Approved Workers

2 Timothy 2:14–21

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. (2 Tim. 2:15)

得蒙喜悦的工人

提摩太后书2:14-21

你当竭力，在神面前得蒙喜悦，作无愧的工人，按着正意分解真理的道。（提后2:15）

One day, after an intense athletic competition, I sat down with my fellow players. One man, a believer, knew I was a seminary professor and immediately tried to start a debate about eschatology. Our secular friends ignored us and started a lively discussion about the adoption of unwanted children. The believer prattled on briefly, but I interrupted, “Our friends are in a spirited conversation about a vital topic. Let’s join them and debate this another day.” Fortunately, he agreed.

有一天，在一场激烈的体育比赛之后，我和我的队友们坐下来。一个信徒知道我是神学院的教授，并立即试图发起一场关于末世论的辩论。我们的世俗朋友不理会我们，并开始热烈讨论收养不受欢迎的孩子的问题。信徒喋喋不休地聊了一会儿，但我打断了他：“我们的朋友们正在热烈地谈论一个重要的话题。让我们改天加入他们并讨论这个问题。”幸运的是，他同意了。

What would Paul have said about my proposal? Did I heed his charge to Timothy to avoid quarrels? Or did I fail to engage and correct a serious error and thereby mishandle “the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:14–18)? How can we distinguish trivial quarrels from significant errors, avoid one and address the other? If we can do all of that gently, we will meet Paul’s goals.

对于我的提议，保罗会怎么说？我是否留意了他对提摩太避免争吵的吩咐？或者我是否未能解决并纠正一个严重的错误，从而错误地处理了“真理的道”（提后 2：14-18）？我们怎样才能区分琐碎的争吵和重大错误，避免其中一个并解决另一个？如果我们能够温和地完成这一切，我们就能实现保罗的目标。

The church always includes combative people. They are less dedicated to the faith than to their version of it. The neologism caged Calvinists labels Reformed zealots who are so quick to quarrel theologically that their friends keep them “caged”—out of the theological fray. Ideally, leaders protect orthodoxy without becoming belligerent, by meeting error with patient teaching. Then one can be “a vessel for honorable use, … ready for every good work,” especially the task of teaching Scripture (2 Tim. 2:21).

教会里总是有好斗的人。他们不太热衷于信仰，而是热衷于自己的信仰。新词“囚禁的”加尔文主义者是给改革宗狂热分子贴上的标签，他们很快就在神学上争论，以至于他们的朋友不得不把他们“关在笼子里”——远离神学争论。理想情况下，领袖们通过耐心教导来应对错误，从而保护正统观念而不变得好战。然后，一个人就可以成为“贵重的器皿，……预备行各样的善事”，特别是教导圣经的任务（提后2:21）。

Our passage has two parts. The first compares the approved agent of God to the ungodly babbler (2 Tim. 2:14–19). The second describes a “vessel for honorable use” in God’s house (vv. 20–21). Whether Paul identifies this disciple as a “worker” or a “vessel,” the goal is the same: to serve and please God. The passage has a series of commands that typically have a reason attached. We can outline the main ideas of the passage by accenting Paul’s commands to Timothy.

我们的段落有两个部分。第一个将上帝所认可的代理人与不敬虔的胡言乱语者进行比较（提后 2：14-19）。第二个描述了神殿中“贵重的器皿”（20-21节）。无论保罗将这个门徒称为“工人”还是“器皿”，目标都是一样的：事奉上帝并讨上帝喜悦。该段落有一系列命令，通常都附有原因。我们可以通过强调保罗对提摩太的命令来概述这段经文的主要思想。

Positively: Remind the church of Paul’s doctrines [and]

Negatively: Charge them to avoid disputes about words

For disputes ruin their hearers

Positively: Present yourself to God as approved, unashamed worker

demonstrated by handling Scripture well

Negatively: Avoid irreverent babble

For it causes ungodliness that grows and spreads

For example, Hymenaeus and Philetus are upsetting the faithful through error

Positively: [their damage will be limited since] God’s foundation is firm

For he knows his own and they depart from iniquity.

[By way of analogy]

A great house has honorable and dishonorable vessels [So choose honor]

For everyone who purifies himself gains three benefits. [He or she is …]

An honorable and holy vessel,

Useful to the master,

Ready for good work.

