This must mean that Paul was the first evangelist to work in Corinth (note his principle, stated in Rom. 15:20: Ambitious to preach the Gospel not where Christ had been named, lest I should build upon someone else’s foundation); Apollos arrived later, continued the work of evangelism, and helped in the task of building up the church.

Paul uses an agricultural metaphor to explain that different leaders have different roles in the growth of the church. Paul was responsible for founding the Corinthian church (2 Cor 10:14). Since these ministries are interdependent, each one is important

Apollos and Paul were given their ministries by Christ (Eph. 4:11). They were the means, not the cause, whereby the Corinthians believed (cf. 1 Cor. 2:4–5).

First, diversity of ministry. One laborer plows the soil, another sows the seed, a third waters the seed. As time passes, the plants grow, the fruit appears, and other laborers enjoy reaping the harvest. This emphasis on diversity will also show up when Paul compares the church to a body with many different parts.

Paul and Apollos were not in competition with each other. They were partners in the work of God. One “planted” while another “watered.” Each one did his part, but God brought about the growth.

We don’t need to strive to produce our own growth. If we know and believe that our growth is not something that we produce, then we can give up on all of our self-help, self-improvement, self-actualization projects. The gospel declares that salvation is by grace through faith (cf. Ephesians 2:8).

Growth is not going to come from reading the right book, or listening to the right preacher, or following a proper regimen of spiritual disciplines. These things are not unimportant—and God may very well use them just as he used Paul and Apollos! But that is not where growth is going to come from. Growth comes directly from God.

Paul called the congregation “God’s field” (v. 9) in which he and Apollos had colabored with God while being utterly dependent upon God for the growth.

The creation and nurturing of faith is the work neither of preacher nor of hearer, but of God.

Refers to the instruction of the church community (Acts 18:27–28).

As servants, Paul and Apollos were not competing against each other but were complementing each other’s ministries (v. 8). Their purpose was to bring the church to maturity, to Christlikeness (Eph. 4:12–13).

Second, unity of purpose. No matter what work a person is doing for the Lord, he is still a part of the harvest. “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one” (1 Cor. 3:8). Paul, Apollos, and Peter were not competing with each other. Rather, each was doing his assigned task under the lordship of Jesus Christ. Even though there is diversity of ministry, there is unity of purpose; and there ought to be unity of spirit.

I have planted. Every one of God’s servants has his allotted task to perform. Some ministers do pioneer work, sowing the seed of the Word; others gather in the harvest. Several different instruments may be used to lead a sinner to Christ, as in the work done by a carpenter many different tools may be used to construct an article

Christians mustn’t be distracted by comparing personalities and gifts. The wonderful truth is that they are God’s temple, where his Spirit lives and works.

If God gives growth, we are able to place our differences in proper perspective. As Paul said, he and Apollos were simply “servants” of Christ (v. 5).

Though we are all different, no difference makes one qualitatively better than another. God affirms differences. Some plant, some water, some till the soil, some reap the harvest. Each Christian is equipped with gifts that are unique to his or her makeup, and each is uniquely and equally important to the body of Christ (cf. 12:19, 20).

When we recognize that God is the source of growth, we are free to celebrate others when they flourish!

rewarded. This word (misthos [3408, 3635]) can refer to the wages workers earned and were paid at the end of each day or at the end of a job (Luke 10:7; Rom 4:4; Jas 5:4). However, it can also refer to the nonmaterial reward associated with heaven and God’s ultimate judgment (Luke 6:23).

The only significance of planter and waterer is that God accepts their labour and works through them (verse 9); they have no independent importance.

God was causing it to grow Identifies God as the source of maturity in the faith. Paul directs the Corinthian believers to God, the source of life and unity. In doing so, he casts himself and Apollos as servants of God

reward God will reward Paul and Apollos for strengthening the faith of the church community. Their reward may include sharing in the joy of their master or receiving praise from God (Matt 25:21; 1 Cor 4:5).

The attention of the Corinthians should have been fastened on God, who alone effects all spiritual work, and not on his unimportant instruments.

Third, humility of spirit. It is not the human laborers that produce the harvest, but the Lord of the harvest. “God gave the increase … God that giveth the increase” (1 Cor. 3:6–7). Granted, God has ordained that human beings should be His ministers on earth; but their efforts apart from God’s blessing would be failures. The Corinthians were proud of their church, and various groups in the assembly were proud of their leaders. But this attitude of being “puffed up” was dividing the church because God was not receiving the glory.

“but God was causing the growth” This is an IMPERFECT tense, which means continual action in past time. Apollos’ and Paul’s actions were one-time events, but God’s actions are continuing (cf. v. 7).

True growth is always God-given. He doesn’t dismiss the importance of the ministry he and Apollos had done (“I planted, Apollos watered,” v. 6), but he points to the very source of the growth that the Corinthians had been looking for: “God gave the growth” (v. 6).

We need to place our obedience in proper perspective. Someone has to plant, someone has to water (v. 8a).

One can plant all day, but if there is no one watering, there will not be any growth. One can water all day, but if there is no one planting, there will not be any growth. Ultimately we can plant and water all day, but if God doesn’t give the growth, there will not be any.

When we see ourselves growing stagnant, we can certainly do our due diligence in prayer, Scripture reading, and preaching the gospel. But it is God who ultimately gives growth.

How can we be sure that God will re-source growth? There is a gardener who created a world meant to thrive (creation). When his garden fell into disrepair (the fall), he didn’t abandon it. He incarnated himself into the world he had created (the Incarnation) in order to take the fall for all of our sin, decline, regression, and death (the cross) and to create a new creational humanity through his defeat of death (resurrection). He has created a new people for himself who are called to be co-gardeners—servants in God’s field (missional calling). And he has promised that in the end we will experience eternal growth, flourishing, and progression on all fronts (natural, personal, societal, cultural) as we live in a renewed, reconciled garden-city (the new creation).

The growth cannot happen apart from the connection to the true vine. We need to be connected to the very source of growth—the true vine.

Attempting to create growth in ourselves leads to despair. But if we know there is an unconditional source that never changes, and if it is a source that actually gives us what we can’t acquire on our own, then there is hope. We can avoid despair even when there are discouragements because we know that the ultimate source of growth does not come from our own efforts.