2 Timothy 2:21 (YLT)

Passage

if, then, any one may cleanse himself from these, he shall be a vessel to honour, sanctified and profitable to the master--to every good work having been prepared,

Nearby Context

2 Timothy 2:19 sure, nevertheless, hath the foundation of God stood, having this seal, `The Lord hath known those who are His,' and `Let him depart from unrighteousness--every one who is naming the name of Christ.'

2 Timothy 2:20 And in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honour, and some to dishonour:

2 Timothy 2:21 if, then, any one may cleanse himself from these, he shall be a vessel to honour, sanctified and profitable to the master--to every good work having been prepared,

2 Timothy 2:22 and the youthful lusts flee thou, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those calling upon the Lord out of a pure heart;

2 Timothy 2:23 and the foolish and uninstructed questions be avoiding, having known that they beget strife,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "cleanse", "himself", "shall", "vessel", "honour", "sanctified", "profitable", and "master--to". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "cleanse" and "himself", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "And in a great house there are..." into verse 22's "and the youthful lusts flee thou and...", so "cleanse" and "himself" belong inside that flow. In 2 Timothy context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "cleanse" and "himself" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.