10 Priceless Treasure in Clay Pots

(2 Corinthians 4:7–15)

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you. But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. (4:7–15)

The old adage that you cannot judge the value of something by the packaging it comes in is certainly true of Christians. Like valuable treasure buried in dirt (cf. Matt. 13:44), or a precious pearl hidden in an ugly oyster (cf. Matt. 13:46), the human container does not reflect the value of the gospel treasure it holds. The amazing contrast between “the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6) and the feeble, imperfect, homely containers in which it is carried is the heart of this passage.

Paul communicated that truth not simply by principle but by example. Like much of 2 Corinthians, which presents profound insights into Paul’s life, this passage is biographical, not didactic. It presents Paul not as a teacher communicating information but as a life to emulate. The apostle’s life demonstrated what it genuinely means to walk with God. Thus, he could exhort the Corinthians, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1).

As he penned this epistle, Paul was under furious attack in Corinth. False apostles had infiltrated the church there, assaulting Paul so as to create an environment for purveying legalistic heresy. To gain a hearing for their demonic lies, they first had to destroy Paul’s apostolic and spiritual credibility in the eyes of the Corinthian church. To that end, they launched an all-out blitz on the apostle’s character and ministry. Their attack was merciless, relentless, and petty. So low did the false apostles sink that they even resorted to ridiculing Paul’s personal appearance, declaring contemptuously that “his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible” (2 Cor. 10:10). Paul, according to them, was not a very imposing figure; he lacked good looks, charm, and oratorical skills. He may even have had a repulsive eye condition that marred his appearance (cf. Gal. 4:13–15). The reason so many rejected Paul’s message, the false apostles claimed, was that he was an unimpressive, common, run-of-the-mill man.

Those hurtful, hateful attacks, moving people’s loyalty from divine truth to satanic lies, demanded a response from Paul. He was not interested in defending himself for his own sake but for the sake of the gospel. Paul knew that if the false teachers could discredit him, they could replace him as the authoritative teachers at Corinth. They would then be free to deceive the Corinthians with their false teaching.

The false teachers’ attacks on him put Paul between a rock and a hard place. If he defended himself against their slander, which he had to do to hold the church to the truth (written and incarnate), he risked looking proud. And, in truth, no one was more acutely aware of his shortcomings than Paul himself. In fact, he was constantly amazed that he was in the ministry at all. In his first inspired letter to the Corinthians Paul confessed, “I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (1 Cor. 15:9). To Timothy he wrote, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief” (1 Tim. 1:12–13).

How then was Paul to extricate himself from this dilemma? How was he to defend himself and the gospel he preached without seeming proud? Rather than deny the false apostles’ allegations that he was weak and imperfect, he embraced them. The apostle declared that the priceless truth of the gospel was held in a humble container. In fact, his weaknesses, far from being reasons to reject him, were among his most convincing apostolic credentials. To express this, he used the analogy of a precious treasure kept in a clay pot.

Like all preachers (and all believers), Paul’s imperfections stood out in stark relief against the shining glory of the gospel. But if God could not use imperfect people, there would be no one in the ministry. Since there are no sinless people, God must choose His ministers from the fallen, weak, imperfect human race.

Even the noblest saints were far from perfect. Fearing for his life, Abraham, the father of the faithful, twice pretended his wife Sarah was his sister (Gen. 12:13; 20:2). Moses, the human deliverer of Israel from Egypt, had a fiery temper (Ex. 2:11–12) and was, by his own admission, a completely inadequate speaker (Ex. 4:10). David, a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14) and the sweet psalmist of Israel (2 Sam. 23:1), was guilty of adultery and murder (2 Sam. 11). Elijah boldly confronted hundreds of false prophets in the name of the God of Israel, and then, in doubt and fear, ran for his life from Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1–3). The noble prophet Isaiah confessed to being a man of unclean lips (Isa. 6:5). Peter, the leader of the Twelve, openly confessed that he was “a sinful man” (Luke 5:8) and proved it by vehemently and repeatedly denying the Lord (Matt. 26:69–74). The apostle John, the apostle of love, was also a “son of thunder,” who jealously sought to curtail the ministry of someone who was not part of his group (Mark 3:17; Luke 9:49). Later, he indignantly wanted to call down fire from heaven to incinerate a Samaritan village that had rejected Jesus (Luke 9:54).

