2 Corinthians 4:7

Context

This passage comes from 2 Corinthians, the letter the apostle Paul sent to the church at Corinth. From the latter part of chapter 2 through the beginning of chapter 7, Paul defends his apostleship (his office as an apostle) and his ministry. At the time, some in the Corinthian church disparaged Paul, saying that in person he was weak and his speech of no account (2 Corinthians 10:10).

In chapter 3 Paul speaks of the glory of the ministry of the new covenant, comparing it with the ministry of the old covenant given through Moses. Then in 4:6 he writes that God, "who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." In verse 7, "this treasure" refers to this light, that is, the gospel and the ministry of proclaiming it: "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." An "earthen vessel" is a cheap, fragile container shaped from clay. Immediately afterward, in verses 8–12, Paul uses parallel statements such as "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed" to portray ministers who do not collapse even in the midst of suffering.

Interpretation

• As a defense of apostleship: Many commentators read the verse as Paul's rebuttal to his critics: he acknowledges his own weakness while arguing that this very weakness demonstrates the authenticity of his ministry. God uses weak vessels so that it becomes evident that the power does not originate in human beings.
• Reformed reading: The Reformed commentary tradition takes the verse as grounds for holding that the efficacy of the gospel does not depend on the qualities or eloquence of the one who proclaims it, and connects it with the emphasis that glory is to be given to God alone.
• Reading that emphasizes the power of the Spirit: Preaching in the Holiness and Pentecostal traditions often interprets the verse to mean that the power of the Holy Spirit dwells and works within weak human beings.
• Reading through a theology of suffering: Taken together with verse 10, "Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus," and 12:9, "my strength is made perfect in weakness," the verse is read as expressing one strand of Paul's thought: that God's power is revealed through suffering and weakness.

Regarding the background of the earthen-vessel metaphor, some scholars point to the ancient practice of storing valuables in clay jars, or to the clay lamps in common use at the time. If clay lamps are in view, the image also connects with the light imagery of verse 6. It remains uncertain, however, what Paul had in mind.

Questions of Application

• The scope of "we": The word refers primarily to Paul and his coworkers. Preachers differ in emphasis as to whether it may be applied more broadly to all believers or should be taken as applying more directly to ministers.
• The problem of using it merely as an expression of humility: The verse is often quoted as a self-deprecating expression. Some point out, however, that its original context must also be kept in view: the suffering that accompanies gospel ministry and the power of God revealed in the midst of it.
• Contrast with prosperity teaching: Critics of prosperity theology, which explains the outcome of faith in terms of prosperity and success, sometimes cite this verse, with its emphasis on weakness and suffering, in support of their objections.

In the Korean Church

The expression "earthen vessel" is widely used in Korean church preaching and prayer as a way of humbling oneself while seeking God's power. It is also frequently quoted in sermons on the calling of pastors and church officers.

Related Passages

• 2 Corinthians 12:7–10: power made perfect in weakness
• 2 Corinthians 4:16: though the outward man perishes, the inward man is renewed day by day
• 1 Corinthians 2:4–5: that faith should stand not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God
• Jeremiah 18:1–10: the parable of the potter and the clay
• 2 Timothy 2:20–21: vessels to honor and vessels to dishonor