A healthy ministry only occurs when we have a biblical perspective about the work we’re to do. That was lacking in the Corinthian Church, resulting in congregational fragmentation. In 1 Corinthian 3:1-9, the Apostle Paul set out several corrective principles, which we can enumerate like this:
- When it comes to building the kingdom, we are nothing (verse 7: “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything”).
- The Lord assigns each of us our task (verse 5: “…as the Lord has assigned to each his task”).
- We all work toward the same objective (verse 8: “The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose”).
- We are fellow-workers with God Himself at our side (verse 9: “For we are God’s fellow workers).
- The Lord gives the increase (verse 6: “God made it grow”).
- If we don’t realize the above equations, we may grow jealous and quarrel (verse 3:“For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly”).
- One day, we’ll be rewarded for our own labor (verse 8: “Each will be rewarded according to his own labor).
Lord, help me to be faithful to my corner of the work!