积极：提醒教会保罗的教义[和]

消极：向他们收费，避免言语纠纷

因为争论毁了他们的听众

积极：将自己呈现给上帝，作为一个被认可、无耻的工人

通过很好地处理圣经来证明

消极：避免无礼的胡言乱语

因为它会导致不敬虔的行为增长和蔓延

例如，许米奈乌斯（Hymenaeus）和菲利图斯（Philetus）通过错误使信徒感到不安

正面：[他们的损害将是有限的，因为]神的根基是坚固的

因为他认识自己的人，他们就远离罪孽。

[通过类比]

大房子有尊贵和不尊贵的器皿[所以选择尊贵]

凡自净者，得三利益。 [他或她是……]

尊贵而神圣的器皿，

对主人有用，

准备好工作。

The Call to Wise Teaching (2 Tim. 2:14–15)

Timothy is responsible both to teach the truth and to handle error correctly: “Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel [or ‘fight’] about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers” (2 Tim. 2:14). “Remind” is a present imperative; Timothy must keep reminding his church of the doctrines that Paul outlined in 2:11–13. As pastors remind believers of familiar matters, we must “dare to be boring” by restating the fundamentals. Each expression of the truth must be fresh, but pastors restate foundational principles for two reasons. First, people are forgetful. Second, many a heresy begins with a misguided quest for originality.

蒙召作智慧的教导（提前 2：2：14-15）

提摩太有责任教导真理并正确处理错误：“提醒他们这些事情，并在上帝面前嘱咐他们不要为言语争吵[或‘争斗’]，这没有任何好处，只会毁掉听众”（ 2 提摩太后书 2:14）。 “提醒”是现在时的祈使句；提摩太必须不断提醒他的教会保罗在 2 章 11-13 节中概述的教义。当牧师提醒信徒熟悉的事情时，我们必须通过重申基本原理来“敢于无聊”。每一次真理的表达都必须是新鲜的，但牧师重申基本原则有两个原因。首先，人是健忘的。其次，许多异端邪说都始于对原创性的错误追求。

Timothy will charge the people “before God” (2 Tim. 2:14), for the Lord hears all speech, even quarrels over nothing but wording. The next phrase, translated “which does no good” (v. 14b), has a slight play on the word epi. Quarrels over trivial verbal matters are good for (epi) nothing, but they lead to (epi) ruin, since they harm both speakers and hearers.

提摩太会“在神面前”控告百姓（提摩太后书 2:14），因为神听见一切言语，甚至除了措辞之外，没有任何争论。下一个短语被翻译为“无益”（第 14 节下），与“epi”一词略有不同。为琐碎的言语问题而争吵毫无好处，反而会导致毁灭，因为它们对说者和听者都有害。

Most strife over words is babble and folly, not heresy, but petty quarrels are harmful. Once, at a conference, a man accosted me between talks for failing to present the holiness of God in my first two talks. This surprised me, since I had focused on God’s justice, faithfulness, love, and mercy. We were talking past each other until I guessed that he had recently read a popular book on God’s holiness. I asked, “Are you saying that I need to use the exact phrase ‘the holiness of God’ in every talk, and that I dishonor God if I don’t?” He smiled with great satisfaction: “Exactly.”

大多数言语冲突都是胡言乱语和愚蠢的行为，而不是异端邪说，但琐碎的争吵是有害的。有一次，在一次会议上，一个人在演讲间隙与我搭话，因为我在前两次演讲中未能展现神的圣洁。这让我感到惊讶，因为我一直关注神的公义、信实、慈爱和怜悯。我们一直在交谈，直到我猜他最近读了一本关于神的圣洁的流行书。我问：“你是说我在每次演讲中都需要使用‘神的圣洁’这句话，否则我就是在羞辱神？”他非常满意地笑道：“正是。”

Whenever people insist on a specific word, such as sin, broken, or atonement, there is a chance that they want to quarrel about words. In controversy-heavy settings, people can also quarrel about the proper way to oppose errors. One wants a gentle approach; another wants specific denunciations of errors. Therefore, a quarrel about words can erupt if a pastor or ministry leader allegedly fails to condemn an error with sufficient vigor.

