“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 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 Corinthians 3.6-9 KJV).
Paul is speaking to a specific church about two specific ministers, namely Apollo and himself. Apparently both men were receiving something akin to hero worship, which is common even today. Paul is careful to set the Corinthian congregation straight, like John the Baptist pointing them instead to God, who alone is able to turn their efforts to increase.
“One plants, another waters” also speaks to ministers who at times feel isolated, thinking that they are the only ones God has to accomplish his work. Local churches don’t belong to their pastors, they belong to God. Even, as is the case in the church in Corinth, when one of the pastors involved planted that church as Paul did.
On a personal note, we’ve paid to have some short videos broadcast via Google Ads to their “all countries” setting. That program has resulted in a very large number of views with absolutely no way to know what the results are at all. This passage in 1Corinthians 3 – “One plants, another waters, but only God can give the increase” has been important to us. We’ve included it at the end of some of those videos to remind others that God can use very small efforts in ways that we might not be able to see now. Sometimes it’s been discouraging, but this passage assures every Christian that God keeps very good accounts.