Paul, in the first seven chapters of 2 Corinthians, is attempting to do many things. He is attempting to help the readers understand his position as an apostle, his authority in bringing God‘s truth to them, and his heart in his ministry to them. He does not want them listening to false teachers. He is ALSO teaching them by his example.

2 Corinthians 4:7-12,16-18 (NIV)
⁷ But we have this treasure [the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ] in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, [because] death is at work in us, but life is at work in you… ¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

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Verse 7 – But we have this treasure [the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ] in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

The treasure he is speaking of is “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ”.

This is a theologically packed phrase. The glory of God is the manifestation of God’s reality and all that comes with it. The fullness of this is beyond our grasp. The eternal holy One who is an all consuming fire; the sovereign perfection who is just, and unchanging, and unsearchable; the One gives life and cannot tolerate sin. When the glory of God is revealed to us (knowledge) in the person of Jesus WE HAVE LIGHT – life rather than death, salvation rather than eternal judgment, we have praise, thanksgiving, blessing, a future, we have God with us. This light is the good news – GOD LOVES US.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV)
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

The jars of clay are frail – they crack and break and what’s inside flows out. Paul seems to say here that there is purpose in the frailty of his earthly vessel – his jar of clay. The purpose in the frailty is to show that the power of our hope is God.

I’d like you to consider verses eight and nine and perhaps see something different here.

Verses 8-9 – We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Many simply understand this to say that because Paul has hope, because he has “the light”, because he has Jesus, he can be pressed but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. AND I THINK THAT IS TRUE. I’d like to think that perhaps the power that Paul is thinking of in verse seven is the reality of verses eight and nine. His ability to not be crushed, his ability to not despair, his ability to live as one who is not abandoned, his ability to not be destroyed as he gives all for the mission is the very thing that we should see as being unexplainable apart from God.

Luke 12:11-12 (NIV)
“When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

Luke 18:29-30 (NIV)
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.”

Verses 10-12 - We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you…

I would like to suggest here that Paul is using Jesus’ life as the model for his life. Jesus’ life was dedicated to saving the lost. Jesus came to us in a “jar of clay” so that the power of God would reign. Verse 11 parallels verse 7.

Just as Jesus’ radical life of abandonment to God’s mission, and his death was the power of God to give life to all who believe, so too Paul’s radical life of abandonment to God’s mission exposes him to hardship here, but is an instrument of life to others.

Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV) – The mission
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV) “thorn in the flesh”
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)
For to be sure, [Jesus] was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you.

Verses 16-18 – [So] we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day (this is the design). ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Summary

1) In Paul’s weakness God’s power shows. In Paul’s weakness the life that Jesus gives shows. – vs. 7, vs. 10

2) When Paul dies, others live – vs. 12

3) Struggle now is the path to glory – and there is no comparison between our struggles now and the glory to come. – vs. 17

John 3:30 (NIV) John the Baptist
He must become greater; I must become less.

The missionary who opened inland China to the Gospel, J. Hudson Taylor, used to say, “All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on Him being with them.”¹

So, how do we apply Paul’s words to our lives?

While God comforts his children in every situation, God’s power is experienced when we by faith radically give ourselves to the mission AND through this giving of ourselves to the mission we can expect to be broken so that the glory of Jesus comes through and the mission is accomplished. The world looks at the exterior – the pot. God works through vessels that are focused on lifting Jesus to those who need him.