1 Corinthians 3:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each.

NIV: What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe--as the Lord has assigned to each his task.

NASB: What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one.

CSB: What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given.

NLT: After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us.

KJV: Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

NKJV: Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?

Paul is expressing frustration with the Corinthian Christians for their lack of maturity in Christ. The fact that they have divided themselves into factions based on which Christian leader they prefer is selfish and childish. Worse, it just doesn't make any spiritual sense. Whatever the earthly motivations were—charisma, ethnicity, style—all that matters is that such cliques are spiritually inappropriate.

Paul begins to demonstrate a truth that seems obvious to some who reading these words with the benefit of hindsight. We must be careful, however. Any Christian can be as blind as the Corinthians were to the senselessness at the heart of our own immature conflicts and jealousies. We're called on to be self-examining (2 Corinthians 13:5) and diligent (1 Peter 1:10) for that very reason. Just because we're saved and redeemed doesn't mean we're immune to living out a "merely human" attitude (1 Corinthians 3:3).

Now Paul asks, what is Apollos? What is Paul? In chapter 1, Paul used sarcastic questions to show them that he was not Christ. Paul was not crucified for them. They were not baptized into the name of Paul. Why would they focus on anyone but Christ, who cannot be divided (1 Corinthians 1:13)? The intent here is the same—posing questions with their own obvious answers.

Paul describes what he and Apollos truly are. They are merely servants of the Lord, used by God to deliver the gospel the Corinthians believed. They each did the task God gave them. In other words, neither is worth following as compared to Christ. Neither is worth division between fellow believers.

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.