Have you ever had anyone call you a cracked pot? No? Well, I certainly have, and I was downright offended by the comment…until I started studying through this passage of Scripture. Now…if someone calls me that, I merely say “thank you, God shines best through the cracks”!
“7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God
and not from ourselves; 8 we are afflicted in every way,
but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 —
As I studied through this passage, four “P’s” rose to the surface: The Product. The Problems. The Protections. The Purpose. Let’s look at each of them.
THE PRODUCT
Second Corinthians 4:7 says that we are earthen vessels, mere clay pots. Earthenware vessels were common in every home in the ancient world. They were not very durable (compared to metal), and they were useless if broken (glass could be melted down again). Colin G. Kruse commented that, due to their lack of durability and uselessness if broken, earthenware vessels were “cheap and of little intrinsic value.”
That sounds pretty hopeless, doesn’t it? It does until you realize that we are clay pots who have been shaped by the hand of the Potter, our heavenly Father.
“Yet You, Lord, are our Father.
We are the clay, You are the Potter;
We are all the work of Your hand.”
~~Isaiah 64:8~~
God made us just as we are. The word “earthen vessel” in Greek is <ostrakinos skeuos>, and it speaks of an implement, equipment, or apparatus that is to be useful. (Keep the word “useful” in your mind as you read on). It was used as a metaphor for the “body” since Greeks thought of souls living temporarily in bodies.
I really liked how Bible commentator, David Guzik, explained this.
“God chose to put His light and glory in the everyday dishes, not in the fine china. We almost always are drawn to the thing that has the best packaging, but the best gifts often have the most unlikely packaging. God did not see a need to “package” Jesus when He came as a man to this earth. Jesus was not embarrassed to live as an earthen vessel. God is not embarrassed to use clay pots like us.”
Why did God choose risky, earthen vessels instead of safe, heavenly ones? The answer is shown in the end of verse 7 – “so that the surpassing greatness of the power of will be of God and not from ourselves. You see, “perfect” vessels may be safe but they tend to bring glory to themselves. Earthen vessels are risky but can bring profound glory to God. God often allows the vessel to be chipped and broken, that the excellency of the treasure contained may be all His.
“He must increase and I must decrease.”
~~ John 3:30~~
Look at the phrase “will be of God and not from ourselves”. In the Greek it actually reads, “may be God’s (and may be seen and be thankfully acknowledged to belong to God), and not to come from us”. Seen AND thankfully acknowledged.
“Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.”
~~Psalm 115:1~~
THE PROBLEMS
As human beings, fragile earthen vessels, we are faced with challenges and hardships. Paul describes several of them in verses 8-9.
“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not despairing;
persecuted, but not
forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed.”
AFFLICTED (in every way) <thlibo>: to crowd (literally or figuratively). In this verse it is used to mean: to trouble (to agitate mentally or spiritually), to afflict (persistent suffering or anguish), to distress (to subject to great strain or difficulties; to mar something deliberately to give an effect of age). Here <thlibo> has the idea of “hunted”. Paul was sharing from experience here, as he was a wanted man. In Acts 23:12, forty men conspired to not eat or drink until they had murdered Paul.
The phrase “in every way” expresses both inward distresses— outward distresses. In 2 Corinthians 7:5, Paul wrote, “For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within”.
PERPLEXED <aporeo> means to have no way out, i.e. be at a loss (mentally), Paul is conveying the feeling of being at a loss with oneself, of being in doubt, of not knowing how to decide or what to do. I’m sure we have all had those times where we experienced <aporeo>, lacking confidence, being filled with uncertainty, having life be full of difficulty.
PERSECUTED <dioko> means to pursue (literally or figuratively). To harass (to annoy persistently), to trouble (to agitate mentally or spiritually, or to worry). The dictionary defines “persecute” as to harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict (specifically, to cause to suffer because of belief)
STRUCK DOWN <kataballo> means to throw down or to cast down. In this verse it is in the passive tense where it gives the feel of the loss experienced by an athlete or combatant as they are thrown to the ground.
That sounds mighty depressing, doesn’t it? But not with God!!! Check out these “not’s” and see them as the protections God provides!!!
THE PROTECTIONS
** N O T E **
The word “not” <ou> is an ABSOLUTE NEGATIVE!!
