Laborers Together with God 1 Corinthians 3:9

As Paul the apostle continued to share with the Corinthian church members about their “division” over whether he and Apollos were more effective, he declared “he that plants and he that waters are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour”, and in chapter three and verse nine of First Corinthians, Paul shared how he and Apollos were “laborers together with God” where we read:

For we are laborers together with God: you are God's husbandry, you are God's building.

The verse begins, “For we are laborers together with God:” Paul began with the word, “For” which means “even as, indeed, no doubt, seeing then, verily and therefore” “we are” which refers to “Paul and Apollos” “laborers together” or “companions and fellow workers” “with God” or “alongside the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit”. Paul and Apollos both worked alongside of “God” who ultimately is responsible for “the increase” or “growth” of the “gospel”.

The verse goes on to say, “you are God's husbandry, you are God's building.”. Paul continued with the words, “you are” which refers to “the Corinthian church members” “God's” which means “the possession of Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “husbandry” or “cultivated field and tillage”, “you are” which refers to the church members in Corinth “God's” or “the possession of Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “building” which literally means “edifice” and metaphorically means “edifying or edification as the act of one who promotes another's growth in Christian wisdom, piety, happiness and holiness”. Paul employed two examples to which the Corinthians would be very familiar – God's “husbandry” or “cultivated field” and “God's building”.

When we think through these words from Paul, we better understand he and Apollos' role in the sharing of the “gospel”. The church members of Corinth were “God's” and not Paul or Apollos'. Paul likened them to a “cultivated field” which was owned by God and worked by Paul and Apollos. They were like a “building” which was under construction, and Paul and Apollos were the construction workers. In each case, the Corinthians were possessed by God, and Paul and Apollos were only “servants” or “ministers” among them. Jesus Christ should be the only one who is exalted when sharing in the “ministry” of the gospel, and all others are subservient to Him. May we give “glory and honor” to Jesus Christ alone to whom it is truly due, and let all others take their submissive place after Him.

Next time Paul refers to himself “as a wise master-builder”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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