每当人们坚持使用某个特定的词，例如“罪”、“破碎”或“赎罪”时，他们就有可能因为这些词而争吵。在争议较多的环境中，人们也可能会争论反对错误的正确方法。一个人想要一种温和的方式；另一位则希望对错误进行具体谴责。因此，如果牧师或事工领袖据称未能以足够的力度谴责错误，则可能会爆发言语争吵。

At present, public communication in the West is contentious. Too frequently, disciples take confrontational media programs as their model and imitate the voices of bellicose right- and left-wing politicians. Americans can’t seem to endure disappointment in silence, and all too often church members behave like Americans, not disciples. Paul informs us that quarrels bring ruin. Controversies attract attention, even in the church, whether they touch musicians, politicians, or theologians. Charges of syncretism, heresy, or compromise start fights and thrill ersatz theological gladiators who lust for academic bloodletting.

目前，西方的公共传播存在争议。信徒们常常以对抗性媒体节目为榜样，模仿好战的右翼和左翼政客的声音。美国人似乎无法忍受沉默中的失望，而且教会成员的行为常常像美国人，而不是门徒。保罗告诉我们，争吵会带来毁灭。即使在教会中，争议也会引起人们的关注，无论触及音乐家、政治家还是神学家。融合主义、异端邪说或妥协的指控引发了争斗，让渴望学术放血的伪神学角斗士感到兴奋。

Too many churches have been rent asunder by quarrels, and the problem seems worse than ever in an era when anger and contention suffuse Western culture. Speculative accusations are especially insidious, as critics imagine that they can discern the true motives of the leaders they question: “The real reason why he did that is …” At worst, accusers repeat their darkest conjectures until they convince themselves that their speculations are facts.

太多的教堂因争吵而支离破碎，在西方文化弥漫着愤怒和争论的时代，这个问题似乎比以往任何时候都更加严重。猜想性指控尤其阴险，因为批评者认为他们可以辨别他们所质疑的领导人的真实动机：“他这样做的真正原因是……”最坏的情况是，指控者重复他们最黑暗的猜想，直到他们说服自己他们的猜测是事实。

Of course, there is a time for confrontation and debate. J. Gresham Machen rightly observed that “men will fight” about “the really important things.” A religion that utters pious phrases but shrinks from controversy will never stand. There is even a time to quarrel about words, if they are essential. This holds when, for example, skeptical theologians hide their convictions by using conventional terms in heterodox ways. Thus, skeptical theologians may label Jesus as “Savior,” but they mean that his teachings and example “save” people from a meaningless life. Orthodox Christians are willing to do theological battle over that. We fight for words that convey essential truths, but we disavow quarrels about mere labels.

当然，也有对抗和争论的时候。 J. Gresham Machen 正确地指出，“人们会为真正重要的事情而斗争”。一个口口声声虔诚却回避争议的宗教永远不会站稳脚跟。如果有必要的话，甚至有时还会因为言语而争吵。例如，当持怀疑态度的神学家通过以非正统的方式使用传统术语来隐藏他们的信念时，这一点就成立了。因此，持怀疑态度的神学家可能会给耶稣贴上“救主”的标签，但他们的意思是他的教导和榜样“拯救”人们脱离无意义的生活。正统的基督徒愿意为此进行神学争战。我们为传达基本真理的词语而争战，但我们拒绝仅仅因为标签而争论。

Instead of quarreling, Paul tells Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). The command “Do your best” (Greek: spoudazō) calls Timothy to put forth every effort. Workers can be “approved” or evil. They can be rewarded or punished (Luke 10:7). But the harvest is plentiful, so the Lord needs workers (Matt. 9:37–38).

保罗没有争吵，而是告诉提摩太：“你当竭力，在神面前得蒙喜悦，作无愧的工人，按着正意分解真理的道。”（提后 2:15）。 “竭力”（希腊文：spoudazō）的命令号召提摩太全力以赴。工人可以是“得蒙喜悦的”，也可以是邪恶的。他们可以受到奖赏或惩罚（路10:7）。但要收的庄稼很丰富，所以主需要工人（太9:37-38）。

Teachers rightly handle “the word of truth,” that is, the gospel. This meaning of “word of truth” is evident in Ephesians, where Paul tells us that believers have “heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation” (Eph. 1:13; cf. Col. 1:5; James 1:18). “Rightly handling” translates orthotomeō, which means “to cut straight or without deviation.” In Paul’s culture, workers cut stones straight, cut roads straight through the countryside, and cut fields straight with plows. In context, however, the task is to handle the gospel faithfully. Teachers cut straight when they proclaim Jesus’ redemption and exhort all to repent and believe in him, without changing the message to conform to the tastes or distastes of the day.

