Paul writes to the young preacher, Timothy, and urges him to flee immorality so that he might be a “vessel unto honor<\/em>.” His reference is to Timothy’s person or body and how he should engage in honorable conduct (II Timothy 2:20-21).<\/p>\n The word “honor” means what is of “value” or “worth.” Something that is precious was considered “honorable,” whether it was a gold vessel or a life of righteousness. Paul speaks of homes that have gold or silver vessels that are viewed with “honor” and wooden and earthen vessels that are described by the word “dishonor.”<\/p>\n He is comparing the two bowls with a life of purity and a life of sin. The first is considered a “vessel” of honor the other a “vessel of dishonor.” Vessels of honor are disciples who are sanctified in Christ and have purged themselves of evil. They then are “meet for the master’s use,” meaning they are suitable to serve in the kingdom of Christ.<\/p>\n Such a one is “prepared unto every good work.” When men in Christ forsake sin, they live honorable lives and as vessels of honor, God can use them in the good work of His kingdom.<\/p>\n Where Paul speaks of “vessels unto honor,” he also writes about “vessels of dishonor.” The term “dishonor” suggests that such disciples are of no value in the kingdom. They are not suitable and prepared to be involved in the kingdom business of life in Christ.<\/p>\n He also writes of this matter to the church in Thessalonica. There he speaks of “fornication” and the “passions of lust” that were prominent in the world of Gentiles. Thessalonians, as Corinthians and Gentiles in general, at one time engaged in lusts of the flesh with no regard for moral uprightness.<\/p>\n When these Gentiles obeyed the gospel, they had to learn the “will of God,” which Paul describes as “your sanctification.” The word “sanctified,” like the word “holy,” meant to withdraw from or set oneself apart from sin. And it included the dedication of oneself to purity and righteousness.<\/p>\n Purity and righteousness meant for a man to “possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor<\/em>” (I Thessalonians 4:3-7). The honorable life meant to put away moral uncleanness so that they were not seen by God in judgment as a vessel unto dishonor.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by L.A. Stauffer via Son Rays, Vol. 30, No. 23, Sept. 7 2008 Paul writes to the young preacher, Timothy, and urges him to flee immorality so that he might be a “vessel unto honor.” His reference is to Timothy’s person or body and how he should engage in honorable conduct (II Timothy 2:20-21). The…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[1572,198,156,38],"class_list":["post-60591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-fornication","tag-honor","tag-lust","tag-morality"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":86971,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/fit-for-the-masters-use\/","url_meta":{"origin":60591,"position":0},"title":"Fit for the Master’s Use (Series)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/potter-scaled.avif","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/potter-scaled.avif 1x, https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/potter-scaled.avif 1.5x, https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/potter-scaled.avif 2x, https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/potter-scaled.avif 3x, https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/potter-scaled.avif 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":60553,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/unconditional-election\/","url_meta":{"origin":60591,"position":1},"title":"Unconditional Election","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 29, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry W. Benton Understanding Purposeful and Temporal Election versus Unconditional Salvation Election The second point of Calvinism in the TULIP acrostic is \"Unconditional Election\". It means to Calvinists that God picked Randy and not Bob, Suzie, and not Janet for salvation and that His election of Randy and Suzie\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":68117,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-women-not-leaders-in-the-church-because-they-are-weaker\/","url_meta":{"origin":60591,"position":2},"title":"Are women not leaders in the church because they are weaker?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 17, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, brother in Christ! I am currently stuck with understanding the application of I Peter 3:7. When we were having a Bible Study on the roles of women in the church, some cited I Peter 3:7, specifically highlighting the part that says \"women are weaker vessels\" as one of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15912,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-does-it-mean-for-a-husband-to-not-honor-his-wife\/","url_meta":{"origin":60591,"position":3},"title":"What does it mean for a husband to not honor his wife?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 24, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: \"Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered\" (I Peter 3:7). I have some questions about this verse: If a husband is not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":67211,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-solution-for-sins\/","url_meta":{"origin":60591,"position":4},"title":"The Solution for Sins","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 27, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Corinthians 6:9-11 Sin was a big problem in the church at Corinth. It is a big problem worldwide and throughout all time. But Jesus offers a solution to sin: Washed Sanctified Justified Cleansed Set apart for a holy purpose Made right before the law\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":56613,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/grains-of-sand\/","url_meta":{"origin":60591,"position":5},"title":"Grains of Sand","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 3, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"by Sam Stinson \"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/SandCeremony.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60591","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60591"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60591\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60591"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60591"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60591"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}