2 Timothy 2:20
“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →In a large house there are vessels of various materials and uses; so it is in God's household.
What Does 2 Timothy 2:20 Mean?
Paul offers an image of a large household. In such a house there are containers of many kinds, gold and silver but also wood and clay, some used for honorable purposes and some for common ones.
The picture sets up the call that follows. A great house holds a mixture, vessels of differing value and use. So too, within the community of faith, there are those whose lives are fit for noble purposes and those who are not. The point is not despair over the mixture but invitation toward honor. For the reader, the image raises a hopeful question: what kind of vessel will I be? The next verse makes clear that this is not fixed by material but shaped by purity. We are invited to become vessels fit for the Master's honorable use.