20251104 [새벽묵상] 하나님의 주인 되심과 종인 우리가 해야 할 일 | God's Sovereignty and Our Responsibility (딤후/2Tim 2:14~26)

2:14 너는 그들로 이 일을 기억하게 하여 말다툼을 하지 말라고 하나님 앞에서 엄히 명하라 이는 유익이 하나도 없고 도리어 듣는 자들을 망하게 함이라

2:15 너는 진리의 말씀을 옳게 분별하며 부끄러울 것이 없는 일꾼으로 인정된 자로 자신을 하나님 앞에 드리기를 힘쓰라

2:16 망령되고 헛된 말을 버리라 그들은 경건하지 아니함에 점점 나아가나니

2:17 그들의 말은 악성 종양이 퍼져나감과 같은 같은데 그 중에 후메내오와 빌레도가 있느니라

2:18 진리에 관하여는 그들이 그릇되었도다 부활이 이미 지나갔다 함으로 어떤 사람들의 믿음을 무너뜨리느니라 

2:19 그러나 하나님의 견고한 터는 섰으니 인침이 있어 일렀으되 주께서 자기 백성을 아신다 하며 또 주의 이름을 부르는 자마다 불의에서 떠날지어다 하였느니라

Dealing With False Teachers

14 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

2:20 큰 집에는 금 그릇과 은 그릇뿐 아니라 나무 그릇과 질그릇도 있어 귀하게 쓰는 것도 있고 천하게 쓰는 것도 있나니

2:21 그러므로 누구든지 이런 것에서 자기를 깨끗하게 하면 귀히 쓰는 그릇이 되어 거룩하고 주인의 쓰심에 합당하며 모든 선한 일에 준비함이 되리라

20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. 21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

2:22 또한 너는 청년의 정욕을 피하고 주를 깨끗한 마음으로 부르는 자들과 함께 의와 믿음과 사랑과 화평을 따르라

2:23 어리석고 무식한 변론을 버리라 이에서 다툼이 나는 줄 앎이라

2:24 주의 종은 마땅히 다투지 아니하고 모든 사람에 대하여 온유하며 가르치기를 잘하며 참으며

2:25 거역하는 자를 온유함으로 훈계할지니 혹 하나님이 그들에게 회개함을 주사 진리를 알게 하실까 하며

2:26 그들로 깨어 마귀의 올무에서 벗어나 하나님께 사로잡힌 바 되어 그 뜻을 따르게 하실까 함이라

22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

                  디모데후서는 로마 대화재로 기독교에 대한 대대적인 박해가 시작된 이후에 기록되었습니다. 일부의 성도들는 고난에 대한 두려움때문에 믿음을 저버렸습니다. 박해 가운데 예수님의 재림만을 기다리던 교회 안에는 ‘부활이 이미 지나갔다’ 와 같은 거짓 가르침들이 침투하였죠. 그렇지 않아도 심란한데 많은 사람들이 혼란에 빠졌습니다. 디모데가 목회를 하는 에베소 교회도 마찬가지였지요. 안팎으로 이런 어려움을 겪고 있었습니다. 그 때에 바울은 디모데에게 “너는 그들로 이 일을 기억하게 하여” 라고 명령합니다. 바울이 말한 이 일이란 바로 어제의 말씀, 특별히 후반부인 8-13절의 말씀, 곧 하나님의 주권에 대한 말씀입니다. 또한 바울은 큰 집에 있는 그릇의 비유를 들지요. 그러면서 주인이 쓰기 합당하도록 그릇이 어떻게 행해야 하는지를 설명합니다. 이는 주의 종이 해야 할 일을 비유로 설명한 것이지요. 오늘은 하나님의 주인 되심과 종인 우리가 해야 할 일 이라는 제목으로 말씀을 전하기 원합니다.

Second Timothy was written in the wake of the Great Fire of Rome, a disaster that sparked intense persecution against Christians. Faced with the fear of suffering, some believers were abandoning their faith. And in the midst of this persecution, false teachings began to infiltrate the church—ideas like "the resurrection has already passed."

As if things weren't chaotic enough, many were thrown into confusion. The church in Ephesus, where Timothy was pastoring, was no different. They were facing hardships from both the outside and the inside.

It is in this very context that Paul commands Timothy, "Keep reminding God’s people of these things."

