clay) in the churches.

Honorable teachers are those that accurately handle God’s Word (ITA: interpret, teach, apply) and edify the body of Christ with Scripture. But, how do we train up disciples to be honorable teachers? Here are three suggestions.

First, encourage more accountability from our congregation (ITA) in light of Sunday’s sermon (everyone’s a teacher in some manner). Second, establish a learning community (traditionally referred to as Sunday School) where theology and bible interpretation play a foundational role. Third, train future elders who have the primary responsibility of overseeing the church’s doctrine and biblical teaching content and protecting the church from false teaching.  

Unfortunately, we may have dishonorable teachers in God’s household (church) too. Dishonorable teachers, like Hymenaeus and Philetus, encourage “babbling,” teach false doctrine, and lead others astray from the faith. While space doesn’t permit us to identify all the false teachers and false beliefs, it’s important to note that these teachers came from within the church and still teaching (to some degree) within the church.

Rather than discuss Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormonism, the New Age Movement, or other world religions, I will focus on “The Prosperity Gospel.” I think this movement is a good example to mention because it’s within the Church and many people believe in their key teachings. Briefly, here are six key teachings of “The Prosperity Gospel” or “Health and Wealth Gospel”:

(1) God wants to bless you 

(2) Jesus’ atonement includes physical health and material blessings

(3) Christians are entitled to physical health and material blessings

(4) Faith is a force or power that we use as a means to receive health and prosperity

(5) Financially giving is linked to better health and material compensation

(6) Discipleship lacks a theology of denying ourselves and suffering

If you are learning from teachers who emphasize some of these six traits, then you need to reevaluate your relationship with them. According to Paul, you need to “cleanse” yourself and be “set apart” from these teachers if you want to be an honorable vessel for God (see 2:21).

2:21: Paul provides good advice for those who want to be honorable teachers. We must “cleanse” ourselves and be “set apart” (this is what the word holy means) from false teachers if we want to be “useful to the master [Jesus] of the house” (2:1). We become “ready for every good work” when we don’t allow false teachers to influence and impact us.   

2:22: But it’s not only correct interpretation, clear teaching, universal application, and cleaning ourselves from false teaching that’s necessary. We must also have character. Paul challenges us to “flee youthful passions and pursues righteousness, faith, love, and peace” with other like-minded Christians with a “pure heart.” 

We must deny our selfish desires, persevere through hardship and suffering, and become more like Christ through the power of the Spirit (Mark 8:34-35; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:18). In short, we are to live in the world like honorable vessels. Honorable vessels edify others with God’s Word, cleanse/set apart themselves from false teachers/teaching, and pursue Christ-like character.  

2:23-24: Third, transformed disciples live like servants. While the context is referring to false teachers/teaching in the church, we can also widen the application to our family and friends who don’t have a personal relationship with God. So, how does living like a servant make a difference?

Servants don’t participate in “controversies” because “they breed quarrels” (2:23). A “quarrelsome” heart impacts the way we treat people (we won’t be kind), teach the Word (focus on debating and speculations), and view evil (we’re won’t be patient in light of our suffering).  

This is an important reminder for all of us. When we talk about issues of truth, ethics, God, and politics it’s so easy to become quarrelsome and argue with one another. Perhaps tempers flare. This helps non one! Paul reminds us that this kind of attitude is detrimental to our ultimate goal of correcting false teachers/non-Christian friends.  

Instead, servants are to be “kind to everyone” (2:24; cf. 1 Corinthians 13:4; Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:12). Why did Paul encourage us to be kind people? First, kind people genuinely care for other people. Second, kind people don’t have any expectations of others returning the favor when they help others. Third, kind people provide emotional support to others.

2:25-26: Rather than argue or quarrel with people, servants use “gentleness” to correct false teachers/non-Christian friends (with God’s Word). When we have a gentle spirit, then people are more apt to listen to our concerns and corrections. Gentleness opens the doors for conversations. In our conversations with false teachers/non-Christian friends our hope is that it leads to “repentance” and “a knowledge of the truth” (2:25). 

Satan is the god of this world and has spiritually blinded us (2 Corinthians 4:4) from God’s truth found in His Word. Satan is our enemy. He has spiritually “captured” people “to do his will” (2:26) and seeks to spiritually devour God’s people (1 Peter 5:8). We can easily be spiritually duped or dulled by ignorance, error, or false teaching,

But, praise God for His Spirit! The Spirit makes our spiritual “senses” come alive so that we can “escape from the snare of the devil” (2:26). Only the Spirit can cause us e to see the truth clearly (John 14:26; 16:13; 1 John 2:27; 1 Corinthians 2:10).

Let’s summarize the entire passage. Transformed disciples…

1. Live like approved workers (ITA)

Interpret Scripture correctly

Teach Scripture clearly

Apply Scripture universally

2. Live like honorable vessels (everyone teaches the Word)

Edify others with the Word

Cleanse ourselves from false teachers/teaching

Pursue Christ-like character

3. Live like servants

No controversies, stop quarreling

Be Kind

Be Gentle 

Reflection

1. What kind of advice should be given to freshmen students in high school for living in the world as followers of Christ? Does this advice change for first-year college students, graduating college students, young adults, or families with young children?  

2. Why do you think Paul used these three metaphors—approved worker, honorable vessel, servant for living in the world (but not following the ways of the world)?

3. In contrast to false teachers, transformed disciples handle the Word accurately (2:15-19). What are the benefits for accurately handling God’s Word? What are the consequences (personal, community) for not accurately interpreting and teaching the Scriptures?

4. Transformed disciples are like honorable vessels—holy and ready to be used for God’s glory (2:20-22). Although God has already forgiven and cleansed us (in Christ we are holy), we still have our everyday experience of pursuing holiness. 

In the past several weeks (4 to 6), has there been anything (or anyone) that has hindered your pursuit of Christ and holiness? What do you need to do? Who will keep you accountable?

5. Transformed disciples are kind, patient, and gentle servants (2:23-26). What’s the relationship between developing these traits and the Spirit? (cf. Galatians 5:22-23) What are some practical steps for developing these traits?       

6. Action: Make a commitment to live in the world, but not following the ways of the world (read John 17, especially verses 13-19). Choose one of the metaphors (approved worker, honorable vessel, servant) this week/month to provide guidance. Be accountable to someone.