A TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS

Many buried and lost treasures have been discovered through the ages. Some of those have been found in caves, boxes, or vases. There is a special treasure which God has given to mankind that has neither been buried nor lost. We read of this treasure in 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."

The Treasure – By the Spirit, Paul calls it "this" treasure. The context shows that he is speaking of the gospel and its message about Jesus (4:3,5). The gospel is a treasure like no other! It alone is God’s power to save (Romans 1:16). It alone can be obeyed and have the obeyer(s) saved as a result (Mark 16:15,16). Only the gospel is sealed by the blood of Jesus (Matthew 26:28). How sad that many work so diligently to possess material treasures, but they give little, if any, thought to the great gospel treasure.

The Earthen Vessels – This does not refer to material containers, but rather to the physical, human body. The gospel is not propagated by angels, nor is it directly taught today by the Godhead. Rather, the Lord preaches the gospel through His faithful servants, who are His earthen vessels. The bottom line is this: if Christians do not teach the gospel to others, then the job will not get done! God is depending on you and me to be like Philip and open our mouths and tell the lost about Jesus (Acts 8:35). God’s arrangement is for His children to get up, get with it, get at it, and go into all the world with the gospel! (Mark 16:15).

The Possessors of This Treasure – Paul writes, "But we have this treasure . . ." (emphasis mine, rdc). Paul had earlier written, "Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not" (4:1). There is a sense in which the task of spreading the gospel was given to the apostles, and "this ministry" was theirs. At the same time, it is also true that the Lord wants each one of His children to be able to teach (2 Timothy 2:24). Brothers and sisters, you and I have been blessed to receive the treasure of the gospel. Is its message a secret? Of course not. Is it something for us to hide or be ashamed of? God forbid.

Thanks be to God for the treasure of the gospel. The task of spreading this treasure’s great news is not a burden, but a privilege. Let us be about our Father’s business.

-- Roger D. Campbell