教师按着正意分解“真理的道”，即福音。 “真理的道”的这种意思在以弗所书中很明显，保罗在其中告诉我们信徒“你们既听见真理的道，就是那叫你们得救的福音。”（弗 1:13；参见西 1:5；雅 1 ：18）。 “按着正意分解”是orthotomeō这个字的翻译，意思是“直线切割或不偏斜切割”。在保罗的文化中，工人们把石头劈直，在乡村中劈直道路，用犁把田地劈直。然而，在上下文中，这个任务就是是忠实地处理福音。教师们在宣扬耶稣的救赎并劝告所有人悔改并相信他时直截了当，没有改变信息以迎合当今的口味或厌恶感。

Since the Enlightenment, a distaste for the supernatural and a tendency to reduce Christianity to ethics has led skeptical theologians to mishandle Scripture. But instead of wagging our tongues at people from other eras, we should consider how we might betray the gospel. Critical German theologians thought too much of their standing at the university. Today, pastors may give too much weight to their church’s approval. Preachers stand before mature and immature believers, the curious, the irreligious. Temptations to adjust a message to suit the crowd abound. We know that people come to church with consumerist sensibilities. They join a church as they join a gym; they go as long as it’s the best option. They see the relationship contractually, not covenantally. Sensing this, pastors hope to appeal to marginal adherents. If they fail to entertain, if they say distasteful things, they know that visitors will disappear.

自启蒙运动以来，对超自然现象的厌恶和将基督教简化为伦理的倾向导致持怀疑态度的神学家错误地对待圣经。但我们不应该对其他时代的人喋喋不休，而应该考虑我们也可能如何背叛福音。持批判态度的德国神学家对自己在大学中的地位过于重视。如今，牧师们可能过于看重教会的认可。传教士站在成熟和不成熟的信徒、好奇的人和不信宗教的人面前。调整信息以适应人群的诱惑比比皆是。我们知道人们带着消费主义的情感来到教堂。他们加入教会就像加入健身房一样；只要这是最好的选择，他们就会去。他们以契约而非契约的方式看待这种关系。意识到这一点，牧师希望吸引边缘信徒。如果他们没能招待好客人，如果他们说了令人反感的话，他们知道访客就会消失。

Pastors cannot forget their human audience, but they must devalue it and aim to please an audience of One. Timothy represents all pastors when Paul commands him to “present yourself to God as one approved” (2 Tim. 2:15). “Approved” translates dokimos, which means “tested and found worthy.” God endorses teachers who proclaim bedrock apostolic doctrine with conviction, whether the message is popular or not. We should watch ourselves for undue interest in popular approval.

牧师不能忘记他们的人类听众，但他们必须贬低他们的价值，并致力于取悦一位听众。提摩太代表了所有的牧师，当保罗命令他“在神面前得蒙喜悦，作无愧的工人”时，（提后 2:15）。 “被认可的（和合本译作：得蒙喜悦的）”是翻译 dokimos这个字，意思是“经过考验并验明值得”。神认可那些怀着信念宣扬基本使徒教义的教师，无论这些信息是否受欢迎。我们应该警惕自己不要对大众的认可产生过分的兴趣。

When Paul urges Timothy and his successors to be approved workers, he assumes that teaching the Word takes work. Ideally, pastors acquire biblical languages and discover the cultural and historical backgrounds of Scripture. They learn how to exegete and apply Scripture and apply sustained attention to the task. Most who labor in the Word follow methods, but even the most spontaneous should concentrate on the meaning (the what) and the relevance (the so what) of Scripture. We also keep an eye on our needs and the issues of the day. Moisés Silva said:

当保罗敦促提摩太和他的继承者成为被认可（和合本译作：得蒙喜悦的）的工人时，他假定教导神的话是需要工作的。理想情况下，牧师得学好圣经语言并发现圣经的文化和历史背景。他们得学习如何解释和应用圣经，并持续关注任务。大多数在圣道上劳苦的人都遵循方法，但即使是最自发的人也应该专注于圣经的意义（什么）和相关性（所以什么）。我们还密切关注我们的需求和当今的问题。莫伊塞斯·席尔瓦说道：

It is proper and even necessary to approach the Bible with a strong sense of our needs. The problems faced in the gospel ministry often alert us to truths in Scripture that might otherwise remain veiled to us. Proper exegesis consists largely of asking the right questions from the text, and the life of the church can provide us with those very questions.

