2 Timothy 2:20,21 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

But in a great house Such as the Christian Church soon became, taking in multitudes of Gentiles in all parts of Asia, Macedonia, Greece, and Italy, and such as it has long been, and now is; there are not only vessels of gold and silver Designed for the most honourable uses; but of wood and of earth Intended for uses less houourable. The apostle alludes to the houses of nobles, princes, and other great persons, in which are usually found vessels of different materials, and for various uses. Thus, in the visible church, there always have been, are, and will be, persons of different gifts or abilities, and intended for different offices, as is also represented where the apostle compares the members of the church of Christ to the different members of the human body, as Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, and elsewhere. And some to honour, and some to dishonour That Isaiah, 1 st, Some designed and qualified for more honourable offices than others; and, 2d, Some whose holy tempers and practices are an honour to the religion they profess; and others who, if by departing from outward iniquity they obtain a name and place among the people of God, and are reckoned members of the visible church, yet, by their hypocrisy, formality, lukewarmness, and negligence, are so far from adorning the doctrine of God their Saviour, or from being an honour to the cause of Christ, that they are a disgrace to it. But if a man purge himself from these 1st, By making application by faith to Christ's cleansing blood, 1 John 1:7; 1 John 2 d, By praying for and receiving God's purifying Spirit, Ezekiel 36:25-27; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 Peter 3 d, By receiving and obeying the purifying word, John 15:3; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 Peter 4 th, By exercising purifying faith, Acts 15:9; Acts,, 5 th, By self-denial and mortification Romans 8:13; he shall be a vessel unto honour He shall be a credit to the religion of Jesus; sanctified That is, separated from sin and sinners, and dedicated to God in heart and life; meet for the master's use For the service of Christ; prepared unto And employed in; every good work Which he is called to perform. Add to this, not only may those who are vessels unto dishonour in the bad sense, and a reproach to the Christian cause, become an honour to it by their vital piety and active virtue; but those whose gifts are inferior, and who are like vessels of wood and earth, only fit for lower offices in the church, may, by properly exercising their gifts and graces, so improve them as to become qualified for higher and more useful offices; and be, as it were, vessels of silver and gold. For to him that hath, that makes a right use of, and improves what he hath, shall more be given, Matthew 13:12. Still, however, they will be but vessels; empty in themselves, and useless, if not filled by, and employed for, the Lord.