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Please turn with me in your Bibles 
to 2 Timothy 2. 2 Timothy 2. We finish up, God willing, this 
chapter this evening. Our focus is verses 20 to 26. Just a structure of the passage, 
what we find in verse 20 is a metaphor given by the Apostle Paul concerning 
the Church of God. The metaphor is then interpreted 
in verse 21. and then Timothy's specific duties 
and responsibilities in light of that reality follow in verses 
22 to 26. So we'll take up the metaphor 
concerning the church, verses 20 and 21, and then secondly 
the conduct of God's servant in verses 22 to 26. But here 
now as I read the word of the living God. 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. Flee also youthful lusts, but 
pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call 
on the Lord out of a pure heart. but avoid foolish and ignorant 
disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the 
Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all, able to teach, 
patient in humility, correcting those who are in opposition. 
If God perhaps will grant them repentance so that they may know 
the truth and that they may come to their senses and escape the 
snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his 
will. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, 
we pray for the ministry of your spirit now. We pray that you 
would guide our thoughts as a church when we consider such passages 
and help us, Lord God Almighty, to be a house that is filled 
with honorable vessels. Help us to be a house that deals 
with things in a manner that is consistent with Holy Scripture. Grant us grace, Lord God, to 
be a place that holds to the truth of all 66 books of your 
inspired word. And may we preach and teach the 
whole counsel of God. And may we, as your people, rejoice 
together as we grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord 
and Savior, Jesus Christ. And it's in his most blessed 
name that we pray. Amen. Well, as I said, the two 
broad categories that we want to look at tonight in verses 
20 and 21, the metaphor concerning the church and then the specific 
conduct of God's servant in verses 22 to 26. But note first, the 
metaphor employed. In a great house, Paul says, 
there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of 
wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Now, the 
great house in view is the church of our Lord Jesus Christ. In 
1 Timothy 3, verse 15, you remember that Paul tells Timothy that 
he hopes to come to him shortly. In chapter 3, verse 14, he says, 
These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you 
shortly. But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know 
how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is 
the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the 
truth." And when we compare in 2 Timothy chapter 2, we know 
that Paul is dealing with the church. He is dealing with Timothy's 
responsibilities with reference to false teachers who have, unfortunately, 
influenced the Church. In this particular section, in 
2 Timothy 2, verse 17, he mentions two heretics, specifically by 
name, Hymenaeus and Philetus. And so he uses this metaphor 
to illustrate something for Timothy and for us, and to further delineate 
between honorable vessels and dishonorable vessels. And this 
is something we certainly relate to. In a great house, there are 
not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and 
clay. Consider your own home. If you 
have something that is of value, something that does cost, something 
that you want to parade or demonstrate or showcase your status or your 
wealth, you put it in a vessel that is designed to do that. 
You don't take nice china and put it in a bucket. You don't 
take nice china and put it in the toilet. What we find in this 
particular statement is true concerning things today. And 
it is true, of course, in Paul's day. In a great house there are 
not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and 
clay. And he further specifies some 
for honor and some for dishonor. So Paul is describing what is 
in the church, not what ought to be. We ought to pursue a church 
where there aren't dishonorable vessels. We ought to pursue a 
church where there aren't hymenaeuses and phyletai. We ought to pursue 
a church that does not have such teachers in its ranks, but the 
way things are on this side of glory is that there will be dishonorable 
vessels among the professing people of God, just the way Hymenaeus 
and Philetus were in the church at Ephesus, and just the way 
that Korah was present among the covenant community in Numbers 
16. If you remember a few weeks ago 
when we considered the preceding section, We saw that what Paul 
does in verse 19 is he is reaching back into that account where 
Korah and his people rebelled against Moses. And so what Paul 
describes here is the reality that on this side of heaven, 
the purest churches will still nevertheless be mingled with 
error. There will still be dishonorable 
vessels among the professing people of God. George Knight 
says the implication is that there may indeed be vessels like 
the false teachers in the professing Christian community, but their 
activity indicates that they are dishonorable. How do we know 
they're dishonorable? By the way they teach and preach. 
by the way they live, by the way they conduct themselves. 
It may not be readily apparent, it may not be something you see 
initially, but you give a man enough rope and he will eventually 
hang himself. I thought John Gill's statement 
here was very intriguing and very perceptive. He says, yet 
it is no startling thing to any man that there should be bad 
men in the church. He says, it is no startling thing 
to any man that there should be bad men in it. That doesn't 
surprise any one of us that the professing Church of Jesus Christ 
nevertheless has dishonorable vessels in there. Vessels of 
wood and vessels of clay. What Gill then goes on to say, 
rather, the wonder is that there should be any good. That's really 
what ought to surprise us, is that within the Church of Christ 
there are honorable vessels. There are those that have been, 
by God's grace, cleansed from their sins, brought together 
to worship and to praise and to celebrate the redemptive grace 
of our living and true God. So that's the metaphor. Paul 
indicates that what we see with Hymenaeus and Philetus is nothing 
new. This was true of Korah. This 
was true throughout the history of the Church. The best churches 
on this side of heaven, nevertheless, will be mingled with error. Nevertheless, 
we'll have those in their midst that are not the real deal. They 
are not legit. Now, the hope and the prayer 
and the desire is that the church can keep them out of the pulpit. 