以强烈的需要感来对待圣经是正确的，甚至是必要的。福音事工中面临的问题常常提醒我们注意圣经中的真理，否则这些真理可能对我们来说仍然是蒙蔽的。正确的释经主要包括从经文中提出正确的问题，而教会的生活可以为我们提供这些问题。

Indeed, if we don’t know how to apply Scripture, we have not fully understood it. The blessed man meditates on God’s instruction “day and night” (Ps. 1:2). He considers whether it requires him to do something, see the world another way, pursue fresh goals, or become, by God’s grace, a better person.

事实上，如果我们不知道如何应用圣经，我们就没有完全晓得它。有福的人“昼夜”思念耶和华的律法（诗 1:2）。他考虑它（神的律法）是否需要他做一些事情，以另一种方式看待世界，追求新的目标，或者靠着神的恩典成为一个更好的人。

The Danger of False Teaching (2 Tim. 2:16 –19)

By contrast, Timothy must “avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene” (2 Tim. 2:16–17a). “Irreverent babble” is empty, godless, and perhaps profane chatter. It is like the smooth talk of false prophets (Isa. 30:10–11) and unlike the “seasoned” speech that will “give grace to those who hear” (Col. 4:6; Eph. 4:29). If these babblers considered themselves “progressive,” as aberrant thinkers often do, then, Paul says, they progress toward ungodliness. And if their ideas spread, they spread like a crippling disease. By contrast, true teaching is healthy—sound and true (2 Tim. 1:13; 4:3).

错误教导的危险（提后 2:16 –19）

相比之下，提摩太必须“但要远避世俗的虚谈。因为这等人必进到更不敬虔的地步。他们的话如同毒疮，越烂越大。”（提后 2:16-17a）。 “不敬的胡言乱语”是空洞的、不敬虔的、也许是亵渎的闲聊。这就像假先知的柔和虚幻的话（赛 30:10-11），而不是“将恩典赐给听的人”（西 4:6；弗 4:29）的“用盐调和的”演讲。保罗说，如果这些喋喋不休的人认为自己是“进步的”，就像异常思想家经常做的那样，那么他们就会进到更不敬虔的地步。如果他们的想法传播开来，它们就会像一种致残的疾病一样传播开来。相比之下，真正的教导是健康的——纯正且真实的（提后书 1:13；4:3）。

Paul is concerned about the spread of false teaching. Among the false teachers “are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some” (2 Tim. 2:17b–18). Hymenaeus is probably the same man whom Paul condemned for blasphemy in 1 Timothy 1:20. No one knows precisely what Hymenaeus said, though false teaching about the resurrection may connect to Greek disdain for the body. Plato said that the soul is “imprisoned in the body.” This captivity “is caused by the lusts of the flesh, so that the prisoner is the chief assistant in his own imprisonment.” Challenges to biblical teaching on the body and the resurrection were common in the early church. Errors spread in opposite directions. One party said that bodily pleasures are dangerous, so that believers should practice self-denial (1 Tim. 4:3). Another party said that bodily pleasures are inconsequential, so that believers can indulge themselves (1 Cor. 6:12–20; 15:32–34). Later gnostic literature spiritualized the resurrection, reducing it to enlightenment. The idea that “the resurrection has already happened” (2 Tim. 2:18b) may represent an acute case of realized eschatology. That is, this view taught that believers already lived, in full, in the age to come.

保罗担心错误教导的传播。假教师中“有许米乃和腓理徒，他们偏离了真道，说复活的事已过，就败坏好些人的信心”（提后 2：17b-18）。许米乃很可能就是保罗在提摩太前书 1:20 中谴责亵渎罪的同一个人。没有人确切知道许米乃说了什么，尽管关于复活的错误教导可能与希腊人对身体的蔑视有关。柏拉图说，灵魂“被囚禁在身体里”。这种囚禁“是由肉体的情欲造成的，所以囚犯是他自己被监禁的主要助手”。在早期教会中，对圣经关于身体和复活的教导的挑战很常见。错误向相反的方向传播。一方说，肉体的享乐是危险的，因此信徒应该实行克己（提前 4:3）。另一派则说，身体的快乐不会有严重后果，信徒可以放纵自己（林前6：12-20；15：32-34）。后来的诺斯底文献将复活灵性化，将其简化为启蒙。 “复活已经发生了”（提后 2:18b）的想法可能代表了已实现的末世论的一个尖锐例子。也就是说，这种观点教导信徒已经完整地生活在未来的时代。

Apostasy causes harm. If the renewal has already come, how can we hold much hope for the future? How can this teaching make sense of the death of a believer? The messages of false teachers are bound to upset the faithful, Beth Felker Jones remarks, “for to claim that the present—with all of its pain—is all that God has in store for us is to drain life of meaning and hope. It is to believe that this broken life is all there is, to believe that sin and death have the final word.”

