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Bible teacher as a man working for his apart, suitable and ready to be used by
wages and points to the ideas of effort the Master by purging himself from what
and excellence. First, a worker puts in corrupts. Notice: You are responsible for
the maximum effort. A better translation keeping yourself clean and ready for use.
of “Do your best” (ESV) might be “Do
your very best,” or in colloquial English, The Servant (v24-26)
2
“Give it 110%.” Why? Timothy must bear The final illustration in chapter 2 is that
in mind that the approval he seeks comes of a household slave who represents his
from God, unlike false teachers in the master. Listed are five qualities of the
chapter who desire a following. Effort, servant, plus the work with which this
however, is not the only requirement servant is entrusted: must not strive, be
for success. Quality is essential, since a
teacher must correctly handle the Word gentle, able to teach, patient in mistreat-
of God. “Rightly handling” means “to ment, and be meek while instructing the
cut straight” and was used in connection deceived as he attempts to regain them.
with a farmer plowing a straight furrow, Timothy was to transmit the truth the
a stonemason cutting the rock perfectly Lord was entrusting to him through Paul,
to fit into adjacent stones, or a tent maker and the character of the servant would be
cutting a tarp. God wants Timothy to put as important as his work.
3
forward his very best effort, understand Paul’s description of the servant follows
the meaning of the Scriptures, never com- the Perfect Servant’s characteristics, align-
promise in conveying its truth, and know ing with Isaiah’s Servant Songs. Like the
that his work is before God. promised Servant (Isa 42:2; Mat 12:16),
A Great House (v20-21) the servant of the Lord was not to draw
attention to himself or prolong arguments
Paul turns to the illustration of a great without benefit. He must be gentle, like
house and its various vessels. Paul needs the One who did not break the bruised
Timothy to consider that they all have reed or quench the smoking flax (Isa 42:3).
their own use regardless of their purpose He is apt to teach, with the “tongue of the
and material. Some are honourable and
clean, while others are dishonourable and learned … know[ing] how to speak a word
in season to him that is weary” (Isa 50:4).
await cleaning. Imagine a clean wooden
cup in contrast to a soiled silver one. What The servant was to be like our Lord, who
makes the wooden cup honourable? It is was patient under evil, giving His “back to
purged from what corrupts and destroys. the smiters … cheeks to them that plucked
Timothy must be a clean vessel, purged off the hair … hid[ing] not [his] face from
from “words to no profit” (v14), “profane shame and spitting” (v6). He must meekly
and vain babblings” (v16), words that instruct, as the One whose mouth was
“eat as doth a canker” (v17), by departing like a sharp sword yet was hidden in the
from iniquity (v19). Timothy must be set shadow of the hand of His God (Isa 49:2).
Lastly, the servant of the Lord is to recover
2 This translation more aptly conveys the sense the lost, which was the purpose of Christ’s
of urgency from Paul as seen in 4:9,21.
3 See A.T. Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New coming, seeking sheep who went astray
Testament. (Isa 53:5-6,12).

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