This is where the church needs to really step up to the plate 
and take seriously the qualifications for elders in 1 Timothy 3. We 
need to understand that what Paul indicates there is not, 
this is a good idea if men happen to be like this, but no, he says, 
if any man desires the office of an overseer, it is a good 
thing. And then he says, but the man 
must be. And then he indicates virtue 
after virtue after virtue. And he indicates one particular 
gift that the man must have. He must be able to teach. He must be able to handle accurately 
the Word of God. In 1 Timothy 5.17, he says to 
honor elders who rule well, especially those who labor in the Word and 
doctrine. As we saw in that passage, the 
honor isn't give them a special parking spot, even though Mr. 
Lutain did that. for our Honorable Elder Porter. The idea there is with reference 
to recompense. You honor those who work hard. 
When you have an ox in the field, you do not muzzle him, rather 
let him eat while he goes about the task. The church needs to 
take seriously. We cannot let men like Hymenaeus 
and Philetus. We cannot let men like Benny 
Hinn on the wide opposite scale. But we cannot let men who are 
more subtly deceptive, and more subtly destructive, and more 
subtly against or antagonistic to the gospel of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. This is a very important thing. As pastors preach, as the Word 
of God goes forth, typically that's what the people believe. 
And the people of God must be well-educated, and we ought to 
strive to make sure that a toilet or a bucket ought never to get 
into the place that an honorable vessel ought to be in, but rather 
we make sure that they do what they're supposed to do and the 
honorable vessels showcase the great wealth in God's house, 
namely, His particular grace. Now notice he applies this metaphor 
in verse 21. Therefore, if anyone cleanses 
himself from the latter, probably what's in view this idea of dishonor, 
he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the 
master, prepared for every good work." Some have seen this as 
the call for the church to cleanse itself from false teachers. Probably more likely is that 
the man of God cleanses himself from the adverse effects of the 
false teachers. George Knight favors this view. 
He says, the condition is that one cleanse oneself from the 
defilement of fellowship with these and the effects of their 
teaching and actions. Timothy must take pains to stay 
away from men like Hymenaeus and Philetus. Timothy must not 
fall prey to their disputes. He must not fall prey to their 
useless wranglings. He must not give them an inch. 
He must rather cleanse himself. And then notice the result. When 
Timothy does this, when men of God today do this, When they 
stay away from heresy, and they maintain biblical fidelity, and 
they seek to be men of integrity in their conduct, and they seek 
to be men of accuracy in their preaching, if one indeed does 
that, he will be a vessel for honor. Again, the honor here 
is not, you know, all good things come to him, but rather he's 
held in esteem by God and men because he's faithful in the 
work that the Lord has entrusted to him. And then notice, the 
honorable vessel is then profitable. We want to use these honorable 
vessels. We want to use the things in 
our homes. We want to showcase the wealth of God in the house 
of God. And notice what Paul says. He 
will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, and useful for the Master. He 
is set apart as a holy vessel. He is set apart as a holy instrument. Remember back in the Old Testament, 
the utensils and the bowls and all those things associated with 
the cult were sanctified. They were holy. They were set 
apart. They were useful for the God 
of Israel. When the priests conducted their 
particular ceremonies, with those items. And the same thing is 
true here. When the man of God resists the pernicious effects 
of heresy, when the man of God resists the godless conduct of 
men like Hymenaeus and Philetus, he cleanses himself from the 
latter. He is then a vessel for honor. He is sanctified and useful 
for the master. And isn't that the goal for the 
honorable vessel? The honorable vessel wants to 
bring glory to the master. He wants to bring praise and 
honor to the God of heaven and earth. He doesn't function in 
that capacity simply from what he may receive from men, but 
rather he shows himself approved unto God. Doesn't Paul say that 
preceding in this chapter? Be diligent to present yourself 
approved to God. That's what the honorable vessel 
ultimately is concerned with, his approval by God, his honor 
giving to God, all that he does, he does for the glory and the 
praise of the name of his God and his Father. And Paul says 
this is what will happen when he purifies himself or cleanses 
himself from the latter. He will be a vessel for honor, 
sanctified and useful for the master, and notice, prepared 
for every good work. in order to carry out the ministry 
of the gospel. Notice in 2 Timothy 3.17, this 
idea of good work is connected intimately to the knowledge of 
Holy Scripture. 2 Timothy 3.16, all Scripture 
is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, 
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every 
good work." See, the idea is that the man who cleanses himself 
from the latter is an honorable vessel. And as an honorable vessel, 
he is sanctified. He is useful now to the master, 
and he is prepared for every good work, because he is walking 
faithfully. He is walking that path that 
God approves. He is seeking to preach faithfully, 
and what God then does is equip him to engage in every good work. Notice in 2 Timothy 4, verse 
5, though men depart, and men defect, and men do not want to 
endure sound doctrine, Paul tells Timothy, but you be watchful 
in all things. Endure afflictions, do the work 
of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. Paul tells Timothy 
that in order to fulfill your ministry, in order to be a faithful 
man, in order to be an honorable vessel, you need to be taking 
in the word of God, and you need to be preaching the word of God, 
and you need to be living in a manner that is consistent with 
the Word of God. So there we see the metaphor 
that Paul uses. Now notice the conduct of God's 
servant in verses 22 to 26. I want to look at three particulars 
here. First, the flight from lust. The flight from lust. Flee also, 
he says. Remember back in 1 Timothy 6.11, 
but you, O man of God, flee these things. The man of God is a fleeing 
man. The man of God is a running man. The man of God is an escaping 
man when it comes to those things that would destroy his soul. 
