1 Corinthians 3:1-9
God Gives the Growth
1Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ.
2I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready,
3for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man?
4For when one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?
5What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each his role.
6I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.
7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
8He who plants and he who waters are one in purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.
9For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Berean Standard Bible
Paul says he could not address the Corinthians as spiritual people but as infants in Christ. He fed them milk rather than solid food because they were not ready for it. The problem was not a lack of intelligence or a demand that new believers know everything immediately. Their spiritual immaturity showed in the way envy and quarrels controlled them.
When one person says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” Paul asks whether that is not merely human behavior. A church can talk about spiritual gifts while acting like a fan club. The language of growth becomes empty when people use it to compete for status.
Paul and Apollos are servants through whom the Corinthians came to believe. One planted, another watered, but God gave the growth. The workers matter, and their labor is real, but neither worker can take credit for the life God produces.
The church is God's field and God's building. These images move the focus away from personalities. A servant may have a particular task, but the field and the building belong to God. Maturity therefore includes knowing how to honor faithful workers without making them rivals or replacements for the Lord.
Families can recognize the same pattern in smaller places. A child, parent, teacher, or pastor may help faith grow, but no human helper is the source of life. Gratitude honors the servant; worship belongs to God.
Questions
1 What showed that the Corinthians were still infants in Christ?
AnswerTheir envy and quarrels showed that they were still living in a merely human way rather than growing into spiritual maturity.
2 Why did Paul give them milk instead of solid food?
AnswerHe gave them milk because they were not yet able to receive solid food, and their conduct showed they were still unready.
3 What did Paul and Apollos each do?
AnswerPaul planted and Apollos watered, but God gave the growth that made the work fruitful.
4 What belongs to God?
AnswerThe Corinthians are God's field and God's building, so no human worker can claim ownership of them.
What This Means for Us
Look for the behavior beneath a spiritual argument. Envy, rivalry, and quarrels may reveal immaturity even when the conversation uses impressive religious vocabulary.
Thank the people who have helped your faith, then return the credit to God. A healthy household honors mentors without turning them into unquestionable authorities.
Prayer
God, forgive our envy and quarrels. Give growth where people have planted and watered faithfully, and teach us to honor servants without forgetting that Your people belong to You. Amen.