Question 1

What does treasure in earthen vessels mean in this passage?

Accepted Answer

The “treasure” is the rich message about Jesus, with all the grace and life that come through him. The “earthen vessels” are weak, ordinary human bodies and lives, like cheap clay jars that can crack and break. Paul is saying that God chose to place his priceless gospel in fragile people so that no one would think the power comes from the messenger. The contrast shows that when anything good happens through their ministry, it is clearly God’s power and not human strength or skill.

Question 2

Why does Paul list being troubled, perplexed, persecuted, and cast down?

Accepted Answer

Paul gives this list to show how hard his life and ministry really are. He is honest about being pressed on every side, confused, hunted, and knocked down. But with each hard word he adds a limit: not distressed, not in despair, not forsaken, not destroyed. This shows both the depth of the suffering and the steady help of God. The problems are real, but God holds him up so the trials do not finish him or silence the message about Jesus.

Question 3

What does it mean to bear about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus?

Accepted Answer

Paul means that his constant dangers, pain, and weakness for the sake of the gospel are a kind of sharing in Jesus’ sufferings. As he faces death-like experiences, his life reflects the pattern of Jesus’ own path through suffering to life. This shows in a living way that following Jesus can be costly. At the same time, it allows “the life of Jesus” to be seen in him, as God keeps giving strength, endurance, and spiritual life through those hardships.

Question 4

What does Paul mean by death works in us, but life in you?

Accepted Answer

Paul is saying that his sufferings, which feel like death at work in his own body, are the means God uses to bring spiritual life to the Corinthians. Because he is willing to face danger, rejection, and weariness for Jesus’ sake, they are able to hear the gospel and grow in faith. His cost becomes their gain. It is a way of saying that genuine ministry often involves one person’s losses and pains serving the spiritual good and growth of others.

Question 5

What is the spirit of faith that Paul mentions here?

Accepted Answer

The “spirit of faith” is the same kind of trust in God that earlier believers had when they spoke about God’s help in trouble. Paul quotes, “I believed, and therefore have I spoken,” to show that real faith cannot stay silent. Because he trusts the God who raised Jesus from the dead, he keeps speaking about Jesus even when it brings suffering. This shared spirit of faith pushes him and other believers to keep confessing what they believe, knowing God will raise them too.

Question 6

How can our outward man perish while the inward man is renewed?

Accepted Answer

The “outward man” is our visible, physical life, which grows weaker through age, sickness, and hardship. Paul feels this wearing down through constant trials. The “inward man” is the inner life God has made new in Christ. That inner life is strengthened day by day as God gives fresh grace, comfort, and hope. So even while the body and earthly strength fade, the heart can grow stronger in trust, love, and desire for God, through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Question 7

Why does Paul call our affliction light and for a moment?

Accepted Answer

Paul is not saying troubles feel easy. He is comparing them with what God has promised. Any suffering in this life, even if it lasts for years, is short when set beside eternity. And it is “light” next to the “weight of glory” God prepares for his people. This glory is solid, lasting, and far greater than any pain. Seeing things this way does not erase tears, but it gives a different scale, so believers do not lose heart in the middle of their struggles.

Question 8

What is the eternal weight of glory that this passage talks about?

Accepted Answer

The “eternal weight of glory” is the lasting honor and joy God will give his people with him forever. It flows from being raised with Jesus, freed from sin and suffering, and fully sharing in the life God has promised. Paul says present troubles are actually working toward this, under God’s hand. They push believers to trust God more, loosen their grip on this passing world, and fix their hope on what God will reveal fully in the age to come.

Question 9

What does it mean to look at things not seen instead of things seen?

Accepted Answer

Looking at things not seen means fixing your mind and heart on God’s promises, Jesus’ resurrection, and the coming glory, even though you cannot see them now. Things seen are the present problems, pains, and even good gifts that all fade. Paul wants believers to remember that what is visible now is temporary, but what God has promised in Christ will last forever. This way of seeing helps people endure suffering without giving up, because they know this is not the end.

2 Corinthians 4:7

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Treasure in Jars of Clay

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2 Corinthians 4:7

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

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Treasure in Jars of Clay

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