The man of God does not play games with sin, the man of God 
does not get close to sin, the man of God does not entertain 
sin, but rather the man of God prays, lead me not into temptation. And as Owen says, those who endeavor 
to pray as they ought, or those who pray as they ought rather, 
will endeavor to live as they pray. So when we pray, lead me 
not into temptation, the man of God seeks by the grace of 
God to flee those things which will destroy his soul. He doesn't 
pray, God, lead me not into temptation, and then walk into a room with 
the internet and look at porn. He does not engage in that sort 
of a thing. A lady who is serious about godliness 
does not pray, Lord, lead me not into temptation, and then 
walk next door to the town gossip so that she can have coffee and 
have her ears filled with the latest stuff. The man who prays, 
lead me not into temptation, who has a proclivity to theft, 
doesn't then go to Walmart and seek, under the cover of any 
sort of subterfuge, to steal from that environment. The man 
of God is a fleeing man. We ought to run. We ought to 
be Joseph in Bonhoeffer's house. When that woman came on to him, 
day by day, the text tells us. It wasn't a one-time thing. She 
was coming on to him day by day. She wanted to have relations 
with Joseph. Joseph ultimately runs from the 
house. That's the way the man of God 
flees from sin. Notice the particular thing the 
man of God is to flee from in verse 22. Flee also youthful 
lusts. Now, Paul does not define what 
youthful lusts are. Typically, we hear the word lust 
and we think sexual perversion or sexual sin or sexual lust. Now, I do not doubt that Timothy 
had need to be reminded of this particular. Timothy, do not engage 
in those sorts of things that the Gentiles engage in. Do not 
engage in those sorts of things that the heathen engage in. If the culture is saturated with 
sexual sin, Timothy flee also youthful lusts. But Paul does 
not define it in that particular regard. And the context indicates 
that perhaps youthful lust is something different than sexual 
sin. I think here Calvin and Gill flesh out for us what is 
probably in view, and this based on the context. Notice in verse 
22, flee also youthful lusts. He doesn't say but pursue a wife, 
pursue fidelity, pursue chastity, things that we would think would 
counterbalance this idea of sexual lust. He says, flee also youthful 
lusts, but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace. So probably 
this youthful lust is contrary to righteousness, faith, love, 
and peace. And this is how Calvin and Gill 
define it. Calvin says, he again exhorts 
Timothy to keep at a distance from so dangerous a play. Now, 
young men, do not think for a moment that Paul doesn't want you to 
flee also youthful sexual lusts. By all means, he does. 1 Timothy 
chapter 4, this is the will of God, your sanctification, that 
you abstain from sexual immorality. If you ever want to know what 
the will of God is, turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. As a young man, it 
is spelled out crystal clear for you. This is the will of 
God, your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality. So Paul most certainly wants 
us to flee those youthful lusts. But in the context, the youthful 
lusts are those probably associated to ministerial sin. Again Calvin, 
he again exhorts Timothy to keep at a distance from so dangerous 
a plague and for this purpose he advises him to avoid youthful 
desires. By this term he does not mean 
either a propensity to uncleanness or any of those licentious courses 
or sinful lusts in which young men frequently indulge, but any 
impetuous passions to which the excessive warmth of that age 
is prone." And by warmth, I think he means something like, you 
know, he's just a hot-headed young man. Has anybody ever said 
that to you? If not, good. If they have, it's 
probably been true. Not always, but probably. He's 
hot-headed. He's got an excessive warmth. 
