Tag: phuteuo

1 Corinthians 3:7 – Faithfully Serve and Trust

Posted on by Will

So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

Truth to Learn

Every Christian needs to serve, trusting God for the result.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “so then” is hōste. It is made up of hōs, meaning “in this manner” and te, meaning “and.” Thus, hōste literally means “and therefore.”

“He who plants” is from the participial form of phuteuō, which we saw in yesterday’s verse, meaning “to plant.” In the participle form it means “the one planting” or “he who plants.”

“He who waters” is from the participial form of potidzō, which we also saw in yesterday’s verse, meaning “to give a drink” or “to irrigate.” In the participle form it means “the one giving a drink” or “the one watering.”

The word translated “anything” is ti, meaning “a thing” or “something.” In verse five we pointed out that the word “who,” from the word tis, should probably have been translated as “what” (or “what thing”), from the word ti. The fact that Paul uses ti in today’s verse is evidence of that statement.

The words “who gives the increase” is from the participial form of auxanō, which we also saw in yesterday’s verse, meaning “to grow” or “to increase.” In the participle form it means “the one giving the increase.”

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse is very similar to yesterday’s verse; however, there is one important difference. In verse six, Paul told us that he is the one who planted the seeds of faith and that Apollos was the one who watered the seedlings. He now tells us that in spite of how important it is for us to be obedient to God in our calling, compared to God our efforts are miniscule and we should not claim any credit for the results.

You will recall that this teaching came about because of the divisions being caused in the Corinthian church as a result of people claiming to follow different leaders. They were placing these leaders on a pedestal, claiming allegiance to one or the other. In response to that, Paul pointed out that the very people whom the Corinthians were giving special honor and allegiance to were nothing more than servants. Neither Paul nor Apollos deserved the credit for the church growth; they were simply servants faithfully performing the tasks assigned to them by their Master. It is the Master who is producing the results.

There is a subtlety here in Paul’s teaching that I don’t want us to miss. The fact that people were giving allegiance to certain leaders implies that the people gave credit to these leaders for the success that the church had achieved. It is the same way in the sports world today. We give credit to a great quarterback of a football team when they win and often blame the same person when they lose. In fact, the success of a football team depends on all of the players doing their part as assigned to them by the coaches.

Application

Church growth is not the result of great leaders, it is the result of every member of the body doing the work that God has assigned them. The lack of growth of the church (spiritually or in numbers) is not necessarily the fault of the pastor. It is more likely the result of the members of the body not doing what God has assigned them to do. Are you giving your all to serve your Master in the task He has chosen for you?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

1 Corinthians 3:6 – Farmers and Gardeners

Posted on by Will

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

Truth to Learn

We are called to be servants, planting seeds and nourishing the church. God will do the rest.

Behind the Words

Phuteuō is the Greek verb translated “planted.” It is derived from phuton (a plant), which is itself derived from the verb phuō, meaning “to generate” or “to spring up.” Thus, phuteuō refers to planting a seed with the hope that it will spring to life and grow. It is expressed here in the aorist tense, indicating action that was done in the past at a point in time.

“Watered” is from the Greek verb potidzō, which means “to give a drink” or “to irrigate.” This verb is also expressed in the aorist tense, indicating past action done at a point in time.

The words “gave the increase” are translated from the verb auxanō, which means “to grow” or “to increase.” Unlike the other two verbs, this one is expressed in the imperfect tense, indicating past continuous action.

Meaning Explained

Most of the Roman world outside of the city of Rome itself was based on an agrarian society. Growing crops and raising cattle were necessary for meeting the needs of the Roman citizens. Because of this, nearly everyone understood the basics of raising crops. In much of Jesus’ teaching and throughout the writings of the apostles, agricultural metaphors were used because the ideas being taught were easier to understand when related to something as familiar as agriculture.

This metaphor is applicable to teachings about the sprouting of faith in a person’s heart (the parable of the sower and the seed) and about the gathering together of God’s people into His kingdom at the end of this age (the harvest of the wheat and the tares). It is also particularly applicable to the growth of the church as Paul applies it here.

You and I are not responsible for the growth of the church any more than we are responsible for another person’s salvation. These things are God’s doing. We are responsible as farmers and garden growers to plant the seeds of the Gospel message and to tend the plants of faith after they have sprouted up.

Although Paul was one of the best teachers of God’s truth in the first century, he was primarily an evangelist. He planted the seeds of faith throughout the Roman world. In Corinth, it was Paul, with the assistance of Sylvanus and Timothy, who proclaimed the Gospel of salvation to the people there. He stayed there long enough to ensure that the tender new seedlings got a good start and warned about the weeds and insects that would try to choke and nibble at the seedlings as they grew. Apollos, on the other hand, was responsible for providing the spiritual fertilizer and water that the young Christian plants needed to grow strong. Paul realized, however, that the growth of the church, both in numbers and in strength is really God’s doing.

Application

If you are in a church that is healthy and growing, it is because there are dedicated farmers and gardeners of God who invest their time and effort into being God’s servants. They pull out the weeds and they are on constant lookout for spiritual insects. They give their all to God and they give Him all the glory. When was the last time you thanked one of these servants?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved