Outline
D
We were created to be vessels of honor to contain Christ as the God of honor; vessels of honor are inoculators, those who inoculate others against the decline of the church—2 Tim. 2:20-22; Judg. 9:9; 1 Sam. 2:30:
１
The inoculator is a teacher, a good minister of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished with the words of life and who exercises his spirit to live Christ in his daily life for the church life—2 Tim. 2:2; 1:13-14; 1 Tim. 4:6-7; 6:20.
２
The inoculator is a soldier, warring against the different teachings of the dissenters to carry out God's economy according to the apostle's ministry and fighting the battle against death, the last enemy of God, by being full of life to reign in life—2 Tim. 2:3-4; 1 Tim. 1:18; Rom. 8:6, 11; 5:17.
３
The inoculator is an athlete, living the normal church life by fleeing into Christ as his refuge and pursuing Christ as righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart—2 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 6:18-20; 2 Tim. 2:22.
４
The inoculator is a farmer, working together with God by an all-fitting life to sow the seed of life into people and water them with the Spirit of life by His healthy words—v. 6; 1 Cor. 3:6, 9; 2 Cor. 6:1a; Luke 8:11; John 7:38; 6:63; 2 Cor. 3:6.
５
The inoculator is a workman, cutting straight the word of the truth, unfolding the word of God in its various parts rightly and straightly without distortion (as in carpentry); there is the need of the word of the truth, rightly unfolded, to enlighten the darkened people, inoculate against the poison, swallow up the death, and bring the distracted believers back to the proper track—2 Tim. 2:15; cf. Acts 26:18; Psa. 119:130, 133.
Morning Nourishment
2 Tim. 2:21 If therefore anyone cleanses himself from these, he will be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, useful to the master, prepared unto every good work.2 And the things which you have heard from me through many witnesses, these commit to faithful men, who will be competent to teach others also.
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God,…cutting straight the word of the truth.
In 2 Timothy 2:21…to cleanse ourselves is to “depart from unrighteousness” (v. 19), as an outward evidence of the inward divine nature…We should cleanse ourselves not only from anything unrighteous but also from the dishonorable vessels [vv. 16-18]. This means that we must stay away from them…If we cleanse ourselves from these negative things and negative persons, we shall be vessels unto honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, and prepared unto every good work. “Unto honor” is a matter of nature, “sanctified” is a matter of position, “useful” is a matter of practice, and “prepared” is a matter of training. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 1189)
Today’s Reading
The things to which Paul refers [in 2 Timothy 2:2] are the healthy words in 1:13. The healthy words, after being committed to faithful men, become the good deposit in them (v. 14). This word indicates that if someone in a local church has a deposit of the Lord’s healthy words, he should train the faithful ones, the trustworthy ones, that they too may have a good deposit from the Lord and be competent to teach others.Paul realized that Timothy had received a good deposit, that he had been taught and nourished with the riches of grace. Therefore, he charged Timothy to commit these things to others who would be faithful and competent to carry on the same ministry. This indicates that more than one person is needed to carry on the riches of God’s New Testament economy. My hope is that through all these Life-study messages thousands of saints in the Lord’s recovery will receive a good deposit of the riches of grace concerning God’s New Testament economy. Then those who have received these riches will be able to commit these things to others. Imagine what the situation would be if the Lord had ten thousand saints filled with His good deposit, spreading the riches of His economy throughout the earth. No doubt, this would hasten the time of His glorious appearing.
In 2:3 Paul continues, “Suffer evil with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” The apostle considered their ministry a warfare for Christ, just as the priestly service was considered a military service, a warfare, in Numbers 4:23, 30, 35 (lit.). Whenever we minister Christ to others, we find ourselves in a battle. Hence, we should not only be teachers committing the deposit to others, but we should also be soldiers fighting for God’s interests. In 2 Timothy 2:5 Paul likens Timothy to an athlete contending in the games: “And also if anyone contends in the games, he is not crowned unless he contends lawfully.”
Verse 6 continues, “The laboring farmer must be the first to partake of the fruit.” Here Paul likens Timothy to a farmer. Just as a soldier must win the victory and an athlete must receive the crown, so a farmer must partake of the fruit, the food. This requires patience. As athletes, we should be quick, but as farmers, we need to be patient…With both crops and livestock, farmers must learn to have patience.
In verse 15…Paul indicates that the inoculator is to be a workman. As a carpenter, this workman must cut straight the word of the truth. This means to unfold the word of God in its various parts rightly and straightly without distortion. Just as a carpenter has the skill to cut wood in a straight way, so the Lord’s workman needs the skill to cut straight the word of the truth. This is necessary because in the decline of the church so many truths are twisted and presented in a warped, biased form. (Life-study of 2 Timothy, pp. 22-24, 26)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1980, vol. 1, “Perfecting Training,” ch. 22; CWWN, vol. 37, “General Messages,” ch. 22