He gets fired up, we might say today. Listen to what he goes 
on to say. If some debate has arisen, young 
men more quickly grow warm, are more easily irritated, more frequently 
blunder through want of experience, and rush forward with greater 
confidence and rashness than men of riper age. With good reason, 
therefore, does Paul advise Timothy, being a young man, to be strictly 
on his guard against the vices of youth which otherwise might 
easily drive him to useless disputes. I wonder what Calvin and Gil 
and Paul would think of the internet. I wonder what they would think 
of a collection of young men yelling at each other through, 
I don't know how it works. You push a button and there's 
yelling at each other. It's very common, isn't it? Young 
men, instead of studying an issue, reflecting upon an issue, meditating 
upon the issue, and then giving it, oh, say, 10 years to percolate, 
they're going to be in their bonnet immediately. They're the 
heresy hunters of Facebook. And they're going to set everybody 
straight. That's not righteous. Probably best to stay away from 
those sorts of things. That's what I think Paul is on 
about here. How many times, and even in this 
passage, the very next verse he says, but avoid foolish and 
ignorant disputes. Flee youthful lusts, Timothy. A young man, a warm man, a hothead, 
a fired up man is going to pursue those things. Instead of avoiding 
those foolish disputes, he's going to say, bring it on, let's 
fight, let's roll, let's do this. John Gill says, flee also youthful 
lusts, meaning not lusts of uncleanness, lasciviousness, and filthiness, 
nor any of those follies and vanities which the youthful age 
usually lusts and desires after, to which Timothy was not inclined, 
but such lusts as are apt to prevail with young ministers 
of the gospel, such as vain glory, pride, Pride. I've often thought with these 
celebrity preachers, their people don't love them. The best thing 
you can do is not to exalt a man. That's intoxicating. That's heady 
wine. You give a man that sort of esteem 
and it's probably going to ruin him. It's not good, brethren, 
to exalt men. It is not good to put them on 
pedestals. It's not good to wear their faces 
on your t-shirt, unless they've been dead for a couple of hundred 
years. Don't wear the face of a living pastor on your shirt. 
You're provoking, enticing, inciting vainglory. Now, maybe it is the 
case that all these brothers in the spotlight are humble, 
righteous, lowly, godly men that are not filled with vainglory. 
But maybe it is the case that the fanning flames of this celebrity 
status is going to lead to their undoing. I've often thought that 
as God does prosper a man, say a Spurgeon for instance, whose 
influence was great indeed, I suspect that he flooded Spurgeon with 
the grace of humility so that he would be able to deal with 
it. David Martin Lloyd-Jones, the same thing. When a man has 
such a renowned ministry and such a great and extensive influence, 
it is hard for men not to be puffed up with pride. It is hard 
for men not to engage in vainglory. So perhaps as God uses a man, 
He continually chastens the man and keeps the man in a humble 
place so that he's able to process and deal with the success that 
his ministry sees. Gill goes on to say, but such 
lusts as are apt to prevail with young ministers of the gospel 
such as vain glory, popular applause, seeking to have the preeminence, 
contentions with and contempt of others and the like." Now, 
if you've read John Gill or John Calvin or the Apostle Paul, you 
do not think for a moment that they say, just be passive, limp-wristed, 
weak men who never confront heresy. No, by all means, confront heresy. Root it out of the church. Do 
those things that God has called you to. But don't spend countless 
hours in a foolish dispute or debate, the end result which 
has no effect upon anybody. There are so many things that 
we spend our time on. If we spent the bulk of our time 
on theology proper, God, The Trinity, the person and the work 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. The system of grace, the way 
that God in his free grace and sovereignty reaches down and 
saves dead men in their sin. We spent our time on those things, 
brethren. We wouldn't have time for all 
the foolish other disputes and debates that come alongside. 
So I think these men are on the right path with reference to 
what Timothy must flee from. He must flee youthful lust. Now notice, secondly, the pursuit 
of virtue. 22. Flee also youthful lust, 
but... Here's the pursuit of virtue. 
Pursue righteousness. Righteousness is rightness. It 
is right conduct that is, by God's grace, carried out by the 
one who's been transformed. by the justifying work of God 
in the lives of His people. In other words, when God saves 
a sinner, when He justifies us freely by His grace, when we 
have the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, what inevitably 
follows but sanctification? And then we pursue righteousness. 
We want to do those things that are pleasing to God. We want 
to be upright. We want to be faithful. We want 
to identify with that Psalm 1 man. We want to call the law of God, 
or delight rather, in the law of God day and night. Righteousness 
is the thing that Timothy is to pursue. And I suggest that 
if we look at these four things, if we're busy pursuing righteousness, 
faith, love, and peace, we won't have time for foolish disputes. 
This is probably a lifetime job specified right here in verse 
22. If you just actually pursue righteousness, faith, love, and 
peace, you're not going to have time for anything else. You're 
going to be too busy. What can I do? How can I serve? 
Pursue righteousness. What can I do? How can I serve? 
Pursue faith. What can I do? How can I serve? 
Pursue love. These things are what God calls 
us to do. Flee also youthful lust, but 
pursue righteousness. Secondly, pursue faith. Faith, 
of course, in the Lord Jesus. Trust in God. We walk in humble 
dependence upon our God and our Father. Love. Love to God, love 
to man. William D. Mounts points out 
that love occurs 11 times in the pastoral epistles. First 
and second, Timothy and Titus. 11 times. He says its frequency 
attests to one of the basic problems in Ephesus. Paul's opponents 
are without love. You see, when Hymenaeus and Philetus 
are spouting their heresy, it's not out of love to God and out 
of love to man. It's probably a pursuit of vainglory. 
