Example: Sources for 2 Corinthians 4:7-15

Under "Style," we noted the metaphor of "clay jars." This image could have been drawn from Hellenistic sources describing the worthless body that contains the immortal soul, but that hardly seems to match Paul’s thought. More likely, the source for this image is found in the traditions of Israel to contrast the power of God with human frailty. See Is 29:16, 30:14, 45:9; Jer 22:28; Lam 4:2. Paul sees that same saving power of God, now at work through his proclamation of the gospel.

Alternatively, one might note that the word for "clay jars" is also used in Leviticus (6:28, 14:50) for vessels used in the temple liturgies. Perhaps this is connected to Paul's discussion of Moses (through whom these laws were given) in 2 Corinthians 3.

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Verse 13 includes a quotation from LXX Psalm 115:1. Though Paul's wording matches what is found in the Psalm, there have been questions raised about  what "the same spirit of faith" means. Whose faith is Paul talking about? Most likely, the psalmist. Others, however, have suggested a reference to the faith of the Corinthians, or of the opponents in Corinth, or of Jesus, whose death and resurrection Paul shares.

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