There is such a thing as the truth. This has to be held at all cost. The Lord tells us, “the truth shall make you free;” “sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth.” So here silly women cannot come to the knowledge of the truth; deceivers resist the truth; men would soon turn their ears from the truth. Timothy was to teach meekly in hope that God would give repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth. Thus direct apostolic authority (which no tradition can give, for I cannot say from whom I learned it, so that it should have the apostle's authority), truth in the form of “words given by the apostle, the Scriptures as known truth, and the holding them fast, characterize the approved disciple, when decline and unfaithfulness had come in.
Again, enduring, faithfulness, persecution, as contrasted with ease and profession, practically mark the divine path; not uncertainty as to salvation, and a laborious procuring of it: we are saved and called with a holy calling, according to God's purpose before the world began. Death is abolished, so that we are not under its fear life and incorruptibility are brought to light. We are in the bright and blessed liberty of saved ones, for whom the whole power of death is destroyed. On the other hand, the gospel brought afflictions: Timothy was to be partaker of them according to the power of God; Paul was suffering for it. Timothy was to endure hardness as a good soldier, and to be disentangled from the world. Paul was enduring all things for the elect's sakes.
But it was not merely those ministerially active who would suffer: there was another source of persecution, not Christianity now in itself, but seeking to live godly in Christ Jesus. The form of piety with abounding evil would prevail; but piety, the seeking to live godly, not joining the current of religious profession, would be persecuted. The professing church being in this state, the assembly in general would be a great house, and vessels to dishonor allowed in it.
This leads to ecclesiastical direction, so to speak. Carelessness as to doctrine, departure from the truth, and a worldly carnal state of the professing church prevailing, in which was lost the sense that we, risen already in Christ, are looking for resurrection to take us out of this whole state, and what called itself Christian settled into a recognition of man on this side death; what was the Christian to do? To purge himself from these so as to be a vessel meet for the Master's use. He could not leave the profession of Christianity, corrupted as it had become—that is clear; nor was he to sanction the corruption; nor could he correct it as regards the public profession. Nay, evil remained; seducers would wax worse and worse. He was to “purge himself from” them. But his practice was to be equally exact. Avoiding lusts, he was to follow righteousness, faith, love, peace.
Was he then to isolate himself in his walk because of the evil, in thus pursuing godliness and grace? He was not. He was to recognize and distinguish those who called on the Lord out of a pure heart. If it be asked, How is he to do this? my answer is, The apostle tells us to do it; he does not suppose we cannot. I may not be able to distinguish a person to be such: that is possible; I am not his judge. But he is not one of those who are pointed out as those with whom I should walk. The distinction is very simple. The professing church is characterized as a great house containing vessels to dishonor. In that state of things I am not to rest satisfied with the dishonor; nor to think of mending the house; nor of leaving it. I am to purge myself from those who are such vessels, and to recognize those who call on the name of the Lord—own and worship Him—out of a pure heart: with them I am to walk. J. N. D.