It's probably a pursuit of applause. It's probably a pursuit of whatever 
it is that Hymenaeus' and Philetus' want. But in this instance, we're 
told to pursue love. And then, of course, peace. Pursue 
peace. Not strife. There's enough strife. 
We don't have to pursue strife. Have you ever noticed that? You 
don't have to teach your kid to rebel. It's an amazing thing. Little Johnny, Little Joey, Little 
whoever. Gotta pick new names. Little 
Ignatius just comes out of the womb ready to rock and roll, 
doesn't he? You don't have to teach him the word mind. You 
don't have to teach him the word no. You don't have to teach him 
how to sin. That's there by virtue of his 
relation to Adam the first. In the same way, you don't have 
to teach the church how to have strife. You don't have to teach 
the church how not to get along. You don't have to teach the church 
how to, you know, upset one another and live with disharmony. No, 
we are commanded to pursue peace. We are commanded to endeavor 
to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We are 
commanded these things because they're a very precious commodity 
and they don't just sit there on their own. We must foster 
them, we must pursue them, we must seek to hold on to them. 
And peace with God, peace with others brought about, of course, 
by our justification by faith alone. Therefore, having been 
justified by faith, We have peace with God. Peace with God results 
in peace with men in the local church. Christ is the author 
of this peace, according to Ephesians 2, 14 to 17. He himself is our 
peace. He himself makes peace, and he 
himself preaches peace. You see, Timothy is to flee also 
youthful lusts, but he is to pursue righteousness. He is to 
pursue faith, love, peace, and he is to do so. with others who 
do the same. We might say Timothy is a fleeing, 
following, fellowshipping man. He is a fleeing, following, fellowshipping 
man. He flees youthful lusts, he follows 
these four virtues, and he does it in fellowship with other believers. 
Notice verse 22. with those who call on the Lord 
out of a pure heart. You see, God never purposed for 
us to go sit on top of a pole and wait for Jesus to come. God 
never purposed for us to go carve out a niche on Mount Sham and 
just sit there. God called us to function in 
the community of the saints. God called us to function among 
the people of God. The Lord loves the gates of Zion 
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. God called us to communion 
with himself and to communion with one another. So as Timothy 
flees, as Timothy follows, he does so in fellowship with those 
who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Now notice the disposition 
Timothy is to have with others, and then we conclude. Verses 
23 to 26. First, Timothy is to reject strife. Reject it. Avoid foolish and 
ignorant disputes knowing that they generate strife. Avoid them, 
Timothy. Don't pursue them. Don't log 
into them. Don't go online looking for them. Isn't there something about garbage 
and trash? We all like to see things that 
perhaps are not unto edification. I mean, the news is never filled 
with normal families doing normal things, coming home at the end 
of a normal day, having a normal meal, doing normal devotions, 
and going to normal bed. That's not what's on the news. 
On the news is all the things that, for whatever reason, entice 
us to watch. Now, that's not always a bad 
thing. We should know what's going on. among the abnormal 
so we know how to pray to our God. You see, there is that tendency 
as well. I mean, when there's a blog comment 
section, I gotta admit, And they're throwing down. I like to watch. 
I like to see what's going on. I want to see, you know, who's 
bringing it. The debate on republication, that's going strong right now. 
What's republication? We can talk about that later. 
But it's a big issue affecting reform churches and guys are 
throwing down. And there's guys on both sides 
with a lot of heat and a lot of vehemence and a lot of... 
I like that. I want to read that stuff. I'm 
just being honest here, I confess that. Is it always sin? Probably 
not. Could it be though? Yes, if I am engaged in that 
rather than pursuing the things that God's called me to pursue. 
See, if we can pursue those four virtues and then take in a bit 
of debate that is legit, these are real issues, real doctrines. 
But what Hymenaeus and Philetus were proclaiming was heresy, 
saying the resurrection has already occurred. Paul says, don't give 
them the time of day. It's like when a Jehovah's Witness 
comes to your door. Do you feel obliged every time 
they challenge the deity of Christ to say, well, I'm going to restudy 
the doctrine of the deity of Christ? No. I'm not going to 
restudy the doctrine of the deity of Christ. That was settled with 
the New Testament. It was expounded in Chalcedon. 
It is codified in our confession, and I'm quite happy to confess 
a Chalcedonian Christology. I'm not going to reinvent the 
wheel. I'm going to avoid this foolish and ignorant dispute. 
Now certainly we can present the positive data to them in 
the hopes that God, as Paul tells us, if God perhaps will grant 
them repentance, We're not going to reinvent the wheel or restudy 
the wheel or reconvene, you know, Chalcedon because new information 
was introduced to the church by Charles Taze Russell, who 
couldn't read a great New Testament. I mean, come on, brethren, do 
not engage in that sort of madness. We need to reject strife. Paul says this in the same context 
in verse 16, shun profane and idle babblings. He says the same, 
or essentially the same, in 1 Timothy 1-4, 1 Timothy 4-7, 1 Timothy 
6-3-5. Notice the emphasis. Timothy, 
I don't want you spending your time with falling. I don't want 
you spending your time with heresy. I don't want you engaged in that 
sort of a thing. Be about the positive proclamation 
of the truth of God's holy word. I think there's a good caution 
for all of us here. Not everyone's cut out to be 
a James White. Not everybody's cut out to be 
on the front lines debating Shabir Ali on the one hand and the Mormons 
on the other and Jehovah's Witnesses. Not all of us are as capable 
to study error and heresy without being affected by it. You know, 
as new believers, sometimes you get a bee in your bonnet and 
you want to go out and you want to argue with the Jehovah's Witnesses. I gotta tell you, a Jehovah's 
Witness who has been pounding the same drum for 20, 30, or 
40 years may just clean your theological clock because in 
all of your maturity of three months, you may not have the 
sort of thing that down as you think you have. I'm not saying 
he's right and you're wrong, but sometimes when it comes down 
to debate, it can knock one down. It can cause persons to reel, 
and when they use that propaganda, it can upset new believers because 
they are not solidified, they have not been strengthened, they 
still need milk, and they are not the place where they can 
chew the good meat. So brethren, please watch your 
heart when it comes to this issue. Avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, 
knowing that they generate strife. Foolish and ignorant disputes 
do not generate peace. They do not generate harmony. 
They do not generate love. They do not generate happy churches. They just can't. It is the truth 
and the truth alone that does those things. So Paul tells Timothy 
he is to reject strife and Timothy is to maintain a particular disposition. Notice in verses 24 and 25, the 
servant of the Lord must not quarrel or fight. That's what 
it means, fight. By that Paul does not mean physically, 
though that's certainly included. The servant of the Lord must 
not beat people up in order to make his point. Then it would 
be just about the biggest and the strongest. Cam would always 
win theological debates. Cage fighting cam would always 
be right. The idea here is don't fall prey 
to what they're doing. They're disputing. They're fighting. 
They're arguing. The servant of the Lord must 
not quarrel. He must not fight. Now note what Paul does here. 
He calls him the servant of the Lord. That transcends Timothy 
alone. Certainly Timothy is indeed a 
servant of the Lord in the house of the Lord, an honorable vessel 
seeking to be useful to the Master, but the choice of terminology 
indicates that this is servants of the Lord throughout the history 
of the Church. They must not quarrel. They must 
not fight. They must not be pugnacious in 
a theological sense. Notice he says the servant of 
the Lord must be gentle. He must be gentle like his master. Again, gentle doesn't mean limp-wristed. It doesn't mean skipping through 
town. It doesn't mean sipping chamomile tea. It doesn't mean 
any of those things. The gentleness in view means 
that we don't cut persons down needlessly or unrighteously. 
We don't attack people. We may point out their doctrine 
and their heresy and all those sorts of things. Van Til says 
we ought to be able to speak to an unbeliever for hours and 
destroy him intellectually and all the while buy him coffee 
while we're doing so. There needs to be a gentleness 
among the servants of the Lord so that they're not repelling 
or pushing people away. Because as Paul later says, if 
God perhaps will grant them repentance. If we repel and we push and we're 
obnoxious and we're wicked and we're vile and we're quarrelsome 
and we fight, What's going to happen? We're going to push them 
away from that means that they most desperately need the truth 
of God's Word, if perhaps God will grant them repentance. The 
servant of the Lord must be able to teach. Again, probably elders 
are in view. 1 Timothy 3. 2, he must be apt 
to teach. 1 Timothy 5.17, honor those who 
labor, especially in the word and doctrine. This servant of 
the Lord must be able to teach. That's a reality. If you have 
an elder in a church and he's not able to teach, he shouldn't 
be an elder in the church. He can be a great guy, a wonderful 
human being, all that sort of thing. But brethren, one of the 
part and parcel functions of eldership is aptness to teach. It's not a popularity contest. 
It's not that the guy's good with money. He's good with business 
or he's good with people. He has to be able to handle the 
Word. That is absolutely crucial. If you have elders, they must 
be able to teach. Now, not all of them will probably 
teach the same way or preach the same way, but they all must 
be able to assimilate the Word of God for themselves and articulate 
the Word of God to others so that they can receive the truth. 
as it is in Jesus. The servant of the Lord must 
be patient. He must be patient. This is a 
tough one for some of us, but it must be the case that he's 
patient. Doesn't Paul say this later in 
2 Timothy chapter 4? Preach the word, be ready in 
season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort with all longsuffering, 
with all patience and teaching. and the servant of the Lord must 
act in humility to correct those who are in opposition." Again, 
I wonder what Paul would think if he saw some of these Facebook 
discussion groups. What would he think if he saw 
the way that we treat each other when we've got that boldness 
of however many miles away because we're sitting behind a keyboard? 
