GOD’S CO-WORKERS 

1 Co 3:1-23  (K. V.: 3:9) 

“For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.”

1. What problem in the brothers did Paul expose (1-3)? In what respects were they worldly (or infants in Christ)? Why were they still spiritual infants?  

V1-3, Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. ² I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. ³ You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?

Jealousy and quarrelling was the problem of the church. They are worldly.

It does not please God or Jesus, which is against the prayer of Jesus.

People of the world fall into this problem.

They are still spiritually immature, falling into such a problem.

1. How did God use Paul and Apollos in the Corinthian ministry (4-6)? How did some of the brothers misunderstand this? How did Paul help them to see God (7)? Think about how God is working through his servants (cf. Jn5:17; Php2:13).

V4-7, ⁴ For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings? ⁵ What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶ I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. ⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.

Paul planted the gospel and Apollos raised the disciples.

They segregated themselves based on their teacher.

We, Paul and Apollos are just servants. God uses his servants in doing his work.

Jn 5:17, ¹⁷ In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”

Php 2:13, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

It is God who moves the hearts of his servants to fulfill God’s purpose.

1. How were the tasks of Paul and Apollos different? How was their purpose the same (6-8)? How then should they view God’s servants and themselves (9)?

V6-9, ⁶ I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. ⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸ The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.

But it is God who made it (people and church) grow. It is the work of God, so all credit should go to God.

⁹ For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

We should view each other as co-workers in doing God’s work.

We do not have a human division but united in Christ.

Then, we need to live and pray before God, help them to see them in God’s perspective.

1. What new analogy is Paul using (10,11)? Why is the foundation of a building so important? What is the church’s one foundation (11; 15:3,4; Eph2:20-22)? 

1. How does Paul compare Christian works to building materials (12)? Which ones survive a fire and which ones don’t (13-15)? Why did he give this warning? 
2. How did Paul help the Corinthians see themselves (16,17)? What false confidence did they have in worldly wisdom (18)? How does God view such wisdom (19,20)? Why should we not boast about men? (21-23)