背道会造成伤害。如果更新已经到来，我们又怎能对未来抱有多大希望呢？这个教导如何理解信徒的死亡？假教师的信息注定会让信徒感到不安，贝斯·费尔克·琼斯评论说，“因为如果声称现在——尽管充满痛苦——就是神为我们准备的一切，那就会耗尽生命的意义和希望。就是相信这个破碎的生命就是一切，相信罪和死亡有最终的决定权。”

Nonetheless, Paul insists, “God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity’ ” (2 Tim. 2:19). False teaching may roil the church, but it cannot wreck its foundation, which is proximately the apostles and the prophets but ultimately the person and work of Christ (Eph. 2:20). Nothing can reverse God’s saving acts. He protects his own until the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2; 1 Peter 1:3–7). Their salvation is certain, for God has written their names in the book of life (Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:4–5).

尽管如此，保罗坚持说，“然而神坚固的根基立住了。上面有这印记说，主认识谁是他的人。又说，凡称呼主名的人，总要离开不义。”（提后2:19） 。错误的教导可能会扰乱教会，但它不能破坏教会的根基，教会的基础主要是使徒和先知，但最终是基督的位格和工作（弗 2:20）。没有什么可以逆转神救赎的作为。祂保护自己的人直到得救的日子（林后 6:2；彼前 1:3-7）。他们的救恩是确定的，因为神已将他们的名字写在生命册上（腓 4:3；启 3:4-5）。

It upsets believers when people such as Hymenaeus and Alexander “swerve” from the faith that they once proclaimed. Still, if anyone doubts his status, Paul reassures them by quoting Numbers 16:5: “The Lord knows those who are his” (2 Tim. 2:19). Numbers 16 describes the rebellion of Korah. Korah, we remember, gathered 250 leaders of Israel to accuse Moses and Aaron of usurping leadership of Israel (Num. 16:1–3). In Numbers, Moses asked God to judge between him and Korah, saying: “The Lord will show [or ‘make known’] who is his” (v. 15 esv or nrsv). Paul follows the Septuagint, which read, “The Lord knows who is his.” That is, God knows who does and does not belong to him. He knows who leads and speaks truly. God called Moses and Aaron; he did not know Korah, who soon perished for his contumacy. Similarly, the Lord also knows that Hymenaeus and his allies are self-appointed and false. So God’s people can stay calm. There are always false teachers, and God always unmasks them eventually (Matt. 7:22–23; 25:12; Luke 13:27).

当许米乃和亚历山大等人“偏离”他们曾经宣扬的信仰时，信徒们会感到不安。尽管如此，如果有人怀疑他的地位，保罗会引用民数记 16:5 来安慰他们：“主认识谁是祂的人”（提后 2:19）。民数记 16 章描述了可拉的叛逆。我们记得，可拉聚集了 250 名以色列领袖，指控摩西和亚伦篡夺了以色列的领导权（民 16:1-3）。在《民数记》中，摩西祈求神在他和可拉之间进行审判，说道：“耶和华必指示［或‘显明’］谁是属他的”（第 5 节 ESV 或 NRSV）。保罗遵循《七十士译本》，其中写道：“主认识谁是祂的人。”也就是说，上帝知道谁属于祂，谁不属于祂。他知道谁在领导，谁在说真话。神呼召摩西和亚伦；祂不认识可拉，可拉很快就因叛逆而死了。同样，主也知道许米乃及其盟友是自封的、虚假的。这样神的子民就可以保持冷静。总会有假教师，而神最终总会揭穿他们的面具（太 7:22-23；25:12；路13:27）。

To Hymenaeus and his tribe, Paul commands, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity” (2 Tim. 2:19b). That is, if they truly call on the Lord, they will forsake their rebellion, lest the Lord exclude them and shame them (Pss. 5:9–10; 6:8–10). We conclude that the Lord promises to “preserve his church despite the threats caused by heretics.” Korah did not destroy Israel, and no one can destroy the church. Further, the Lord summons self-designated believers to forsake their ideas and conduct. Paul’s invitation to “depart from iniquity” echoes Moses’ exhortation to the Israelites to depart from Korah, lest they die with him when judgment comes (Num. 16:25–35).