What are "these things" Paul is talking about? They are the truths from the preceding verses, especially verses 8-13. They are words concerning the sovereignty of God.

Paul then uses an analogy of vessels in a large house. He explains what a vessel must do to be useful to the master. This is a parable for what we, the Lord's servants, must do.

Today, I want to preach on this theme: God's Sovereignty and Our Responsibility.

                  첫번째는 하나님의 주인되심을 기억해야 합니다. 14절 말씀을 함께 읽어보겠습니다. “너는 그들로 이 일을 기억하게 하여 말다툼을 하지 말라고 하나님 앞에서 엄히 명하라 이는 유익이 하나도 없고 도리어 듣는 자들을 망하게 함이라” 이 말씀의 핵심은 바로 이 일을 기억하게 하라 이지요. 이는 어제의 말씀 중 8-13절의 말씀을 말하는 것입니다. 첫번째, 8절 입니다. 부활하신 예수 그리스도를 기억해야 합니다. 예수 그리스도께서 교회의 머릿돌 되시고 반석이 되십니다. 예수 그리스도께서 우리를 대속하여 십자가에서 죽으시고 죽은자 가운데서 다시 살아나신 것이야 말로 우리 기독교의 기본 진리이며 교회의 근간입니다. 우리가 스스로 구원할 수 없을 때에 하나님의 크신 사랑이 주권적으로 이 일을 행하셨습니다. 두번째, 9절입니다. 바울은 묶임을 당하지만 하나님의 말씀은 매이지 않습니다. 십자가 복음의 능력은 사람의 상황에 갇히지 않습니다. 대동강에서 순교한 토마스 선교사가 건네준 성경책 한 권. 그 말씀은 선교사와 같이 스러진 것이 아니라 조선의 많은 사람을 구원하였습니다. 하나님의 주권은 우리의 상황을 초월하여 당신의 일을 이루시는 것입니다. 세번째, 13절입니다. 우리는 신실하지 못하여도 주님은 항상 신실하십니다. 12절에서 우리는 주를 부인할 수 있는 연약한 존재입니다. 그러나 우리의 연약함으로 주님을 부인한다고 할찌라도 하나님의 신실하심은 부인되는 것이 아닙니다. 이것은 우리의 연약함을 뛰어넘는 하나님의 주권적인 신실하심을 말하고 있는 것입니다. 이 모든 진리를 포함하고 있는 말씀이 바로 본문 19절의 말씀입니다. 함께 읽어보겠습니다. “그러나 하나님의 견고한 터는 섰으니 인침이 있어 일렀으되 주께서 자기 백성을 아신다 하며 또 주의 이름을 부르는 자마다 불의에서 떠날지어다 하였느니라” 뭐라고 말씀하십니까? 하나님의 견고한 터가 섰다. 이는 흔들리지 않는 기초를 말하는 것이지요. 이 말씀 바로 앞에 있는 18절 말씀은 거짓 교사들이 ‘어떤 사람들’의 믿음을 무너뜨렸다고 말하고 있습니다. 그러나 하나님이 세우신 교회의 견고한 터는 흔들림 없이 서있는 것입니다. 이것이 무엇입니까? 하나님의 주권입니다. 견고한 하나님의 주권이며 부활하신 그리스도의 진리이지요. 또한 “인침이 있어 일렀으되 주께서 자기 백성을 아신다” 라고 하십니다. 하나님께 속한 하나님의 백성을 하나님께서는 아시는 것입니다. 이것은 편지를 봉투에 넣고 인을 치는 것과 같이 확정되어 바뀔수 없는 것이지요. 이는 모두 하나님의 주권을 선포하고 있습니다.

[Point 1: We Must Remember God’s Sovereignty]

First, we must remember God's sovereignty. Let's read verse 14 together:

"Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen."

The core command here is to "remind them of these things." This refers back to the foundational truths in verses 8-13.

First, from verse 8: We must remember the resurrected Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the cornerstone and the bedrock of the church. The fact that He died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead is the fundamental truth of our faith and the foundation of the church. When we were powerless to save ourselves, God's great love acted sovereignly to accomplish this.

Second, from verse 9: Paul is in chains, but the word of God is not chained. The power of the gospel is not confined by human circumstances. We can look at the story of Missionary Robert Jermain Thomas, who was martyred in Korea while handing out a Bible. That Word was not chained; it did not die with him. Instead, it took root and brought salvation to countless people in that land. God's sovereignty transcends our circumstances to accomplish His will.

Third, from verse 13: Even when we are faithless, the Lord remains faithful. Verse 12 reminds us that we are weak beings who might disown Him. But even if our weakness causes us to deny Him, God's faithfulness is not negated. This speaks of God's sovereign faithfulness, which triumphs over our weakness.

The verse that anchors all these truths is verse 19. Let’s read it together:

"Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: 'The Lord knows those who are his,' and, 'Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.'"

What does it say? "God's solid foundation stands firm." It’s an unshakeable base. Right before this, in verse 18, Paul says that false teachers were "destroying the faith of some." But the solid foundation of the church, which God Himself established, stands firm, unshakeable. This is the sovereignty of God. It is the solid truth of the risen Christ.

And this foundation is "sealed." It has an inscription. The first part is: "The Lord knows those who are his." God knows His people. He knows who belongs to Him. This is like sealing a letter, making it official, secure, and unchangeable. All of this proclaims the sovereignty of God.

                  두번째는 그 견고한 터 위에 서있는 우리가 해야 할 일들을 나누기 원합니다. 19절 하반절의 말씀은 “또 주의 이름을 부르는 자마다 불의에서 떠날지어다”라고 전하고 있습니다. 이는 구원은 하나님의 주권으로 이루어지는 것이지만 그 구원을 받은 우리 또한 종의 책임을 다해야 함을 말하고 있는 것입니다. 바울은 디모데에게 종으로서 우리가 해야할 일들에 대해서 이렇게 말합니다. 15절 함께 읽겠습니다. “너는 진리의 말씀을 옳게 분별하며 부끄러울 것이 없는 일꾼으로 인정된 자로 자신을 하나님 앞에 드리기를 힘쓰라” 첫번째는 진리의 말씀을 옳게 분별하는 것입니다. 우리가 하나님의 주권을 기억한다면 우리는 거짓의 말씀과 말다툼을 할 이유가 없습니다. 그들의 거짓에도 하나님의 교회는 견고할 것이기 때문입니다. 오히려 우리가 힘써야 할 것은 바로 진리의 말씀을 옳게 분별 하는 것입니다. 그렇게 하기 위해서는 말씀을 더욱 가까이 해야겠지요. 두번째, 우리는 자신을 깨끗하게 해야합니다. 20-21절은 큰 집에 있는 여러 그릇들에 대한 비유를 말하고 있습니다. 21절의 말씀을 함께 읽겠습니다. “그러므로 누구든지 이런 것에서 자기를 깨끗하게 하면 귀히 쓰는 그릇이 되어 거룩하고 주인의 쓰심에 합당하며 모든 선한 일에 준비함이 되리라” 우리가 자기를 깨끗하게 해야하는 이유가 무엇입니까? 바로 주인의 쓰임에 합당한 그릇이 되기 위함입니다. 하나님께서는 당신의 선한 일에 우리가 참여하기를 원하십니다. 그런데 우리가 설겆이가 되지 않은 더러운 그릇이라면 하나님께서 우리를 사용하시고 싶으셔도 사용 할 수 없게 되는 것이지요. 이 얼마나 슬픈일입니까? 세번째는 혼자가 아닌 공동체와 함께 사역하여야 합니다. 22절 말씀을 함께 읽겠습니다. “또한 너는 청년의 정욕을 피하고 주를 깨끗한 마음으로 부르는 자들과 함께 의와 믿음과 사랑과 화평을 따르라” 청년의 정욕을 피하고 라고 적혀있어서 아마도 성적인 욕망을 말하는 것이라고 생각하시는 분들이 많을 것 같습니다. 여기서 말하는 정욕이란 과한 열정을 말합니다. 쉽게 변론하려하고 열정이 너무 끓어올라서 급하게 다그치려하는 모습을 말하고 있지요. 그런 말다툼을 피하고 앞의 21절에서 자기를 깨끗하게 하였던 것처럼 주를 깨끗한 마음으로 부르는 다른 사람들, 즉 공동체와 함께 동역하라고 말하고 있습니다. 그 일은 어떤 일입니까? 의와 믿음과 사랑과 화평을 따르라. 앞에서 말한 말다툼을 부르는 청년의 정욕과는 많이 다르지요. 그래서 네번째, 주의 종은 다툼이 아니라 온유함으로 훈계할 수 있어야 합니다. 25절의 말씀을 함께 읽겠습니다. “거역하는 자를 온유함으로 훈계할지니 혹 하나님이 그들에게 회개함을 주사 진리를 알게 하실까 하며” 온유함으로 훈계하는데 거역하는 자들까지 그렇게 해야한다고 합니다. 앞의 24절에서 모든 사람에 대해서 온유하며 가르치기를 잘하며 참으며 라고 말씀하셨었는데 그 말씀을 하신 이유가 이 때문인 것 같습니다. 거역하는 자들에게 온유함을 유지하고 참는 것은 보통 일이 아니지요. 어쩌면 그렇게 힘든 일이기 때문에 그렇게 해야하는 이유를 적으셨는지도 모릅니다. “혹 하나님이 그들에게 회개함을 주사 진리를 알게 하실까 하며” 이들 또한 구원의 대상일지도 모른다는 것이지요. 우리는 종으로서 하나님의 주권을 인정하며 우리가 해야 할 일을 해야하는 것입니다.

