I Corinthians 3:9
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For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Translate, as the Greek collocation of words, and the emphasis on "God" thrice repeated, requires, "For (in proof that "each shall receive reward according to his own labor," namely, from God) it is of God that we are the fellow workers (laboring with, but under, and belonging to Him as His servants, Co2 5:20; Co2 6:1; compare Act 15:4; see on Th1 3:2) of God that ye are the field (or tillage), of God that ye are the building" [ALFORD]. "Building" is a new image introduced here, as suited better than that of husbandry, to set forth the different kinds of teaching and their results, which he is now about to discuss. "To edify" or "build up" the Church of Christ is similarly used (Eph 2:21-22; Eph 4:29).
Open source ↗In this chapter the apostle, I. Blames the Corinthians for their carnality and divisions (Co1 3:1-4). II. He instructs them how what was amiss among them might be rectified, by remembering, 1. That their ministers were no more than ministers (Co1 3:5). 2. That they were unanimous, and carried on the same design (Co1 3:6-10). 3. That they built on one and the same foundation (Co1 3:11-15). III. He exhorts them to give due honour to their bodies, by keeping them pure (Co1 3:16, Co1 3:17), and to humility and self-diffidence (Co1 3:18-21). IV. And dehorts them from glorying in particular ministers, because of the equal interest they had in all (Co1 3:22 to the end).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
As God’s fellow workers, then, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.
Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
And they went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked through them, confirming His word by the signs that accompanied it.
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
For as the earth brings forth its growth, and as a garden enables seed to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.
This Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’