It is ruling things out as a fact!
Not CRUSHED. The word “crushed” <stenochoreo> means to hem in closely, i.e. (figuratively) cramp. Paul is teaching here that although you may be crowded by troubles closing in on you, there is always ample space granted to you in your soul because of the “treasure” within you!
“We are not hedged in nor cooped up, because we can see help IN God, and
help FROM God, and have liberty of access TO God.”. ~~Spurgeon
Not DEPAIRING. The word “despairing” <exaporeo> means to be utterly at a loss; to be despondent (feeling or showing extreme discouragement, dejection, or depression). Paul is describing the feeling of being utterly destitute of measures or resources, to renounce all hope, be in despair, when faced with hard times in life. What comes to mind as I read this “not despairing” is 2 Corinthians 9:8.
“And God is able to bless you abundantly,
so that in ALL things at ALL times,
having ALL that you need,
you will abound in every good work.”
❤️ LOVE THIS ❤️
Not FORSAKEN. The word “forsaken” <egkataleipo> means to leave behind in some place; to desert, forsake or leave. Paul is saying that God will never leave you helpless or in the lurch.
What is coming to mind as I ponder the word forsaken is how Jesus WAS forsaken by His Father as He hung on the cross in my place… SO THAT I wouldn’t have to ever experience being forsaken by My Heavenly Father. Just wow… and Oh Lord, thank You…
“Good men may be sometimes forsaken by their friends, as well as persecuted by their enemies; but God will never leave them nor forsake them. Whatever condition the children of God may be in, in this world, they have a “but not‘ to comfort themselves with; their case sometimes is bad, yea very bad, but not so bad as it might be. The apostle speaks of their sufferings as constant.” (Spurgeon)
Not DESTROYED. The word “destroyed” <apollymi> here means to destroy fully (reflexively, to perish, or lose). Digging a little deeper here, this words etymology indicates that it comes from the word <apo> which speaks of separation, being away from something near AND <olethros> which indicates ruin, i.e. death, punishment:—destruction.
NOTHING can separate me from the love of God!!
“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.
Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow
— not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.”
~~Romans 8:38~~
THE PURPOSE
“always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”
So if God is going to protect us like is listed above, what is the purpose of subjecting us to “the problems”?
One of the purposes of the Christian life is that the life of Jesus be evident to others through how we conduct our lives. What better way for a believer to display Jesus than to be subject to circumstances that would totally undo a person, but the believer doesn’t react in a bad way?
Think of it this way. If you are a sales representative for a company, and you go out on a call, you are expected to conduct yourself in a way that shines a good light on the company and its product. No one will desire to have the company’s product if you are a rude, unruly jerk. Well “we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20).
“There are some aspects of God’s great work in our lives
that only happen through trials and suffering.” ~~David Guzik
Read that again. Let it sink in. We have established that our responsibility is to represent God in a way that will bring Him glory. That glory is manifested in our body as we endure things that make God visible. The word “manifested” <phaneroo> in the phrase “so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body” means to render apparent – to make visible or known, whether by words or deeds or in any other way, what has been hidden or unknown. Think about how all encompassing “be manifested” is!!
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,
do ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
~~ Colossians 3:17~~
In Philippians 3:10, Pauls speaks about the glory of knowing Jesus: “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death”. Many long to know the power of Christ’s resurrection but want nothing to do with the fellowship of His sufferings or being conformed to His death. However, there are certain fragrances God can only release through a broken vial, so Paul rejoiced in knowing both the suffering and the glory. He knew the two were connected. (David Guzik)
Now let’s read our main passage again. After reading it through in several different versions, I wanted to leave you with this passage as written in the International Children’s Bible.
7 “We have this treasure from God.
But we are only like clay jars that hold the treasure.
This shows that this great power is from God, not from us.
8 We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated.
We do not know what to do, but we do not give up.
9 We are persecuted, but God does not leave us.
We are hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed.
10 We carry the death of Jesus in our own bodies,
so that the life of Jesus can also be seen in our bodies.”
So as this world takes its toll on us, let’s rest securely in the fact that, as we choose to endure through the power of the Treasure within us, God will shine brightly through our cracked pots and be glorified.