1 Corinthians 3:1-9: a reflection

1Brothers, I couldn’t speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ. 2I fed you with milk, not with solid food, for you weren’t yet ready. Indeed, you aren’t ready even now, 3for you are still fleshly. For insofar as there is jealousy, strife, and factions among you, aren’t you fleshly, and don’t you walk in the ways of men? 4For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you fleshly? 5Who then is Apollos, and who is Paul, but servants through whom you believed, and each as the Lord gave to him? 6I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase. 7So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8Now he who plants and he who waters are the same, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building.

The Corinthians had divided into factions, some claiming to follow Paul, others Apollos, quarreling over their favorite leaders. Paul corrects them by putting the leaders in their proper place: What is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. The human servants had their parts, planting and watering; but it was God who gave the growth. Neither the planter nor the waterer is anything; only God who gives the growth.

Notice where Paul directs the glory: to God who gives the growth. The servants had real parts to play, Paul planting, Apollos watering; but the growth itself, the increase, the life, came from God alone. A farmer may plant and water, but he cannot make the seed grow; that is God's doing. And so with the work of the gospel: the servants labor, but God gives the growth. To exalt the servants into factions, as though they were the source of the growth, was to forget that only God gives the increase.

That truth is a needed check on how we regard those who serve God, and our own service. We can exalt human servants, gathering into factions around favorite leaders, as though they were the source of the spiritual growth; or we can take pride in our own labor, forgetting that the growth is God's doing. But neither the planter nor the waterer is anything; God gives the growth. Do not exalt human servants into factions, as though they were the source of what only God can give; and do not take pride in your own labor as though the growth depended on you. You may plant and water; but God gives the growth. Give God the glory for the growth, rather than the servants who only planted and watered; and labor faithfully in your own part, humbly, knowing that the increase is God's doing, not yours. The glory belongs to God, who gives the growth; keep it there, rather than giving it to the servants, or claiming it yourself.

Lord, the Corinthians had divided into factions around their favorite leaders, and Paul corrected them: what is Apollos? what is Paul? servants through whom you believed; I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. Show me where Paul directs the glory: to you, who give the growth. The servants had real parts, planting and watering; but the growth itself came from you alone. A farmer may plant and water, but cannot make the seed grow; that is your doing. Let that truth check how I regard those who serve you, and my own service. I can exalt human servants, gathering into factions around favorite leaders, as though they were the source of the growth; or take pride in my own labor, forgetting that the growth is your doing. But neither the planter nor the waterer is anything; you give the growth. Keep me from exalting human servants into factions, as though they were the source of what only you can give; and keep me from taking pride in my own labor as though the growth depended on me. Help me give you the glory for the growth, rather than the servants who only planted and watered; and labor faithfully in my own part, humbly, knowing the increase is your doing, not mine. The glory belongs to you, who give the growth, Lord; help me keep it there.