1 Corinthians 3:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

NIV: So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.

NASB: So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.

CSB: So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

NLT: It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.

KJV: So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

NKJV: So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

The Corinthians were embroiled in conflict and strife over what may seem to us now a very silly issue. They had divided themselves into factions over which Christian leader they were loyal to. We must be careful, however. Most of us fail to see how senseless our own conflicts with other Christians really are in the heat of the moment. And, believers can easily dismiss others based on their opinion of famous names in the religious community. Doctrine and teaching are important (Titus 2:1), but even today, some "divisions" are as absurd as the ones being condemned by Paul (Titus 3:9).

Paul is tackling this misunderstanding head on. He has equated himself and Apollos as servants of Christ: each completing the task given to them in Corinth. Using a gardening metaphor, Paul said that he planted the seed of the gospel and Apollos watered it. God, though, is the one who caused it to grow. Different emphasis, or different style, does not mean one is more godly or more important than the other.

Paul now connects the dots. Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters have any real power. The field hand doesn't do magic, he does his assigned job. That work matters, but the work in and of itself cannot make seeds grow. Only God can give growth to the seed. That's real power. God, then, is the only one worth following. As much as we might prefer certain jobs—or certain teachers—we can't divide the body of Christ over such preferences.

First Corinthians 3:1–9 describes Paul's rebuke of the Corinthian Christians as infants in Christ. As a contrast to a spiritually-indwelt believer, Paul uses the concept of being ''merely human.'' Such persons are not ready for solid food, still behaving as immature, undeveloped believers. Instead of following Paul or Apollos, or some other human being, they should follow God, the master of all. Different leaders might be called to different tasks in God's will, but none are ultimately more important than others.

Paul cannot call the Corinthian Christians ''spiritual'' people. Though they are in Christ, they continue to live to the flesh. They are spiritual infants, not ready for solid food. Divisions among them prove they are still serving themselves, picking sides in a senseless debate between Christian teachers. Paul insists that both he and Apollos are mere servants of the Lord and co-workers. They are not in competition. Those who lead the Corinthians must build carefully because their work will be tested on the day of the Lord. Christian leaders who build the church will have their work judged by Christ to see if they have built on the foundation of Christ. All human wisdom will be shown to be futile and worthless.

First Corinthians 3 follows Paul's teaching that only spiritual people can understand the wisdom of God. Paul cannot fully call the Corinthian Christians spiritual people, though, because they continue to live of the flesh, as if they were still infants trapped in an immature condition. Evidence includes the divisions among them. Paul insist that he and Apollos are both servants of the same master. The Corinthians should follow God, not them. Those whose work is worthless will suffer loss, but they will be saved. After this, Paul will expound on the idea that believers ought to set Christ as their example, rather than being defined in terms of their earthly leaders.

First Corinthians is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Paul writes to a church immersed in a city associated with trade, but also with corruption and immorality. These believers are struggling to properly apply spiritual gifts and to resist the ungodly practices of the surrounding culture. Paul's letter gives instructions for real-life concerns such as marriage and spirituality. He also deals with the importance of unity and gives one of the Bible's more well-known descriptions of love in chapter 13.