The apostle Paul wrote, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Cor. 4:7). What is the treasure Paul refers to here? The gospel Paul preached was the treasure; he mentioned it in the third verse of this chapter. The gospel is so precious because it gives light to those in spiritual darkness: “the light of the glorious gospel of Christ” (v. 4). Paul spoke of one’s conversion to Christ as a heart being enlightened by the gospel resulting in, “the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (v. 6). In Christ, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden (Col. 2:3). Thus, the gospel Paul preached can be called unsearchable riches that bring light (Eph. 3:8-9).

Though he was a great apostle, Paul understood himself as merely a vessel that contained this precious treasure. Paul considered his earthly body as an earthen vessel, a clay pot. The body of man came from the earth to which it returns (Gen. 2:7; 3:19; 18:27; Job 10:9; Psa. 103:14; Ecc. 3:20; 12:7). Clay was common in Paul’s world. Clay pots were cheap to make, fragile, and expendable. Paul was contrasting his own weakness compared to the great, powerful treasure of the gospel he possessed. Paul went through hardships for the sake of the gospel that caused cracks to form in him as a clay pot, but instead of being destroyed, he remained intact by God’s power (2 Cor. 4:8-9). His outer physical body may perish, but his inner spiritual life was renewed daily (2 Cor. 4:16).

The knowledge of the truth in the gospel of Jesus Christ brings with it eternal life (1 Jn. 5:20). Paul was willing for his physical body to suffer death so that the knowledge of the gospel that brings eternal life might be made known. The Corinthians to whom Paul wrote were among those who benefited by this willingness. To them, Paul went on to write his daily experience of, “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you” (2 Cor. 4:10-12). Paul faced dangers every hour for the gospel to the point he could say, “I die daily” (1 Cor. 15:30-31). He was willing to do this as a servant of God. “As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter” (Rom. 8:36). By continually dying and continuing to live, Paul reenacted the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The death and resurrection of Jesus were not merely the message he preached, but the model by which he lived.

All of us as Christians have been identified with Christ’s death and resurrection when we were baptized (Rom. 6:3-5). We must continue to do so by putting to death the desires of the flesh (Gal. 5:24), and by denying ourselves to take up our cross daily and serve Jesus (Lk. 9:23). An eternal soul is more valuable than all the world’s treasures (Mt. 16:26). If we must endure hardships in this short life so that souls may be saved for eternity, then it is worth it.

Jesus spoke of the need to be ready for the judgment when He comes (Lk. 12:43-48). In that context, Jesus said, “I came to send fire on the earth” (Lk. 12:49). In the Scriptures, fire often refers to the judgment of God. Early in the book of Luke, John the Baptist had introduced Jesus as the one who would come and baptize with fire (3:16). This baptism in fire is not a blessing, for Luke 3:17 explains, “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.” John’s message was repentance based on impending judgment, as he said, “And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Lk. 3:9).

            Jesus is a very polarizing person. In Luke 12, He went on to say:

“Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law” (vv. 51-53.)

Just as the final judgment will separate the righteous from the wicked, division also occurs now in this life based on one’s response to Jesus. People in the same house often have very different responses to Jesus. Division occurs over whether to follow Him. My response to Jesus is critical to being in His kingdom now (the church) and in the future (heaven). Fire can also have a purifying influence, purging the precious metal from the dross (1 Cor. 3:13; 1 Pet. 1:7). Those who look for Jesus to come, purify themselves from the pollutions of the world; this drives a wedge between them and worldly people (1 Jn. 3:2-3; 1 Pet. 2:11; 4:1-5; 2 Pet. 2:20).

            All the wickedness of the world cries out for judgment (Rev. 6:10). Without final, ultimate judgment, there is no hope for the world. However, with final judgment, is there hope for you and me? None of us can perfectly live up to the standard of God (Rom. 3:10-23); all of us deserve death (Rom. 6:23). How terrifying to stand before God in judgment with no means of pardon. “Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him” (Nah. 1:6). Yet, the statement Jesus makes in Luke 12:50—in the midst of the comments already considered in this article—gives the solution. Jesus was under great strain for He had a baptism to be baptized with; this baptism was not in water for that had already occurred (Lk. 3:21). This baptism was the suffering of the cross, drinking the cup of the wrath of God, and giving His life as a ransom (Mk. 10:38-45). Jesus delivers those who have obeyed the Gospel from the fiery wrath to come (1 Thess. 1:10; 2 Thess. 1:8-10).