Treasures in Jars of Clay: 2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.

Paul wrote from weakness. His body bore the marks. His spirit had been crushed. But he did not lose heart.

Through God's mercy. Eleos. Mercy. The ministry came through mercy, not merit.

We do not lose heart. Ouk egkakoumen. We don't give up. Don't lose courage. Don't despair.

Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.

Renounced. Apeipon—rejected, refused. Secret and shameful ways. Hidden agendas. Underhanded methods.

We do not use deception. Panourgia—craftiness, trickery. Nor do we distort the word of God. Doloo—adulterate, corrupt. Some peddled the word for profit. Paul didn't.

On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

By setting forth the truth plainly. Phanerosis—manifestation, open declaration. We commend ourselves. Sunistano. To everyone's conscience. Suneidesis. In the sight of God. Before God's face.

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

The gospel could be veiled. But the problem wasn't the message. It is veiled to those who are perishing. Apollumenois. The perishing ones. The veil was theirs, not the gospel's.

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

The god of this age. Ho theos tou aiōnos. Satan. Has blinded the minds. Etuphlōsen—made blind. Of unbelievers.

So that they cannot see. The purpose of the blinding. The light of the gospel. The illumination. That displays the glory of Christ. The shining. Who is the image of God. Christ as the perfect representation.

For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.

Not ourselves. The preaching wasn't self-promotion. Jesus Christ as Lord. Kurion. The message was Christ.

And ourselves as your servants. Doulous—slaves. For Jesus' sake. Dia Iēsoun. For his sake they served.

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ.

Genesis 1. Let light shine out of darkness. The creation God. Made his light shine in our hearts. The new creation light. Internal illumination.

To give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory. The purpose. Knowledge. Glory. Displayed in the face of Christ. The glory localized. In Christ's face.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

The treasure. The gospel. The knowledge of glory. In jars of clay. Ostrakinois skeuesin. Pottery. Fragile vessels. Cheap containers.

The contrast was intentional. Surpassing power. Huperbole tes dunameōs. From God and not from us. The weakness of the vessel displayed the power of the contents.

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

The four contrasts. Hard pressed—not crushed. Thlibomenoi—stenochōroumenoi. Pressure without collapse. Perplexed—not in despair. Aporoumenoi—exaporoumenoi. Confused but not despairing. Persecuted—not abandoned. Diōkomenoi—egkataleipomenoi. Hunted but not forsaken. Struck down—not destroyed. Kataballomenoi—apollumenoi. Knocked down but not knocked out.

The jar survived. The treasure remained.

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

The death of Jesus. Nekrōsin. The dying. Carried in our body. The daily dying. So that the life of Jesus may also be revealed. Phanerōthē. Made visible. In our body. Death and life. Both manifested.

For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.

Being given over to death. Paradidometha eis thanaton. Constantly. For Jesus' sake. So that his life—displayed in our mortal body. The dying revealed the living.

So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

The exchange. Death in us—life in you. Paul's dying brought their living. The apostolic sacrifice for the church's benefit.

It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak.

Psalm 116 quoted. Believed—therefore spoke. Faith preceding proclamation. We also believe and therefore speak. The same pattern. Faith expressed in speech.

Because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence.

The hope. The one who raised the Lord Jesus. Resurrection God. Will also raise us. Future resurrection certain.

And present us with you. Parastēsei—present, bring before. In his presence. Together. United.

All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

For your benefit. Everything Paul suffered—for them. The grace reaching more people. Expanding. Thanksgiving overflowing. Pleonazō. To the glory of God. The ultimate purpose.

Therefore we do not lose heart.

The refrain returned. Ouk egkakoumen. Not losing heart.

Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

The dual reality. Outwardly—wasting away. Diaphtheirō. Decaying. Inwardly—being renewed. Anakainoutai. Day by day. Daily renewal. The outer perishing, the inner flourishing.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Light and momentary troubles. Elaphron tēs thlipseōs. The troubles Paul had described—light? Momentary? By eternal standards—yes.

Achieving for us. Katergazetai. Producing. Accomplishing. Eternal glory. Aiōnion baros doxēs. Eternal weight of glory.

That far outweighs them all. Kath' huperbolēn eis huperbolēn. Beyond measure, surpassingly.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Fix our eyes. Skopoumen. Focus. Not on what is seen. The visible. But on what is unseen. The invisible.

What is seen is temporary. Proskaira. What is unseen is eternal. Aiōnia.

The seen passes. The unseen remains.

Jars of clay.

Holding treasure.

Pressed but not crushed.

Dying, revealing life.

Wasting away, being renewed.

Light troubles, eternal glory.

Eyes on the unseen.

We do not lose heart.