1 Corinthians 3:5-9
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The real surprise here isn't who Apollos or Paul were, but that they're described solely as "servants" through whom you believed. God deliberately places the focus on your personal faith journey and the specific way each leader was gifted to help you get there, not on their grand titles or accomplishments.
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is addressing a deep division within the Corinthian church, where people are fiercely aligning themselves with different spiritual leaders like Paul, Apollos, or even Peter. He's arguing that these leaders are not meant to be sources of pride or division, but rather coworkers in God's plan. The point is that ultimately, it's God who brings about faith, and all these leaders are simply His instruments.
Ever felt a pull to favor one spiritual leader over another? This passage cuts through the noise.
Paul is addressing a serious issue in Corinth: people were aligning themselves with specific teachers, almost creating 'fan clubs.' Paul and Apollos were gifted men, used mightily by God, but they were never meant to be the reason for people's faith.
The True Source of Faith
What if your spiritual gifting or role isn't about you, but about God's plan for others?
The phrase 'as the Lord assigned to each' is crucial. It reminds us that every person who brings the Gospel to us, and every gift they possess, comes directly from God's sovereign hand.
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Understand the original words
diakonos · Greek Noun
A person who serves as a minister or agent of the Gospel, emphasizing that their value lies in their role as a vessel for God's message rather than in their own personality or authority.
phyteuō · Greek Verb
To set in the ground, used metaphorically to describe the initiation of the gospel message in a person's life or a community. It represents the inaugural act of gospel ministry.
potizō · Greek Verb
To provide irrigation or moisture, used metaphorically to describe the act of nurturing and fostering growth in faith after the gospel has been introduced.
auxanō · Greek Noun/Verb
The process of increasing in size, maturity, or spiritual fruitfulness. Biblically, all true spiritual life and progress are recognized as originating from and being empowered by God alone.
misthos · Greek Noun
The compensation or reward given for work performed. In a theological context, it refers to the eternal or spiritual reward granted by God to faithful servants for their service in the Kingdom.
kopos · Greek Noun
Refers to the exertion, toil, or arduous effort put forth in serving the Lord. It emphasizes the active, sacrificial nature of Christian ministry.
synergos · Greek Noun
Someone who works alongside another to accomplish a common purpose. It signifies the humble partnership believers have with God in His work, while acknowledging His ultimate sovereignty.
The Corinthian church had fractured into factions, each claiming allegiance to Paul, Apollos, or even Peter. Paul reminds them that he and Apollos were merely servants, instruments used by God to bring people to faith, not objects of devotion themselves.
c. AD 33
Pentecost and the Early Church
The Holy Spirit empowers believers in Jerusalem, marking the birth of the Christian church and the beginning of its spread.
c. AD 34-36
Saul's Conversion and Ministry
Saul of Tarsus, who persecuted Christians, is dramatically converted and begins his ministry, later known as Paul.
c. AD 40s
Apollos Arrives in Corinth
Apollos, a gifted Alexandrian Jew, arrives in Corinth and begins teaching about Jesus with great fervor and eloquence.
c. AD 50-52
Paul's Second Missionary Journey
Paul travels extensively, including a significant stay in Corinth, where he establishes the church. He likely encountered Apollos's ministry during or shortly after this time.
c. AD 55— this verse
Paul Writes 1 Corinthians
From Ephesus, Paul addresses divisions and various issues within the Corinthian church, including the unhealthy loyalty to different leaders like himself and Apollos.
This passage directly addresses the divisions Paul is speaking about in chapter 3, showing how the Corinthian church was already aligning themselves with different leaders, including Paul and Apollos.
Ephesians 4:11-12Paul highlights that leaders (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers) are given by Christ to equip the saints for ministry, emphasizing their role as servants rather than masters.
Acts 18:24-28This passage introduces Apollos, showing him to be an eloquent man, well-versed in the Scriptures, who diligently taught about Jesus, demonstrating his genuine service in spreading the Gospel.
2 Corinthians 3:5-6Paul reiterates his core message here: that their sufficiency is from God, not themselves, and that they are ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, reinforcing the idea of servants focused on God's work.
The real surprise here isn't who Apollos or Paul were, but that they're described solely as "servants" through whom you believed. God deliberately places the focus on your personal faith journey and the specific way each leader was gifted to help you get there, not on their grand titles or accomplishments.
Paul is addressing a deep division within the Corinthian church, where people are fiercely aligning themselves with different spiritual leaders like Paul, Apollos, or even Peter. He's arguing that these leaders are not meant to be sources of pride or division, but rather coworkers in God's plan. The point is that ultimately, it's God who brings about faith, and all these leaders are simply His instruments.
Paul is addressing a deep division within the Corinthian church, where people are fiercely aligning themselves with different spiritual leaders like Paul, Apollos, or even Peter. He's arguing that these leaders are not meant to be sources of pride or division, but rather coworkers in God's plan. The point is that ultimately, it's God who brings about faith, and all these leaders are simply His instruments.
"What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the g…" — The real surprise here isn't who Apollos or Paul were, but that they're described solely as "servants" through whom you believed. God deliberately places the focus on your personal faith journey…
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Last reviewed October 2026
