1 Corinthians 3:5
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
Study Note
Study Note
Paul's rhetorical question 'who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?' deflates the Corinthian personality cults around apostolic leaders by recasting them as servants (diakonoi) rather than patrons or party leaders. The metaphor shifts in verses 6-9 from servants to field workers and architects, all of whom are instruments of God's planting and building rather than independent creators of their own ecclesial projects. The verse reflects Paul's consistent pattern of redirecting honor to God: in 1 Corinthians 15:10 he applies the same logic to his own apostolic labor ('I laboured more abundantly... yet not I, but the grace of God'). This self-effacing posture became formative for Christian models of ministry.
Other Translations
What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him.
Who, then, is Paul, and who Apollos, but ministrants through whom ye did believe, and to each as the Lord gave?
What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? They are but servants who gave you the good news as God gave it to them.
Cross References
And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his …
Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him …
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them …
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of …
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to …
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, …
Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.