How do you respond when opposition and attacks come your way, and life is dealing you blow after blow? For some, a little dose of persecution and they either crumble or quit. Others draw closer to the Lord, and depending on His strength, persevere through it all. The Apostle Paul was one of the latter. He suffered unending persecution from the religious leaders of his day, and also opposition from governmental officers. As we read through our passage today, we will see Paul’s thoughts and testimony for such times.
As Paul went around both Asia Minor and Greece preaching the Gospel, those who opposed him and his message always followed him, trying to discredit him to those who heard him preach. One attack was the claim that Paul was just promoting himself, trying to look big and important. Paul countered in verse 5 that he did not preach for his own benefit, nor did he promote himself. He always preached the message of Christ. That is not the case with many, both back then and today. When believers witness to others they should be speaking of Jesus and what He has done, not of themselves or their own ideas.
God created physical light. He also creates spiritual light for the soul (vs 6). This light leads souls out of Satan’s kingdom of darkness and into God’s Kingdom of Light (Colossians 1:13).
Paul speaks of “earthen vessels” in verse 7. They were clay pots of little cost or value used for common purposes. This was a reference to our physical bodies, and the “treasure” he speaks of is Jesus and the Gospel message. Our focus should not be on the container, but on the contents. We are weak, but God uses us to spread the Gospel, giving us His power. It is Christ in us who gives us our worth and power. Salvation is the result of God’s power, not anything that we, or any other messenger, can generate. God’s power overcomes and transcends the pot. We need to let people see God through us. We may not be a fancy pot, and not look like much, full of flaws, but we are precious to God. The container is perishable, but the contents are priceless.
Because Paul was a common vessel who allowed himself to be used by God, he faced the severe opposition he did (vs 8-9). What we go through, and our weaknesses do not cripple us, but actually strengthen us for God’s work and use. Those who hate Jesus take out their vengeance on those who represent Him (10). We should allow our rights to ourselves, our carnal pursuits, and our expectations to die so that Christ can shine through us, and others are saved. Through Paul’s and our weakness Christ is put on display.
Paul spoke of the potential physical death constantly faced by believers who live for and serve the Lord (vs 11). He always faced death from those who opposed the message of the Gospel (vs 12). He was willing to pay that price if it meant salvation to those he preached to. Though we may seem to be at the end of the rope, we are never at the end of our hope. God never abandons us. All that we go through are opportunities for Christ to demonstrate His power through us.
One thing every Christian should remember is that nothing will ever touch us that has not passed through the hands of God. Whatever happens, God has seen and approved. Everything we go through is designed to prepare us for serving others. We are being shaped into the image of God’s Son.
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