Verses 7-10 form one long sentence in Greek. Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation both begin a new sentence with verse 8.

But indicates a contrast with the previous verse. Unlike the glory of God, the Christian messengers are “common clay pots.”

We have: though what Paul says is true of all Christians, including the Corinthian readers, in the context of chapter 4, the pronoun we does not include the readers (see 4.5, 12, 14 for the contrast between “we” and “you”).

The words this treasure refer to the gospel and the task of proclaiming the good news about Jesus Christ. Good News Translation makes explicit the nature of this treasure by adding the word “spiritual.”

Earthen vessels: this is figurative language in which the human body in its weakness and human limitations is compared to fragile “clay pots.” As Good News Translation makes clear, “we … are like common clay pots.” The word translated earthen is found also in 2 Tim 2.20 in the description of ordinary containers as contrasted with those made of precious metals. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament (Lev 6.28; 14.50), this same expression is used to describe the containers that the priests used in offering certain kinds of sacrifices. These containers were regarded as immediately dispensable, if for some reason they became ritually unclean.

The first part of this verse is sometimes recast as follows: “This is something of great value, but we have it in pots made of earth” (Good News for the World) or “We have this treasure from God. But we are only like clay jars that hold the treasure” (New Century Version).

To show … belongs: literally “in order that … might be.” This indicates the purpose of entrusting the valuable treasure of the gospel to ordinary containers, that is, in weak, fragile human beings. The idea may be expressed in a separate sentence beginning with “This fact demonstrates that….”

The transcendent power: the Greek word translated as transcendent in Revised Standard Version emphasizes the great quality or extent of something. Anchor Bible says “the power which is beyond any comparison.” While Good News for the World does not clearly show the relationship to the preceding section, it does capture the idea of this phrase with “this power is greater than any other power.” But since such a phrase may be too awkward in this context, some have translated simply “the real power” (Contemporary English Version), “the splendid power” (Phillips), or “the supreme power” (Translator’s New Testament).

In view of the above discussion, the second half of this verse may possibly be worded as follows: “This happens in order to show that the truly great power comes from God and not from us” or, as Knox puts it, “it must be God, and not anything in ourselves, that gives it its sovereign power.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellingworth, Paul. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .