What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 3:7? So neither he who plants • Paul has just identified himself as the planter (v.6) and Apollos as the waterer. Both are servants, nothing more. • This reminds us that even the most gifted minister is merely fulfilling an assigned role (1 Corinthians 4:1–2; Romans 12:6–8). • Luke records similar humility in Acts 10:26 when Peter says, “Stand up; I am only a man myself.” Nor he who waters is anything • Apollos’s eloquence (Acts 18:24–28) did not make him spiritually superior; his effectiveness depended on God. • Paul later warns against boasting in men (1 Corinthians 3:21). • Galatians 6:3 echoes the thought: “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” But only God • The spotlight shifts decisively: ministry roles are important, but the glory belongs solely to the Lord (Isaiah 42:8). • Psalm 115:1 captures the heartbeat: “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name be the glory.” • Jesus affirmed God’s exclusive greatness: “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18). Who makes things grow • The spiritual life of believers is God’s creative work (Philippians 1:6; John 6:44). • Jesus uses agricultural imagery in Mark 4:26–29—seed grows “all by itself”; the farmer cannot explain it. • Growth proves divine power, not human strategy (Ephesians 2:4–10). summary Human labor in ministry matters, yet its value lies wholly in God’s enabling power. Planters and waterers are honored servants, but all true growth—conversion, maturity, fruitfulness—comes from God alone. Our confidence and praise therefore rest not in personalities or programs but in the Lord who gives the increase. |
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