7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you. 13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Commentary
Vs. 7 "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us."
The Apostle now says of us all who believe that we have this treasure in earthen vessels. The Apostle Paul's metaphor here is that Christ is the treasure that we have within our mortal bodies (i.e. "earthen vessels"); that is His life, by His Spirit, is within us all who believe in Him. And so it is that through our fragile persons the power and glory of the God in Christ is being manifested and made known to one and to all. Now God has chosen to do this through us who are inherently weak and subject to death so that the excellence of the power may be of God alone (consider 1 Cor 1:26-31). Thus it's not of any of us as Christ's disciples/messengers/ambassadors that salvation comes to anyone. It is only by the excellency of the power of God through the Gospel preached and believed on that everlasting life comes to one and to all; so that all glory, honor, praise and power will be ascribed to God alone.
Vs. 7 "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us."
The Apostle now says of us all who believe that we have this treasure in earthen vessels. The Apostle Paul's metaphor here is that Christ is the treasure that we have within our mortal bodies (i.e. "earthen vessels"); that is His life, by His Spirit, is within us all who believe in Him. And so it is that through our fragile persons the power and glory of the God in Christ is being manifested and made known to one and to all. Now God has chosen to do this through us who are inherently weak and subject to death so that the excellence of the power may be of God alone (consider 1 Cor 1:26-31). Thus it's not of any of us as Christ's disciples/messengers/ambassadors that salvation comes to anyone. It is only by the excellency of the power of God through the Gospel preached and believed on that everlasting life comes to one and to all; so that all glory, honor, praise and power will be ascribed to God alone.
Vs. 8-9 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—
Even our going through the inevitable trials and tribulations that comes with following Christ faithfully is not something that anyone endures in their own strength and power. Rather it is by the power of Christ within us that God is sustaining us to not only endure the seemingly overwhelming opposition, but also to overcome the seemingly insurmountable odds. And so though there are such things to each believer as God decrees for us, there is also His grace and His power by which we can all overcome. Thus the Apostle Paul is making it clear that he is neither discouraged, nor set back by any of them. For consider the Apostle Paul's words here: "We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—" Vs. 8-9
For again, just as God allows these things in our lives, yet He does not give us over to any trial or tribulation which He Himself does not also sustain us through.
Vs. 10 "always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body."
In light of that fact the Apostle Paul can embrace his sufferings for the Gospels sake, so that the life of the Lord Jesus Christ may be manifest through him, specifically through his body. The death of Jesus then can be thought of not only our own death positionally with Christ as is expounded in Romans chapter six (see Rom. 6:3-11; Gal 2:20); but here it is the dying (not death) of the Lord Jesus Christ which is our transformation from one glory to another through the things which we suffer and endure for the Gospel's sake. Thus as our bodies yeild their strength and will to the will of the Lord so the life of Jesus Christ is being made more manifest through us all who believe in Him.
Vs. 11-12 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.
And so it is that we are always being delivered to death for Jesus' sake, not literal death, though following Christ faithfully will involve martyrdom for some of us, but death by which God removes and purifies from us all which is contrary to the life of Christ inside of us, and thus His manifesting Christ's life more fully through us. "So then death is working in us, but life in you." Meaning that though we are being delivered to "death", it is through that death that Christ's life is coming to you, and ultimately will manifested in you who also believe. In being delivered to death and dying for us Christ atoned for our sins, in our being delivered to death sin is being purged from us.
Vs. 13 "And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak,"
The Apostle Paul now makes it clear that the same spirit of faith that is in the Corinthians is also in himself. Now it is through that same spirit of faith that both Paul and those who ministered the Gospel with him spoke. That is because they believe they were unashamed in their declaring the testimony of Christ wherever they went, therefore Paul cites the Scripture which states:“I believed and therefore I spoke” (Psalm 116:10), a Scripture which entails openly speaking the truth while enduring tribulations, something which clearly mirrors his own faith journey.
Vs. 14 "knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you."
The Apostle Paul also wants the Corinthians to know that the power of God which now sustains both them and him will also raise them all up and present them together with the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore the Apostle Paul wants the Corinthians to know for certainty not only their own resurrection from the dead, but also that he himself, and those with him, will be there with them as well. And so any notions that they, or any Christian has about being at the resurrection of the dead without also being there with every other believer is false and misleading. For throughout the Apostle Paul's epistles Paul always strives to make it clear that what is true of himself, is true of everyone else in Christ.
Vs. 15 "For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God."
The Apostle Paul thus sees all that he goes through as ultimately bringing grace to the Corinthians; (and ultimately us as well) so that thanksgiving may abound through many to the glory of God.
Vs. 16 "Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day."
And so the Apostle Paul is greatly encouraged and even more strengthened in his faith (as we ought to be as well) when we see and also understand that though our outward man is perishing, (that is the natural body's beauty and vigor and abilities and such, yet our inward man is being daily renewed! Thus there is the death or dying on the one hand, and yet the renewing and glorifying on the other. For this temporary must give way to the eternal, which will be far more exceedingly beautiful and wholesome and powerful than anything we could have imagined our earthly bodies ever being .
Vs. 17-18 "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
And so it is the Apostle Paul saw his tribulations in this life as but a light affliction, temporary things which we pass through in this life that are working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (vs. 17). Thus the Apostle Paul did not look at the things which are seen; that is he did not judge his life, nor his standing with Christ by whatever his current circumstances were, for these light afflictions which we see and we all must pass through on our journey homeward are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
Additional Resources Consulted
Lowery, D. K. (1985). 2 Corinthians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 563). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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