Paul was merely another in a long line of clay pots that God has successfully used. The genuineness of his apostleship in spite of his humanity is evident not from his human abilities, skills, or achievements, but from his spiritual character. This passage unfolds seven spiritual characteristics that marked Paul as a very useful clay pot. He was humble, invincible, sacrificial, fruitful, faithful, hopeful, and worshipful.

HUMBLE

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; (4:7)

But introduces a contrast with verse 6, which describes the immense and incalculable glory of the eternal God revealed in the incarnate Christ. That priceless divine treasure is contained in a lowly human container—a humbling perspective every preacher and believer must have. Paul’s humble view of himself was at the heart of what made him so usable. Later in this epistle he wrote, “For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves” (2 Cor. 10:12). He refused to evaluate himself based on the false apostles’ shallow, external criteria; he was not interested in comparing himself with those who “measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves” (10:12). He would not “boast beyond … measure” (10:13), because “he who boasts is to boast in the Lord” (10:17) and, “It is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends” (10:18).

The treasure in view here is the same as the “ministry” in 4:1. Both terms describe the glorious gospel message that the eternal God came into the world in the person of Jesus Christ, and died on the cross and rose again to provide forgiveness of sin and eternal life for all who repent and believe. The treasure is of incalculable worth, because “in [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. … For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Col. 2:3, 9). The gospel message reveals the most profound truths the world has ever known, which produce the most powerful eternal effects. Through the gospel people are freed from the power of sin and death (Rom. 8:2; Heb. 2:14), released from condemnation (Rom. 8:1), transformed into the image of Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18), and given eternal joy, peace, and satisfaction.

Yet, amazingly, that priceless gospel treasure is contained in simple earthen vessels. Ostrakinos (earthen) refers to baked clay. The vessels Paul describes here were just common pots: cheap, breakable, easily replaceable, and virtually valueless. Occasionally they were used to hide valuables, such as gold, silver, and jewelry. The pots containing such valuable items would often be buried in the ground. In fact, the man in Jesus’ parable who found the treasure hidden in a field (Matt. 13:44) might have discovered it when his plow broke a buried pot. Clay pots were also used to store valuable documents; the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered stored in clay pots in a cave near Qumran.

But earthen vessels were most frequently used for ignoble, every -day purposes. In ancient times, human waste and garbage were stored and transported in clay pots. They were “vessels … of earthenware … to dishonor” (2 Tim. 2:20); that is, they were used for dishonorable, distasteful, un mentionable tasks. Such clay pots had no intrinsic value; their only worth came from the valuables they contained or the service they performed.

Far from disputing the false apostles’ disparaging assessment of him, Paul embraced it and turned it into an affirmation of his authenticity. The apostle acknowledged his human limitations and weaknesses, even describing himself as the “foremost” of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). But like a cheap, fragile, ordinary clay pot used to hide valuable treasure, Paul carried the priceless treasure of the glorious new covenant gospel. Therefore he could boldly affirm, “I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles” (2 Cor. 11:5). In the next verse he declared, “Even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge.” Though he lacked the polished oratorical skills so highly prized by the Greeks, Paul was not at all lacking in spiritual knowledge.

