Ministry of Grace Church

For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building.

Truth to Learn

Every Christian is assigned a task in building God’s church and we all need to be hard at work, not just watching.

Behind the Words

In this verse, each time the word “God’s” appears, it is the translation of the genitive case (indicating possession) of the noun theos, from which we get our English word “theology,” meaning the study of God. The word theos was originally used by the Greeks to refer to any of their gods. In the New Testament, however, it is almost exclusively used in reference to the one true God. Theos is probably derived from the Greek word theteres, meaning “placers,” for the Greeks thought the gods were makers and disposers of all things. The ancient Greeks believed that elements had their own “placers.” Thus they had the god of fire, the god of the winds, the god of money, etc.

“Fellow workers” is from the Greek noun sunergos. This is made up of sun, meaning “together” and ergon, which refers to “work” or “a deed.”

Geōrgion is the word translated “field.” It refers to ground that is used to grow plants. It could be translated as “farmland,” “vineyard,” or “garden.”

“Building” is from the Greek noun oikodomē, which is made up of oikos, meaning “a dwelling place” or “a house” and a form of demō, meaning “to build.” Literally, it refers to a house under construction.

Meaning Explained

The first thing to notice about this verse is the way it is constructed. Literally it reads, “God’s fellow workers we are, God’s garden, God’s building you are.” The word theos is the first word in each phrase, placing strong emphasis on the fact that God is the possessor and source of each. The verbs we are (first person) and you are (second person) are notably different. Paul includes himself in the group of “fellow workers” but emphasized that you (members of the church, the body of Christ) are God’s garden and God’s house under construction.

As we mentioned in verse six, Paul uses an agricultural metaphor that everyone in the Roman world would be familiar with. In this verse, he transitions to an architectural metaphor. This would be especially relevant to people in the city of Corinth because of all the magnificent temples and other splendid structures that existed throughout the city and other major cities throughout the Roman Empire. Perhaps the reason for this is the fact that a garden or a vineyard was typically the work of a few workers working together. The great buildings of the Roman cities, however, were the work of large numbers of people working together toward a common goal.

The apostle will now use the architectural metaphor to show how the body of Christ, the church, God’s temple, is built up as a result of each one of us doing our part. He will then show that each worker will receive his or her pay (reward) in proportion to the amount of work done in the temple building process.

Application

Are you hard at work building up the body of Christ, God’s temple, or are you just sitting back watching it grow? Only the workers will get paid, not the spectators.