[Point 2: We Must Fulfill Our Responsibility]

Second, I want to talk about what we, who stand on that solid foundation, must do.

The second part of the seal in verse 19 is our part: "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." This tells us that while salvation is by God's sovereignty, we who have received that salvation also have a servant's responsibility.

Paul tells Timothy what we must do as servants. Let's read verse 15:

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."

First, we must correctly handle the word of truth. If we truly remember God's sovereignty, we have no reason to get dragged into pointless quarrels over false teachings. Why? Because we know God's church will stand firm despite their lies. Instead, what we must strive for is to correctly handle the word of truth. And to do that, we must draw nearer to the Word.

Second, we must cleanse ourselves. Verses 20-21 give the analogy of vessels in a large house. Let's read verse 21:

"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, prepared for every good work."

Why must we cleanse ourselves? So that we can be "useful to the Master." God wants us to participate in His good work. But if we are like a dirty, unwashed dish, the Master cannot use us even if He wants to. How tragic would that be?

Third, we must minister together with the community, not alone. Let's read verse 22:

"So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart."

When it says "flee youthful passions," many of us might think of sexual desire. But in this context, the passion spoken of here is more about an excessive, argumentative zeal. It's the boiling-over passion that makes one rush to judgment and quarrel. Paul says to flee that kind of quarreling and, instead, to partner with others who "call on the Lord from a pure heart"—that is, the community. And what is this work? To "pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace." This is the very opposite of the "youthful passions" that lead to arguments.

And so, fourth, the Lord's servant must instruct with gentleness, not quarreling. Let's read verse 25:

"Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth..."

We are to gently instruct opponents—even those who resist us. Verse 24 says we must be "kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." This is why. It is no easy task to remain gentle and patient with those who oppose you.

Perhaps because it is so difficult, Paul gives us the reason: "in the hope that God will grant them repentance." This means they, too, might be objects of salvation. As servants, we must acknowledge God's sovereignty in their salvation and simply do the work He has given us to do.

                  말씀을 맺습니다. 때로 교회가 혼란스러워 보이고 우리는 연약하여 넘어질 때가 있습니다. 그러나 본문의 말씀은 하나님의 주권은 우리의 상황이나 우리의 한계를 뛰어넘는 것임을 다시금 기억하라고 말씀하고 계십니다. 하나님의 견고한 터가 섰습니다. 그 견고한 터 위에서 우리는 주인되신 하나님의 쓰임에 합당한 그릇이 되어야 합니다. 말씀을 옳게 분별하고, 자신을 깨끗하게 하며, 공동체와 함께 동역하며, 온유함으로 잃어버린 자들을 섬겨야합니다. 그렇게 하나님의 주권에 신실하게 반응하는 충성된 종이 되시기를 주님의 이름으로 축원합니다.

[Conclusion]

To conclude. At times, the church may seem to be in chaos. We ourselves are weak and we stumble.

But the Word today reminds us to remember that God's sovereignty transcends our situations and our limitations.

God's solid foundation stands firm.

And upon that solid foundation, our job is to become vessels useful to the Master. We must correctly handle the Word, cleanse ourselves, partner with the community, and gently serve those who are lost.

I pray that we will all be faithful servants who respond to God’s sovereignty with sincere obedience and holy responsibility.

In Jesus' name, Amen.