I Corinthians 3:7 · Bible study
1 Corinthians 3:7 Commentary: God Gives the Increase
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
A study of 1 Corinthians 3:7: Paul's radical claim that neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but God who gives growth.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Human agents in God's work are entirely dependent on Him for any effective result; all glory and trust belong to God alone.
- Key words: phuteuō (plant), potizō (water), auxanō (grow), present participles emphasizing ongoing action; the contrast between human activity and divine causation is sharp.
- Main debate: Whether "nothing" is absolute or comparative. Most commentators (Calvin, Barnes, Gill) take it as comparative and functional: nothing in comparison to God's power, not implying worthlessness.
- Theological theme: God's sovereignty in spiritual growth and the proper humility of Christian ministers and workers.
- Best use: Preached to correct personality cults in church, to encourage weary workers, and to direct praise to God for every spiritual advance.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
WEB World English Bible 2000
So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
KJV King James Version 1769
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
so that neither is he who is planting anything, nor he who is watering, but He who is giving growth--God;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
So that neither the planter is anything, nor the waterer; but God the giver of the increase.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Therefore, neither he that planteth is any thing, nor he that watereth: but God that giveth the increase.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Así que, ni el que planta es algo, ni el que riega; sino Dios, que da el crecimiento.
De maneira que nem o que planta é algo, nem o que rega; mas sim Deus, que dá o crescimento.
en sorte que ce n’ est pas celui qui plante qui est quelque chose, ni celui qui arrose, mais Dieu qui fait croître.
So ist nun weder der da pflanzt noch der da begießt, etwas, sondern Gott, der das Gedeihen gibt.
Zo is dan noch hij, die plant, iets, noch hij, die nat maakt, maar God, Die den wasdom geeft.
talché né colui che pianta né colui che annaffia sono alcun che, ma Iddio che fa crescere, è tutto.
A tak, ani ten, co szczepi, jest czem, ani ten, co polewa, ale Bóg, który wzrost daje.
посему и насаждающий и поливающий есть ничто, а все Бог возращающий.
可見 栽種的，算 不 得甚麼，澆灌的，也算不得甚麼；只 在那叫他生長的 神。
So then the planter is nothing, and the waterer is nothing; but God who gives the increase.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · I Corinthians 3:7
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse delivers a sharp corrective to the Corinthians' party spirit. Calvin highlights Paul's two ways of speaking about ministers: as instruments with the Spirit's power, and as mere men whose labor is dead without God. Barnes stresses that "anything" is comparative, ministers are nothing in comparison with God, yet their agency is indispensable. Gill adds that they are nothing in themselves or with respect to God; all glory belongs to Him who gives the increase. Clarke emphasizes that God alone should have all glory because the seed, ground, laborers, and produce are all His. The consensus is clear: human workers are real but secondary; God is the sole source of growth. This does not diminish the need for faithful planting and watering, but relocates all credit and hope from human effort to divine power.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God alone is the source of spiritual growth; human workers contribute nothing apart from His power.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'nothing' (οὔτε ... τί) | All agree that the term subordinates human workers to God in terms of ultimate causal power. | Some (like Gill) emphasize that ministers are nothing in themselves, their gifts and effectiveness all from God. Others (like Barnes) stress that their agency is indispensable but comparatively nothing against God's. |
| Role of human effort in spiritual growth | Human planting and watering are necessary and commanded; God works through means. | The precise relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility is debated. Calvin articulates a two-fold view: as servants ministers can be said to have power from the Spirit, but as men they are dead instruments. Different traditions emphasize one side more. |
| Reward for workers (v.8) | Workers will receive reward according to their labor, not their results. | How reward squares with the claim that they are 'nothing', some see this as paradox: God graciously rewards labor that is only effective by His power. All agree the reward is God's gift, not earned. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul writes to a church in Corinth, a bustling Greek city known for its diversity and social divisions. The congregation had splintered into factions, with some claiming loyalty to Paul, others to Apollos, and still others to Cephas or Christ (1 Cor 1:12). By chapter 3, Paul confronts this partisan spirit directly. He argues that such rivalry reveals their fleshly thinking (v.3). The agricultural metaphor he uses would have been immediately familiar: farmers in the ancient world knew that after planting and watering, the growth was entirely dependent on God, or nature, which they understood as God's provision. Paul applies this to spiritual work: he planted the gospel in Corinth, Apollos watered through further teaching, but God gave the increase (v.6). Verse 7 states the logical conclusion: human workers are not the source of life. Paul does not disparage their labor, he calls them "God's fellow workers" (v.9), but he insists they are servants, not masters. The cultural pressure to exalt teachers and orators was strong in Greco-Roman society; Paul subverts that. His point is that no minister, however gifted, can produce spiritual fruit apart from God. This verse stands at the climax of the argument that runs from 3:5 to 3:9, redirecting all praise from human instruments to the divine source.
Textual Notes
Reception History
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Humble Role of Ministers: Paul strips all pretense from human workers. They plant and water, but they are not the source of life. This frees ministers from the burden of producing results and frees congregations from idolizing leaders.
- The Sovereign Role of God: God alone gives growth. The Greek verb auxanōn (giving growth) is a present participle, emphasizing ongoing divine action. This directs all praise and prayer to Him, reminding us that spiritual fruit comes by His Spirit, not human skill.
- The Practical Unity of Workers: Because neither planter nor waterer is anything, they are equals under God. This undermines the party spirit at Corinth. All workers serve one Lord and are fellow laborers, not rivals.
Five-point outline
- Context: Paul addresses factions in Corinth (1 Cor 3:3-4).
- Metaphor: He uses the simple image of planting and watering (v.6).
- Transfer: The honor belongs not to the workers but to God who alone gives the increase (v.7).
- Contrast: Verses 8-9 show that workers are one and will receive reward according to their labor, not their results.
- Application: This corrects pride and builds unity. No one should glory in men (v.21).
Illustration hooks
- A gardener can till, plant, and water, but cannot command the seed to sprout. That mystery is God's. So it is in evangelism and discipleship.
- A teacher prepares lessons and explains, but only the Spirit opens a student's heart. The best teaching is helpless without God's work.
- When a church program seems successful, it is tempting to credit the leader. Verse 7 redirects every success to God alone.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why do we sometimes make heroes out of pastors or worship leaders, and how can we stop?
- If my efforts in ministry are 'nothing,' does that mean they do not matter? Where is my motivation?
- How do I handle disappointment when my labor does not seem to produce visible growth?
Leading a Discussion
This passage cuts to the heart of how we view Christian leadership and our own roles in God's work. Paul uses the simple picture of farming to remind the Corinthians that all growth comes from God. As you discuss, let this verse recalibrate your expectations of ministry and your trust in God's power.
Discussion questions
- Read 1 Corinthians 3:5-9. What problem in the Corinthian church is Paul addressing?
- How does describing Apollos and Paul as "planters" and "waterers" humble them? What does it say about their value?
- Paul says in verse 7 that "neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything." In light of verse 8 (where they are "one" and receive rewards), what does "anything" mean?
- Why is it so important that God is the one who "gives the increase"? How does this change the way we pray for ministry?
- How does this passage help unify different Christian workers (pastors, teachers, volunteers) instead of pitting them against each other?
- Think of an area where you have labored for God with little visible result. How does this verse encourage you?
- How can we celebrate what God does through human instruments without making those instruments into idols?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 115:1 | Not to us, Yahweh, not to us, but to your name give glory, for your loving kindness, and for your truth’s sake. |
| Isaiah 40:17 | All the nations are like nothing before him. They are regarded by him as less than nothing, and vanity. |
| Isaiah 41:29 | Behold, all of their deeds are vanity and nothing. Their molten images are wind and confusion. |
| Daniel 4:35 | All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and no one can stop his hand, or ask him, “What are you doing?” |
| John 15:5 | I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. |
| I Corinthians 13:2 | If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing. |
| II Corinthians 12:9 | He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me. |
| Galatians 6:3 | For if a man thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke insists that human workers count for nothing in the spiritual harvest. The entire process belongs to God: the seed, the soil, the laborers, and the resulting growth all come from Him. Therefore only God deserves any glory, not the people He uses.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin distinguishes two ways Paul speaks of ministers. In one sense they are vessels of the Spirit's power, so their work is not in vain. In the other sense they are merely human laborers, and nothing apart from God's Spirit makes their ministry effective.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note drives home the absolute helplessness of human workers in the spiritual harvest. Ministers who plant and water count for nothing; the entire result depends on God alone, who alone gives the growth.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill carefully balances two truths: ministers are not absolutely nothing, for they are useful instruments through whom others believe. Yet in themselves, apart from God, they are nothing, and all the glory for the spiritual growth belongs solely to God, who gives the increase.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws attention to the Greek word order, which places "God" emphatically at the end of the sentence. This grammatical stress highlights that God alone gives the increase. The surrounding passage then contrasts this truth with the warning against boasting in human leaders.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry warns against making too much of ministers by noting that Paul and Apollos were only instruments, not lords of faith. The Corinthians treated them as authors of their religion, but all gifts and powers come from God alone. It is a grave error to transfer to ministers the honor due only to God.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent uses the example of Angelique Arnauld to show that a believer must never place any human intermediary in God's rightful position. The grace or help received through a minister, friend, or confessor comes only as God chooses to give it, not because the person himself possesses it.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley insists that God alone is the one who makes things grow. Without God's direct action, every human effort—whether planting or watering—is completely useless. The point is not that these labors are unimportant, but that they accomplish nothing unless God gives the increase.