God delights in using humble, common people, those who are overlooked by society. He places in such clay pots the incalculable treasure of the gospel. In his first inspired letter to the Corinthians, Paul reminded them of that truth:

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. (1 Cor. 1:26–29)

Earlier he asked rhetorically, “Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (1 Cor. 1:20). By using common clay pots, God gets the glory, “so that, just as it is written, ‘Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord’” (1 Cor. 1:31). The prerequisite for spiritual usefulness is to be humble, to see one’s self for what one really is, and acknowledge that all the glory for one’s accomplishments belongs to God, who placed the treasure in us. His own trials had taught Paul the lesson that God’s glory and strength were best manifest in his weakness. Because God said to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9), Paul could joyously affirm, “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong” (12:10).

The world is filled with people too enamored with their own cleverness, importance, and ability to be used by God. But when God chose the men through whom He would give His Word to mankind, He did not choose the learned scholars of Alexandria, the distinguished philosophers of Athens, the eloquent orators of Rome, or the self-righteous religious leaders of Israel. He passed them all by in favor of simple Galilean fishermen like Peter, John, James, and Andrew, despised traitors like Matthew the tax collector, and obscure men like Philip, Mark, and Nathaniel (see John MacArthur, Twelve Ordinary Men [Nashville: Word Publishing, 2002]). Even the educated people He chose, such as Luke the physician and Paul, the rabbinic scholar, were humble, unimposing people. To those common, earthen vessels God entrusted the priceless treasure of the gospel.

God chooses humble people to proclaim the gospel message so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of Him. He alone reveals “the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (4:6). By using frail, fallible people, God makes it clear that the power lies not in the human messenger but in the divine message. God’s power transcends the limitations of the clay pot. And it is precisely those limitations that allow Christians to experience the greatest demonstration of God’s power.

INVINCIBLE

we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; (4:8–9)

Paul’s humility and weakness did not cripple or destroy him but instead strengthened him. Paradoxically, he found encouragement in his frailty, because then the power of God flowed unhindered through him. Far from being a liability to his ministry, an honest assessment of his spiritual limitations was his greatest asset.

Paul was a mercilessly battered clay pot, whose many enemies sought to shatter him completely. In 1:5 he wrote that “the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance.” In verses 8 and 9 he added, “We were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.” He endured “afflictions … hardships … distresses … beatings … imprisonments … tumults … labors … sleeplessness … hunger” (6:4–5), and knew what it was to be “hungry and thirsty … poorly clothed … roughly treated, and … homeless” (1 Cor. 4:11). In addition to all the physical suffering Paul endured (cf. 1 Cor. 11:23–27), he constantly carried the heavy burden of “concern for all the churches” (11:28). Yet despite all his suffering, there was an aura of confidence about this noble servant of God, because though he lacked strength, the power of God flowed through him.

Paul’s humanly unimposing persona posed an unanswerable question for his opponents: How could they explain the undeniable impact of his life? Since he did not have the power in himself to accomplish what he had accomplished, the power must have come from God. And if Paul ministered in the power of God, he was a true servant of heaven, and his opponents’ accusations against him were false. Paul’s impact despite his lack of human giftedness was a powerful rebuttal to the false allegations leveled against him.

By a series of four contrasts, the apostle demonstrated that his inabilities did not cripple his ability to minister. First, he was afflicted in every way, but not crushed. Afflicted is from the verb thlib? and refers to being under pressure. As noted above, Paul was under constant physical and spiritual pressure—so much so that he wrote earlier in this epistle, “We were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves” (2 Cor. 1:8–9). But despite that pressure, Paul was not crushed. Crushed is from the verb stenochōreō, which refers to being confined to a narrow, tight place. The pressure he faced could not keep Paul’s ministry bottled up.

Second, Paul was perplexed, but not despairing. The Greek text contains a play on words; the participles translated perplexed and despairing are from the verbs apore? and exapore?, respectively. Paul was at a loss but not at a total loss. He was at his wit’s end, but there was still a way out; he was at the brink of defeat but not defeated.

Third, the apostle was persecuted, but not forsaken. Persecuted is from diōkō, which means “to pursue,” or “to hunt.” Paul’s many enemies stalked him day in and day out (cf. Acts 9:23–24, 28–29; 14:5–6, 19; 20:3; 23:12). But despite that, Paul was not forsaken, deserted, or abandoned. His Lord never left him to face an impossible difficulty on his own.

