2 Timothy 2:20

Although the notional Church, the corpus Christi verum, is unaffected by the vacillation and disloyalty of its members, nevertheless (δὲ) the Church as we experience it contains many unworthy persons, the recognition of whom as members of the Church is a trial to faith. The notional Church is best figured as a foundation, which is out of sight. But the idea of the superstructure must be added in order to shadow forth the Church as it meets the eye. It is a house, a Great House too, the House of God (1 Timothy 3:15), and therefore containing a great variety of kinds and quality of furniture and utensils. On οἰκία, a whole house, as distinguished from οἶκος, which might mean a set of rooms only, a dwelling, see Moulton in Expositor, vi., vii. 117. There are two thoughts in the apostle's mind, thoughts which logically are conflicting, but which balance each other in practice. These are: (1) the reality of the ideal Church, and (2) the providential ordering of the actual Church. Until the drag-net is full, and drawn up on the beach, the bad fish in it cannot be cast away (Matthew 13:47-48). This is the view of the passage taken by the Latin expositors, e.g., Cyprian, Ep. Leviticus 25. The explanation of the Greek commentators, that by the “great house” is meant the world at large, is out of harmony with the context. It is to be observed that St. Paul expresses here a milder and more hopeful view of the unworthy elements in the Church than he does in the parallel passage in Romans 9:21-22. There “the vessels unto dishonour” are “vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction”. Here they are all at least in the Great House, and all for some use, even if for less honourable purposes than those served by the vessels of gold and silver; and the next verse suggests that it is perhaps possible for that which had been a “vessel unto dishonour” to become fit for honourable use in the Master's personal service. We are reminded of the various qualities of superstructure mentioned in 1 Corinthians 3:12, “gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble”. See also Wis 15:7. Field, Notes, in loc., suggests that δεσπότης here is best rendered the owner. See notes on 1 Timothy 3:15; 1 Timothy 6:1.