1 Corinthians 3:6

The context

First Corinthians opens with reports of factions in the Corinthian church, with members claiming allegiance to Paul, to Apollos, or to others. Paul answers across chapters three and four by describing himself and Apollos as servants through whom the Corinthians came to believe. Verse six puts their roles in agricultural terms: one plants, another waters.

What it establishes

It establishes that apostolic workers are instrumental rather than ultimate. Paul assigns planting and watering to human agents and the growth to God, which relativizes rivalry between leaders and locates the outcome of ministry outside human control.

What it does not establish

It does not make human labor dispensable. Planting and watering are still described as real work, and the following verses assign each worker a reward. The verse distinguishes roles from results; it does not say that preparation, teaching, or sustained effort are matters of indifference.

Short note, first pass, October 2026. Corrections welcome.

Cited in these answers

• Didn’t Jesus REBUKE Thomas for wanting evidence of the resurrection?! Wouldn’t this rebuke also extend to Christian apologists who seek to satisfy this demand by offering evidence for Christian claims?

Part of Scripture, Opened — the exegetical layer behind every citation on this site. Scripture quotations are from the ESV.