Finally, Paul was struck down, but not destroyed. Struck down is from kataball? and means “to strike down,” as with a weapon, or “to throw down,” as in a wrestling match. Destroyed is from apollumi, which could also be translated “ruined,” “lost,” or even “killed.” In modern boxing terms, Paul may have been knocked down, but he was not knocked out. He triumphed not by escaping adversity but by successfully enduring it.

No one could withstand such an onslaught in his own strength and still maintain his joy and peace, let alone do the work of the ministry. The power of God made Paul fearless and formidable. Nothing his enemies could do would destroy him. Even killing him would only usher him into the Lord’s presence (Phil. 1:21). God’s sustaining power enabled this otherwise weak man to triumph over his difficulties and his enemies (cf. 2 Cor. 2:14).

SACRIFICIAL

always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (4:10–11)

In verse 10 Paul summarizes and interprets the paradoxes in verses 8 and 9: They amounted to carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in his body. The word always indicates the unrelieved nature of Paul’s suffering; as he wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:31, “I die daily” (cf. Rom. 8:36). Suffering was a way of life for him.

The truth that Paul was continually carrying about in his body the dying of Jesus was a powerful rebuttal to the allegations of the false apostles. They argued that Paul suffered because God was chastening him for his secret life of sin. But in reality Paul suffered at the hands of evil men because of his identification with Jesus Christ. Those who hate the Lord persecute His people. Therefore Paul’s trials, far from being a sign of God’s displeasure, were actually a badge of honor (cf. 2 Cor. 1:5; Gal. 6:17; Phil. 3:10; Col. 1:24).

Suffering for the cause of Christ should not surprise any Christian, since Jesus Himself predicted it:

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes. A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. (Matt. 10:16–24; cf. John 15:18–21)

Dying does not translate thanatos, Paul’s usual word for death, but nekrōsis. Thanatos speaks of death as a fact or an event, while nekrōsis describes the process of dying. As noted above, Paul constantly faced death, which led him to write, “I die daily” (1 Cor. 15:31). He knew well what it was to “deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow [Christ]” (Luke 9:23).

But, paradoxically, Paul manifested the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus would also be manifested in his body. As he wrote to the Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Gal. 2:20). The apostle’s courageous, faithful, patient enduring of suffering manifested the power of the living Christ in his life. And, as noted above, there was no explanation for the impact of Paul’s ministry except that God’s power flowed through him.

Paul reiterated in verse 11 that he simultaneously experienced the dying and life of Jesus in his life and expanded it to include all believers. We who live denotes the redeemed, those in whom the life of Christ dwells (cf. 2 Cor. 13:5; John 14:20; Eph. 3:17; Col. 1:27). They, like Paul, are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake. The world hates them and threatens them with physical death because of their association with Christ (cf. Matt. 24:9). Delivered over is from paradidōmi, the same verb used to describe Jesus being delivered over for crucifixion (Matt. 17:22; 20:18–19; 26:2; 27:26; Acts 3:13; Rom. 4:25; 8:32). But the purpose of believers’ dying daily is, as it was for Paul, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in their mortal flesh (their physical bodies). Believers’ suffering is a purposeful sacrifice that results in the power of God being unleashed in their lives.

FRUITFUL

So death works in us, but life in you. (4:12)

This latest in a series of paradoxical statements summarizes the fruitful results of Paul’s sacrificial service. The phrase death works in us refers back to the reality of verses 10 and 11 that Paul faced death every day. He literally looked death in the face regularly so he could bring the message of eternal life to the Corinthians; he was even willing to die physically so that they could live spiritually.

