Thomas Aquinas Commentary 2 Corinthians 4:7-10

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves; [we are] pressed on every side, yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not unto despair; pursued, yet not forsaken; smitten down, yet not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body." — 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 (ASV)

Previously, the Apostle discussed the purpose of the New Testament ministry in relation to doing good; here, he discusses its purpose in relation to enduring evil. He addresses this in two parts: first, he points to the endurance of the evils they suffered, and second, he explains this (in verse 11). Regarding the first point, he does three things: first, he shows the reason God exposes them to tribulations; second, he shows that they should act patiently in these tribulations (in verse 8); and third, he gives the reason for this patience (in verse 10).

He says, therefore, that God has shone on our minds to give light to others, and this light is our greatest treasure: It is an unfailing treasure for men ; Abundance of salvation, wisdom and knowledge (Isaiah 33:6). But we do not have this greatest treasure in a precious place, but in a lowly, fragile one, so that its power may be attributed to God. Hence, he says, We have this treasure—that is, the light by which we enlighten others—in earthen vessels, meaning in our frail and lowly bodies. For Scripture says, For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust (Psalms 103:14); Like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel (Jeremiah 18:6); and, Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay (Isaiah 64:8).

We have this treasure in earthen vessels to show that the transcendent power of this light belongs to God—that it is attributed to God and not believed to be our own. For if we were rich, powerful, or noble according to the flesh, any great good we did would be attributed to ourselves, not to God. But now, because we are poor and contemptible, such excellence is attributed to God. Therefore, God wants us to be held in contempt and exposed to tribulations, as it is written: Lest they should say, ‘Our hand is triumphant, the Lord has not wrought all this’ (Deuteronomy 32:27); That no human being might boast in the presence of God (1 Corinthians 1:29); and You sent them as your forerunners not to speak .

Then, when the Apostle says, we are afflicted in every way, he shows their patience in the things they suffer. He does two things here: first, he points out the evils they suffer in general, and second, he mentions them in particular (beginning in verse 8b).

He says, therefore, that we truly have this treasure in earthen vessels, because we are afflicted in every way. It is as if he is saying that no type of tribulation has missed them: Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). Nor is this strange, for it says in Luke 24:26, Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? And although we suffer in this way, we are not crushed. He speaks like a traveler who becomes distressed when he cannot find a way out of a narrow place. Men who trust only in the world are distressed when troubled on all sides, because no way of relief is open to them. But we, although troubled in the world, escape by God’s help because we trust in Him and hope in Christ. That is why we are not distressed.

When he says, perplexed, but not driven to despair, he lists the tribulations in particular. There are four things by which people are typically troubled, and the apostles were troubled by them as well: external circumstances, the disquiet of their state, injury to their reputation, and affliction of their body.

Regarding the first, he says, we are perplexed, that is, impoverished. It is as if to say, "We are so poor that we lack necessities," as in 1 Corinthians 4:11: To the present hour we hunger and thirst. But we are not driven to despair, that is, we are not abandoned by God, who is our treasure. Riches are not sought for their own sake, but for a sufficiency in life. Therefore, those who live without God’s help and hope are destitute if they lack riches. But those who trust and hope in God alone, no matter how perplexed they are, are not destitute: As having nothing, and yet possessing everything (2 Corinthians 6:10).

But this is not all. In addition, we are disquieted: persecuted, that is, from place to place, as in Matthew 10:23: When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Yet we are not forsaken by God, because He offers help: I will never fail you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5); You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you (Psalms 9:10).

Furthermore, we are injured in our reputation, because we are humiliated—that is, scorned and regarded as nothing: The hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God (John 16:2); Blessed are you when men hate you (Luke 6:22). When a person is scorned with good reason, they are usually ashamed. But when there is no cause, they are not ashamed. Since there was no reason for the apostles to be scorned, he continues, but not ashamed. It is as if to say, "Since there is no reason for it, we do not care," for In you, O Lord, have I hoped; let me never be put to shame (Psalms 31:2).

But as if these were minor things, he adds to the weight of tribulation, saying we are struck down into the dangers of death, but not destroyed. This means we do not cease doing good, or we are not destroyed because God sustains us. As it is written: We have become, and are now, as the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all things (1 Corinthians 4:13); When you shall think yourself consumed, you shall rise as the daystar (Job 11:17, Vulgate); and We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter (Psalms 44:22).

Then, when he says, always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, he gives the reason for this patience. It should be noted that in Christ, the process was this: from the beginning of His conception, He had a flesh that could suffer. He both suffered and died, yet inwardly He was leading a spiritual life. But after the resurrection, that spiritual and glorious life flowed into His body, so that His body became glorious and immortal, because Christ being raised from the dead will never die again (Romans 6:9). Therefore, we can think of two states in the body of Christ: death and glory. The Apostle says that we patiently endure the perils of death and suffering in order to attain the glorious life.

This is what he means: always carrying—that is, in all things and everywhere—the death of Jesus. This means suffering for Jesus, or in the likeness of Jesus’s death, as in Galatians 6:19: I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. We suffer for the truth, as Jesus did, in our body and not only in our mind: For your sake we are slain all the day long (Psalms 44:23). This is done so that the life of Jesus—that is, the life of grace which Jesus gives, or the life of glory which Jesus reached by His sufferings (Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?Luke 24:26)—may also be manifested, meaning made evident even to our enemies.

He says this will be manifested in the future, in the resurrection, or even now as the life of grace is manifested in our bodies, and not only in our souls. (Compare to Judges 7:20: When they had broken the wine jars, the lamps appeared). Therefore, Ambrose says, "They did not fear to die on account of the promised resurrection."

To be "bearing about" means carrying it and enduring, because wherever we go, we suffer and do not give up. This is done so that the life of Jesus, which is now hidden in our hearts, may be manifested in our bodies. This will happen when He will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body (Philippians 3:21). For now, You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3), but if we have died with him, we will also live with him (2 Timothy 2:11).