Treasure in Fragile Clay Jars
1 Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way,[a] we never give up. 2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.
3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
5 You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.[b] This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.
13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”[c] 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus,[d] will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are[e] being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
Footnotes:
a. 2 Corinthians 4:1 Or ministry.
b. 2 Corinthians 4:7 Greek We now have this treasure in clay jars.
c. 2 Corinthians 4:13 Ps 116:10.
d. 2 Corinthians 4:14 Some manuscripts read who raised Jesus.
e. 2 Corinthians 4:16 Greek our inner being is.
7 comments:
Good morning guys. This could be one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. What an amazing God we serve! Also, how wonderfully he used Paul. I could only hope that our Father would use me in so small way compared to this. I know that we have all talked about many verses and passages that we need to memorize or read daily, but this is tops in my opinion.
Father, may our thoughts be on things eternal and not of this world.
In Christ,
cas
Morning Fellas,
I echo CAS comments. We do serve an awesome God.
verse (17) For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
The troubles that we experience only makes us better. Lord, allow our lives both in the good times and the bad times to be a reflection of your grace and mercy.
Amen, LT
7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.[b] This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
Awesome, just awesome. What a priviledge. What a promise!
tba
18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
Stay focused on the Lord today fellas.
In Jesus name,
crb
this is bold stuff...i felt like this could be a motivational speech or the kind of stuff you hear in a movie that gets you fired up.
awesome.
father - it is all about you. what we experience hear on earth, is nothinig compared to eternal salvation. let us be bold. give us strength in the face of fears, worries, disease, and death. amen.
2 Cor 4
v15....And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
How appropriate for this season.
Thank You Father.
2 Cor 4
v4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe.
We can't ever forget the lost, who would look at this great passage and wonder what is so exciting about it. They can not see what God has not revealed. Sometimes we get frustrated when those around us don't see how simple and clear the Gospel is. However, this verse tells us why.
Lord - reveal yourself to our friends and colleagues. Thank you that you already revealed yourself to us.
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