I wonder at times if men would say what they had to say if they 
were standing in front of the person they disagreed with. I 
mean, imagine if you had Cam on the other side. I'm just using 
my dear brother because he's made the reference to himself 
as being cage-fighting Cam. Well, if he didn't say that, 
I'm saying that. Imagine. You're putting him down 
on the internet. And this happens. And then you 
happen to meet him. And he says, what did you say? 
Well, I didn't say anything, sir. You're a great theologian. I just think you're awesome. 
You see, there's something about an invincibility that we imbibe 
when we're sitting anonymously behind a computer keyboard. Let's 
be men. If we're going to debate theologically, 
let's do it the right way. So I often thought or I mused 
on this passage when I considered what Paul would think, what John 
Calvin would think, what John Gill would think. Now, having 
said all that, I've been no angel. I'm certainly guilty and certainly 
have the proclivity. I typically try not to comment 
on blogs. It terrifies me to do so because 
I'm just that way. If somebody responds, I'm going 
to respond back. And I want to avoid those things. But it's 
not like you're looking at an angel here that only has ever 
responded beautifully and graciously and glowingly. We ought to pursue 
that. And then note the goal and view 
for the servant of the Lord, verses 25b and following. The 
humility correcting those who are in opposition if God perhaps 
will grant them repentance so that they may know the truth 
and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of 
the devil having been taken captive by him to do his will. That God 
would grant repentance to those who are in opposition. The apostle 
does not say ignore them. The apostle does not say have 
nothing to do with them. The apostle says that when things 
calm down, and when it's not charged up here, and when it's 
not the place where it's a foolish and ignorant debate, but when 
it is the time that they will listen to you, then God may indeed 
perhaps use that. You might wonder, how does this 
all jive? Dr. Bonson used a great illustration. He says, imagine you're having 
Thanksgiving dinner, and your whole family is there. and your 
ignorant brother-in-law picks on you and he brings up some 
Bible question basically to call you out. He's not looking for 
information. He is not looking for assistance. He does not have an interest 
in these things, but rather he just wants to call you out into 
the fray so that you will make some statement or do something 
so that everybody will see how foolish you are. Dr. Bonson suggests 
that you graciously deflect, you decline an answer because 
the man is up here. But you know, as you're going 
through dinner and later on with dessert, you might visit it in 
a different way. You might answer the question, 
having disarmed the opponent. And it's in this context that 
God may indeed, perhaps, save your ignorant brother-in-law. 
This is the goal in view for the man of God. And notice what 
Paul says here, that they would move from heresy to the knowledge 
of the truth. If God perhaps will grant them 
repentance so that they may know the truth, apart from the truth 
of the gospel, apart from the reality of God's word, men are 
believing lies. And then notice thirdly that 
they would come to their senses. and that they may come to their 
senses. They may assume rational thought 
again. The word specifically is that 
they might sober up. You know when persons go out 
and they drink too much and they get drunk, they have to sober 
up. And that's the verb employed 
by the apostle. Rogers and Rogers say to sober 
up, to return to sobriety, to return to one's senses. The metaphor 
implies some previous duping by evil influences as in the 
case of intoxication. The devil's method is to numb 
the conscience, confuse the senses, and paralyze the will, and that 
they would indeed be delivered from the devil. The New King 
James applies there in verse 26. In terms of the grammar of 
the passage, it makes sense. They may come to their senses 
and escape the snare of the devil. having been taken captive by 
him, that is the devil, to do his, that is the devil's, will. The idea here is that men are 
of their father, the devil. Men want to do the desires of 
their father. And it's as God's servant presents 
accurately the truth of the Lord, our sovereign God may perhaps 
grant them repentance so that they may come to a knowledge 
of the truth. so that they may be restored 
to rationality, and so that they may indeed be freed from the 
snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his 
will." So there's the exposition. Let us close with a few thoughts. 
First, we need to be reminded concerning the church. Verses 
20 and 21 obviously speak about the church. Paul makes the reference 
in 1 Timothy 3.15 that I read earlier. The church is the house 
of God. Now you might think this is an 
elementary observation, it's one that we all know, we all 
already have in our heads, but we need to be reminded because 
people today treat the church as if it's their house. People 
today treat the church as if it's their domain. People treat 
the church as if they can do whatever it is they want to do. 
God says, preach. God says, pray. God says, sing. God says, glorify. God says very 
specific things that we are supposed to do. God says, observe the 
supper, observe baptism. The idea is that it's delimited 
by God himself. We do not have the prerogative 
to introduce puppets, ponies, or programs. We do not have the 
prerogative to move the pulpit away and have interpretive dance. 
We do not have the prerogative to do whatever it is that we 
want to do in the house of God, because it's His house, He makes 
the rules, He calls us to obedience, and He tells us what we are supposed 
to do. The parable of the wheat and 
the tares, the Lord's teaching on church discipline, speak to 
the specific issue of the presence of dishonorable vessels among 
us when we find them out. We need to understand that God 
indeed regulates and legislates for his church. God's servant 
is to flee, God's servant is to follow, and God's servant 
is to fellowship. That is what we ought to be looking 
for in elders in the church. And then two final observations. Note the doctrine of repentance. 
