GOD MAKES THINGS GROW

Passage: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Key verse: 6-7

NIV

The Church and Its Leaders

3 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit(A) but as people who are still worldly(B)—mere infants(C) in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food,(D) for you were not yet ready for it.(E) Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling(F) among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,”(G) are you not mere human beings?

5 What, after all, is Apollos?(H) And what is Paul? Only servants,(I) through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed,(J) Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.(K) 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service;(L) you are God’s field,(M) God’s building.(N)

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Divisions in the Church

3 But I, brothers,[a] could not address you as (A)spiritual people, but as (B)people of the flesh, as (C)infants in Christ. 2 (D)I fed you with milk, not solid food, for (E)you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is (F)jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For (G)when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” (H)are you not being merely human?

5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? (I)Servants through whom you believed, (J)as the Lord assigned to each. 6 (K)I planted, (L)Apollos watered, (M)but God gave the growth. 7 So (N)neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each (O)will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are (P)God's fellow workers. You are God's field, (Q)God's building.

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Footnotes
  1. 1 Corinthians 3:1 Or brothers and sisters
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

What are the signs that believers are living in a worldly way rather than living by the Spirit? A few signs include jealousy, quarreling, and divisions. The Corinthian Christians were spiritually immature. Their attitudes toward each other were no different from worldly people. Paul saw them as spiritual infants. They emphasized following church leaders like Paul and Apollos. These Christians were no different from worldly people who divide over politics, culture, human status, or their social circle.

To combat their spiritual immaturity, Paul challenged them. Paul and Apollos (and any other church leader) were only servants of the Lord, carrying out whatever was their assigned task. Paul had planted the seed of the gospel. Apollos watered the seed with powerful Bible teaching. But only God could make that seed grow and produce fruit in their lives. Their focus must be on God who makes things grow, including their faith. God would reward Paul and Apollos for their service. But their ministry was God’s service, and they were God’s field and building.

Are you contributing to unity in God or dividing over worldly things? Glorify God in your fellowship and ministry and pray to grow in spiritual maturity.

Prayer: Father, forgive my worldliness and help me to live by your Spirit. Use me to lead others to Jesus.

One Word: Live by the Spirit, not the world