THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL TO TIMOTHY - Chapter 2 - Verse 20

Verse 20. 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, etc. 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 honourable uses—as drinking-vessels, and vessels to contain costly viands, and some for the less honourable 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: See Barnes "1 Co 12:14, also 1 Co 12:15-26. Comp. See Barnes "Ro 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.

{a} "vessels" Ro 9:21