The gospel is like a treasure in clay jars (2 Cor 4:7) Roman pottery

2 Corinthians was sent by Paul to the congregation at Corinth sometime after 1 Corinthians. During the interval between the letters, Paul had paid a painful visit to Corinth where he was deeply offended by someone. 2 Corinthians is a letter in which Paul fosters reconciliation. Recognizing that people are fallible, Paul compares those who have the gospel to clay jars that hold a treasure and depicts his ministry as one of reconciliation (4-5). He asks them to contribute to the collection for the poor in Jerusalem (8-9), and he defends the integrity of his ministry against the claims of other apostles by boasting of his weaknesses and what he has suffered (10-13).

2 Cor 4:5-18 - Treasure in clay jars
2 Cor 5:16-21 - Ministry of reconciliation
2 Cor 12:8-10 - Power made perfect in weakness