The Tragedy of the Stunted Soul

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul confronts a jarring paradox: believers who were secure in their eternal standing but stubbornly carnal in their daily state (see 1 Corinthians 3:15). Despite being gifted the “mind of Christ,” they remained tethered to the “milk” of the Word, blinded by the very human impulses they should have outgrown.

Now, in the passage under consideration (1 Corinthians 3:1-9): Paul identified the “envy, strife, and divisions” that poisoned the fellowship as proof of stagnant development. The Corinthians were behaving like “mere men,” treating spiritual leaders like their favorite trophies or champions. When one claimed, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” they revealed a heartbreaking truth: they were still walking according to the flesh, treating the church like a secular “influencer” culture. Paul reduced these supposed “giants” to their basic function: they were simply ministers—mere instruments through whom faith was revealed.

To correct this, Paul shifted the focus from human personalities to divine purpose. Using the imagery of a field, he clarified the their roles as laborers. Paul participated as the planter of the Gospel seed, and likewise Apollos in watering it, neither could do anything to change the outcome of the seed. Similarly, the growth of the soul is not a product of human charisma or oratory skill.

The weight of the ministry rests entirely on the fact that God gives the increase.
All laborers in the kingdom are one in purpose and will receive rewards for their toil, but they remain “unprofitable servants”, simply doing their duty (Luke 17:10). Paul concluded with a reality check that shatters human pride: we are not the proprietors of the work; we are “God’s field” and “God’s building.” In this divine architecture, the field doesn’t belong to the sower, nor the building to the mason. Every ounce of growth and every stone laid is by His design and sovereignty, leaving no room for the exaltation of men.