保罗对许米乃和他的支派命令说：“凡称呼主名的人，总要离开不义。”（提后 2:19b）。也就是说，如果他们真心呼求主，他们就会放弃他们的悖逆，免得主逐除他们，羞辱他们（诗5:9-10；6:8-10）。我们的结论是，主应许“尽管受到异端分子的威胁，仍会保守祂的教会”。可拉并没有毁灭以色列，没有人能够毁灭教会。此外，主呼召自称为信徒的人放弃他们的想法和行为。保罗“离开不义”的邀请呼应了摩西劝告以色列人离开可拉，免得审判来临时他们与他一同死亡（民 16:25-35）。

This passage has important implications. First, biblical teaching on association with sinners has two threads: separation and engagement. Jesus engaged tax collectors and sinners, and God’s people are always willing to spend time with unbelievers. But passages such as 2 Timothy 2:19 warn us to separate from people who profess faith but deny it in word and deed. If we encounter false teachers or libertines, we warn them (Matt. 18:15–18; 1 Cor. 5:9–13). We do not act as though we were one with them.

这段话有重要的含义。首先，圣经关于与罪人交往的教导有两条线索：分离和参与。耶稣与税吏和罪人交往，而神的子民总是愿意花时间与非信徒在一起。但提摩太后书 2:19 等经文警告我们要与那些自称有信仰却在言语和行为上否认信仰的人分开。如果我们遇到假教师或浪子，我们会警告他们（太 18:15-18；林前 5:9-13）。我们行事不可像我们跟他们是一回事。

Second, we take heart, for God promises that he will assess and judge those who falsely claim leadership in God’s house. Unless they repent, they will be exposed and punished. Until then, trustworthy leaders must oppose teachers who would lead God’s people astray (Jude 3–5).

其次，我们要振作起来，因为神应许祂会评估和审判那些假称在神家中拥有领导地位的人。除非他们悔改，否则他们就会被揭露并受到惩罚。在那之前，值得信赖的领袖必须反对那些会使神子民误入歧途的教师（犹 3-5）。

Third, we trust that God’s foundation stands. Jesus said, “I know my own and my own know me” (John 10:14). This knowledge includes the grace of preservation. Jesus lays down his life for his sheep and promises that “they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (vv. 28–29). Westminster Confession of Faith 17.1 states the point carefully: “They, whom God hath accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved.”

第三，我们相信神的根基是稳固的。耶稣说：“我认识我的羊，我的羊也认识我。”（约10:14）。这种知识包括保守的恩典。耶稣为祂的羊舍命，并应许“他们永不灭亡，谁也不能从我手里把他们夺去。”（28-29节）。 《威斯敏斯特信仰告白》17.1 仔细地阐述了这一点：“神在祂的爱的人中所接受的、有效地呼召的、并被祂的灵成圣的人，既不能完全也不能最终脱离恩典的状态，但一定要坚忍下去，直到结束，并永远得救。”

The Offer of Honorable Service (2 Tim. 2:20–21)

Paul’s teaching on true and false teachers leads to an analogy on life in God’s house: “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable” (2 Tim. 2:20). Paul invites readers to imagine the home of a wealthy family. In it, gold and silver vessels are honorable because they contain or display items of great value. Vessels of wood and clay are dishonorable because they hold common things, even refuse. Some exegetes believe that “house” represents the world. That is possible, since the world does contain honorable and dishonorable people (Rom. 9:20–22). But there are two reasons to believe that “house” represents the visible church. First, Paul has just described dishonorable men who troubled the visible church even though they seemed to be part of it. Second, when Paul previously used “house” in 1 Timothy 3:15, he meant the church, not the world. Like the world, the visible church has honorable and dishonorable elements.

保罗关于真假教师的教导引出了对神家里生活的类比：“在大户人家，不但有金器银器，也有木器瓦器。有作为贵重的，有作为卑贱的。”（提后 2:20）。保罗邀请读者想象一个富裕家庭的家。其中，金银器皿是贵重的，因为它们包含或展示价值不菲的物品。木头和粘土的容器是卑贱的，因为它们装的是普通的东西，甚至是垃圾。一些解经家认为“家”代表世界。这是可能的，因为世界上确实有尊贵的人和不尊贵的人（罗 9:20-22）。但有两个理由相信“家”代表有形教会。首先，保罗刚刚描述了一些不光彩的人，他们困扰着有形教会，尽管他们似乎是有形教会的一部分。其次，当保罗之前在提摩太前书 3:15 中使用“家”时，他指的是教会，而不是世界。与世界一样，有形教会也有贵重的和卑贱的成分。

False teachers are dishonorable, but Paul is no pessimist. Reform is possible for unbelievers and mandatory for believers: “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work” (2 Tim. 2:21). The opening clause, “if anyone cleanses himself,” implies that Hymenaeus and Philetus might yet repent. Everyone who repents receives a fourfold commendation.

假教师是卑贱的的，但保罗并不是悲观主义者。改革对非信徒来说是可能的，对信徒来说是强制性的：“人若自洁，脱离卑贱的事，就必作贵重的器皿，成为圣洁，合乎主用，预备行各样的善事。” （提后 2:21）。开头句“若有人自洁”，暗示许米乃和腓理徒可能还会悔改。每一个悔改的人都会得到四重的嘉奖。

First, they have “honorable use.” That probably includes noble tasks in the kingdom. Second, they are “set apart as holy.” This phrase translates a passive participle, suggesting not that people set themselves apart, as the Pharisees tried to do (Matt. 23:1–15), but that God set them apart.

首先，它们有“贵重的器皿”。这可能包括神国中的崇高任务。其次，它们“被分别为圣”。这个短语翻译为被动分词，表明人们并不是像法利赛人那样将自己分别出来（太23:1-15），而是神将他们分别出来。

Third, the repentant are “useful to the master.” This invites readers to consider themselves servants in God’s employ. “Useful” could be a slave name, and “master” translates despotē, a term for God as Sovereign. Believers should therefore aspire to serve the Master in the manner that is useful to him, whether the mode of service matches our expectations and dreams or not.

第三，悔改的人“合乎主用”。这邀请读者将自己视为神雇用的仆人。 “有用”可能是奴隶的名字，“主人”是翻译“despotē”这个字，是表示神作为主权者的术语。因此，信徒应该立志以合乎主用的方式来服事主，无论服事的方式是否符合我们的期望和梦想。

Fourth, we are “ready for every good work.” This echoes Ephesians 2, where we learn that while salvation is not “a result of works,” it is for works. Indeed, we are God’s workmanship, re-created by God’s grace, which leads those who know Christ to put off sin and walk in wisdom (Eph. 2:8–10; 4:20–5:16).

第四，我们“预备行各样的善事”。这与《以弗所书》第二章相呼应，在那里我们了解到，虽然救恩不是“行善的结果”，但它是为了行善。事实上，我们是神的杰作，由神的恩典重新创造，这引导那些认识基督的人脱去罪恶，凭智慧行事（弗2:8-10；4:20-5:16）。

Writing to a church marred by quarreling and defection from true doctrine, Paul writes, “The Lord knows those who are his” (2 Tim. 2:19). He also writes to a church with troublemakers. That can cause us to doubt their status and to doubt ourselves, so Paul writes, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity” (v. 19). This holds for believers as well as evildoers. The Lord instructs all to repent and promises that “the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14).

保罗在写给因争吵和偏离正确教义而受到损害的教会时写道：“主认识谁是他的人”（提后 2:19）。他还写信给一家有麻烦制造者的教会。这会让我们怀疑他们的状态，也怀疑我们自己，因此保罗写道：“凡称呼主名的人，总要离开不义。”（19节）。这对于信徒和作恶者都适用。主指示所有人悔改，并应许“自卑的，必升为高。”（路18:14）。

Paul’s comforts and commands flow from these foundational truths. Thus, we take heart, for God promises to assess and judge those who falsely claim to lead his house. The Lord also knows and keeps those who belong to him. “God’s firm foundation,” the completed work of Christ, stands (2 Tim. 2:19). Believers therefore have honorable roles in God’s house. Because we are holy through the gospel, we are “ready for every good work” and “useful to the master” (v. 21).^[1]

 保罗的安慰和命令源于这些基本真理。因此，我们可以放心，因为神应许要评估 和审判那些谎称领导祂家的人。主也认识并保守那些属祂的人。 “神坚固的根基”，即基督所完成的工作，已经立住了（提后 2:19）。 因此，信徒在神的家中 扮演着贵重的角色。因为我们因福音而成为圣洁，所以我们“预备行各样的善事

”并且“合乎主用”（21节）。

^[1] Daniel M. Doriani and Richard D. Phillips, 2 Timothy & Titus, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2020), 44–54.