“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11)
The Basket Case Chronicles #25
“Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God; ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building” (1 Cor. 3:8-9).
At the end of this passage, Paul shifts the metaphor from one of agriculture to one of architecture. But before he makes that shift, he makes it clear that different ministers with differing spiritual gifts, or with different roles to play in the history of those they minister to, are part of the same team. One man plants, and another man waters, and these two men are one—they labor to one purpose. If the first had not planted, there would be nothing to water. If the second did not water, there was no sense in planting.
So as far as these two laborers are concerned, they are functioning as a unit, and the point of unity is God Himself. Paul and Apollos were laborers together with God. God plants through the one who plants, and God waters through the one who waters. For the two laborers to compete is an attempt to get God to compete with Himself, which He will not do.
At the same time, the fact that the two ministers are one in purpose and intent does not mean that God is incapable to keeping track of what they do. God does this—but they should not. Each person who labors in this field will receive his own reward, and it will be in accordance with his own work. But God is the only one who really knows that value of the labor of each, and so we leave this in His hands.
Whenever a Christian grows, it is God’s husbandry. Whenever a Christian is edified and built up, it is God’s contruction.