1 Corinthians 3:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Even this small work depended not on them, but on God, Who granted it to them. But, they might say, should we not love those who serve us? Yes, he says, but one must know to what degree. Their work is not from themselves, but from God, Who granted it to them. "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase" (1 Cor 3:6). That is, I first sowed the word. Then, lest the seeds dry up from temptations, Apollos added something on his part. Yet all was the work of God.

I, he says, first sowed the preaching. Apollos, by his continual teaching, did not allow the seed to dry up from the heat of the evil one's temptations. But God gave you growth.

I am planted in the house of the Lord, that is, in the Church. I am planted not in its walls, but in its teaching. Everyone planted in the house of the Lord, who sends down roots in it, bears fruit.

To plant here means to proclaim the Gospel and draw men to faith. To water means to baptize with solemn words. But to forgive sins and bestow the Spirit belongs to God alone. If God gives healing, there is no human glory in this. We know that the Holy Spirit is given by God without the laying on of hands (Acts 2:4). It has even happened that the unbaptized received forgiveness of sins. Was he not invisibly baptized, namely the centurion Cornelius, when he received the gift of the baptized? (Acts 10).

"I planted," because I was the first to preach to you. "Apollos watered," because after me he supported my teaching. "But God gave the increase," because success depended on the grace of God.

"I planted," because I preached to you. "Apollos watered," because after me he supported my teaching. "But God gave the increase," because success depended on the grace of God, as Theodoret says.

After reasoning about the spiritual and psychic man, the holy Apostle Paul directly calls the Corinthians not spiritual, but carnal and foolish babes.

He does this because they are agitated and divided over teachers, who are merely God's fellow-workers in God's field (1 Cor 3:1-9).

"And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.

For when one says, 'I am of Paul,' and another, 'I am of Apollos,' are you not carnal? Who is Paul? Who is Apollos?

They are only ministers through whom you believed. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

He who plants and he who waters are one. For we are God's fellow-workers. You are God's field, God's building."

Speaking of the Corinthians' division into parties according to teachers, the Apostle Paul again calls the Corinthians carnal.

They were looking from a lower human point of view, whereas here everyone must be seen as ministers of God.

Or they must be seen as workers performing various tasks, according to what the Master and Lord entrusts each to do in His holy field, the Kingdom of God.

This field is made to grow by Him alone and is harvested for Him alone (Mt 13:40).

Besides being called a field, the Corinthian Christians are also compared to a building, whose deepest foundation is Jesus Christ Himself.

The apostles are compared to builders. One lays the foundation, and another lays further courses.

He explains what the Lord gave each of them to do in planting faith among the Corinthians.

"I," he says, "sowed the word. And so that the seeds would not dry up from temptations, Apollos added something on his part.

But everything was the work of God" (St. Chrysostom). "Success depends on the grace of God" (Theodoret).

Those who hear attend to the preaching and incline by desire to accept it. God seals this desire with grace, and it becomes deed.

Life according to faith lies before those who have accepted faith, and this is impossible without the grace of God.

God raises desire to zealous activity and sustains patience in the labors of that activity.

He does this in all the time of action, both in life generally and in every particular deed and undertaking.