Paul’s suffering was not for himself but for the building up of the church. He reminded the Philippians, “Even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all” (Phil. 2:17). To the Colossians he wrote, “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions” (Col. 1:24). He wrote to Timothy, “For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory” (2 Tim. 2:10). It was Paul’s joyous privilege to suffer in bringing the gospel to others, who then became the fruit of his courageous endurance. Philip E. Hughes writes,

It is the unconquerable life of the risen Jesus within that enables His servants willingly and perpetually to be handed over to death for His sake, in order that the same life of Christ may be kindled in the hearts of others, enabling them to win others. This is the chain of faith … unbroken through the ages. (The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992], 145)

The hostility Paul faced from unbelievers was not because of poor technique on his part in proclaiming the gospel. On the contrary, it was proof that his fruitful ministry was drawing satanic opposition.

FAITHFUL

But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, (4:13)

Paul’s desire for fruitfulness did not mean that he would compromise the gospel message. He would remain true to his convictions and preach what he knew to be true.

The apostle declared that he had the same spirit or attitude of faith—in other words, he believed in the same thing—as what is written. That is, he agreed with the psalmist who wrote, I believed, therefore I spoke (Ps. 116:10). That was Paul’s response to the critics of his bold preaching. His unwavering faith compelled him to preach (cf. Rom. 1:15; 1 Cor. 9:16); it was impossible for him to believe the gospel truth but not long to proclaim it. Those who lack conviction in their preaching do so because they lack conviction in their hearts. Because they have weak confidence in the truth of God, they seek the comfort, prestige, and popularity that come from muting the message. True belief impels strong, consistent, unwavering testimony to the truth. On trial for his faith before the Diet of Worms, Martin Luther defiantly declared,

Unless I can be instructed and convinced with evidence from the Holy Scriptures or with open, clear, and distinct grounds and reasoning— and my conscience is captive to the Word of God—then I cannot and will not recant, because it is neither safe nor wise to act against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me! Amen. (James M. Kittelson, Luther the Reformer [Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1986] 161)

Those who genuinely believe the truth cannot help but speak that truth.

HOPEFUL

knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. (4:14)

Because the gospel provides the most glorious and important reality, the hope of resurrection for all who believe, Paul was bold and fearless in preaching it. In doing so, the apostle willingly put his life on the line knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus (God the Father; cf. 1:9; Acts 2:24, 32; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30, 33, 37; Rom. 8:11; 10:9; 1 Cor. 6:14; 15:15; Gal. 1:1; Col. 2:12; 1 Peter 1:21) would raise him also with Jesus. Death held no terror for him, for he knew that the “sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom. 8:18). As he awaited execution he could write to Timothy,

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2 Tim. 4:6–8)

Paul was confident that God would present both himself and the Corinthians holy and blameless in his sight. In 2 Corinthians 11:2 he wrote, “For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin” (cf. Eph. 5:27; Jude 24). Paul willingly risked his life not only because of his own hope of heaven but also for those who would hear and believe.

WORSHIPFUL

For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. (4:15)

Paul’s declaration that he did all things for the Corinthians’ sakes reveals his selflessness. But his ultimate goal was that God be glorified by the saving grace that was spreading to more and more people through the evangelistic efforts of both himself, as well as the Corinthian believers. The result was that the giving of thanks would abound to the glory of God as the redeemed praised Him for the blessing of salvation.

Clearly, Paul’s goal was never his own comfort, reputation, or popularity. Nor was it ultimately the salvation of others. The final goal of Paul’s selfless, sacrificial service was that more voices would be added to the hallelujah chorus of praise and worship to God. The Lord’s servants bathe their hearts and souls in the light of God’s glory reflected in the face of Jesus Christ. They then selflessly reflect that majestic glory to others so that they can be saved and worship God. In the words of Daniel 12:3, “Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

God’s astounding plan is to use common clay pots to carry the priceless treasure of the glorious gospel to needy sinners. As they humbly, faithfully serve Him, His power flows through them to others. The final result is that more and more people will worship and glorify God, crying out, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever” (Rev. 5:13).