We cannot pass by this. This is an amazing statement 
that Paul indicates. If God perhaps will grant them 
repentance. Repentance is a saving grace. Repentance is a gift from God, 
just like faith is. So we must understand that regeneration, 
the work of God Most High, precedes the exercise of faith and repentance. We cannot believe and we cannot 
repent as dead sinners. God must make us alive. God must 
supply those gifts. God must give us that which we 
desperately need. God gives faith. God gives repentance. God is the author of these things. In Acts 5, 31, Jesus is exalted 
to grant repentance to Israel. Acts 5, verse 31. Him, God is 
exalted to his right hand to be prince and savior, to give 
repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. Acts 11, 18. Just so 
you can understand this, repentance is a gift, excuse me, from God. 1118, when they heard these things, 
they became silent. They glorified God saying, then 
God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life. The same 
thing is indicated in this particular passage. Faith is a gift. Ephesians 
2.8-10, Philippians 1.29, and so is repentance. God grant repentance. Secondly, repentance brings a 
man into the knowledge of the truth. It's not just the want 
of evidence or the want of training. It's not just the lack of intellectual 
ability. There is an ethical problem as 
to why men do not embrace the truth of God. Repentance is the 
pathway to true knowledge. Repentance is the pathway to 
true understanding. And if you young people really 
want to be smart, repent of your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus 
Christ, and truth will come to you. A third observation is that 
repentance restores a man to rational thought. It restores 
a man to rational thought. I love the phrase, and that they 
may come to their senses. that they may be sobered up and 
somebody will come along and slap them in the face and pour 
coffee down their throat so that they will be sobered up and come 
to their senses. Sin drives men mad. Sin makes 
men mad and not mad angry, mad foolish, whacked out. Ecclesiastes 
9.3, truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil. 
Madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they 
go to the dead. In Luke's account of Jesus' healing 
of the man with the demon possession, it says, then they went out to 
see what had happened and came to Jesus and found the man from 
whom the demons departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed 
and in his right mind. It's the implication. When he's 
demon possessed, when he's not sitting at the feet of Jesus, 
he's out of his mind. It's what sin does. When you 
look around this world and you see the madness going on, it's 
not just that everybody took their crazy pills this morning. 
It's that they're in rebellion against God Most High. They're 
in sin. And repentance is the pathway 
to rational thought. And repentance, or one more text 
in Acts 26, 25. You remember, Paul was accused 
of being mad himself. Much learning has driven you 
mad, Paul. Paul says, I am not mad, most 
noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. I think 
by implication, he is saying, Festus, you're mad. Anybody who 
does not respond to the words of truth and reason, they're 
the genuine madmen in this arrangement. Notice, with reference to this 
doctrine of repentance, in closing, the compassion of Paul. The compassion 
of Paul. I mean, a man of his stature, 
a man of his knowledge, a man of his ability, says, Timothy, 
I want you to deal with these men this way. I don't want you 
to fight with them. I don't want you to quarrel with 
them. I want you to be gentle toward them. I want you to be 
patient. I want you to be a teacher of these men. I want you, in 
humility, correcting them, if perhaps if perhaps God will grant 
them repentance. You see, this is what drives 
Paul, this if perhaps, this acknowledgment of the absolute sovereignty of 
God. There might be mercy for a Hymenaeus and a Philetus. Maybe 
God the Lord granting them repentance will cause them to embrace the 
truth of the resurrection. Paul himself knew something of 
this, if perhaps in his own life. Here was a man that wanted to 
kill, wanted to destroy, wanted to ruin the Church of Christ 
itself. And he found mercy from God. 
God granted him repentance. He went from a murderer, breathing 
threats against the Church, to one of its chief proponents, 
to one of its chief gospel preachers. So Paul demonstrates his great 
compassion towards sinners even in this statement when he says, 
if perhaps, God grant them repentance. And our hope and our prayer is 
that God would grant repentance to all those in this place that 
have not repented. And if you are here and you have 
not, you probably know who you are. You do know who you are. 
And I want to close by saying that in Christ Jesus is the fullness 
of life. In Christ Jesus is everything. 
In Christ Jesus is forgiveness, is mercy, is grace, is righteousness. In Christ Jesus is life. So believe on Him, repent from 
your sins, by the grace of God, and you shall have everlasting 
life. Well, let us pray. Father, thank 
You for this, Your Word, and thank You for its clarity and 
its peculiar reference to the Church of Jesus Christ in our 
generation. Help us, Father, to take these 
things to heart and to take them seriously and prayerfully, and 
help us to be regulated by the Word of God in our local church. 
Go with us now, watch over your people, grant us grace to honor 
you in this lower world, and we pray through Christ the Lord. 
Amen.