Ep. 306. 1 Corinthians 3-4 | The One Who Plants

EPISODE 306

THE ONE WHO PLANTS: 1 CORINTHIANS 3-4

We picked up today from the same conversation we had yesterday. Paul rebukes the church in Corinth by reminding them that as long as they are divided over their favorite teachers, they are "infants" who have yet to mature in Christ. After all, Paul and Apollos, and by extension Peter and the rest of the proclaimers of the good news, are just servants of God. That is, after all, how they should be considered by the saints in Corinth. Paul is not unique. Apollos is not exceptional. They are merely the servants of God who are called to be faithful to that which they've been entrusted. "It is God who causes the growth." "Neither the one plants nor he who waters is anything." That's a good reminder for people like myself who find themselves in positions to lead and teach the body of Christ.

Paul applied all of these things to himself and Apollos, "That you may learn not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another." You will see that the Corinthians were quite proud of what they knew, the sin they allowed, the food they ate, and the gifts they had from the Holy Spirit. But we will see that more in the coming days.

The text that changed everything for me was 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. I used to teach that to whatever crowd I found myself in front of. I am now convinced, for the reasons I gave in the video, that those particular verses deal with the laborers and not the "field" or the "building."

ADDITIONAL READING: JOB 5:13; Psalm 94:11