be of God and not from us. The context indicates that “this treasure” is God’s shining in our hearts by the knowledge of faith filling us with his glorious grace in Christ Jesus. Paul says that he and his associates in the work have this treasure “in earthen vessels,” those made of baked clay. Ὀστράκινος is derived from ὄστρακον, anything that is made of burnt clay, it is also used to designate pieces of such vessels: potsherds, ostraka, so many of which have recently been discovered in Egypt.