Grasp the Gospel — Bible Comprehension Quizzes

1 Corinthians 3 Devotional

Only God Gives the Growth

“I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.”1 Corinthians 3:6 (BSB)

Paul calls the believers infants who still need milk, because their jealousy and quarrels show they are living like the world (3:1-3). Then he shrinks the leaders back to size. Paul and Apollos are only servants, each doing the work the Lord assigned. One planted and the other watered, but God made it grow (3:5-7).

The church belongs to God. It is his field and his building, and its only foundation is Jesus Christ (3:9-11). What is built on that foundation will be tested on the Day of judgment, as if by fire. Work that lasts brings reward, and work that burns brings loss, though the builder himself is saved (3:13-15). The church together is also God's temple, where his Spirit lives (3:16). Then comes a surprising turn: all things belong to believers, because they belong to Christ, and Christ to God (3:21-23). You need not cling to any human leader or measure your worth by visible results. Plant and water faithfully, and trust God with the growth.

To think about: Whose results or approval have you been leaning on, and what would it mean to trust God with the growth?

About 1 Corinthians 3: God's Field and God's Temple

Paul calls the Corinthians worldly for their rivalries, explaining that he and Apollos are only servants while God gives the growth. Each builder's work on the foundation of Christ will be tested by fire, and the church is God's temple, in which his Spirit dwells.

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