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THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY SEARCHER VOLUME 4, NUMBER 43, OCTOBER 24, 2004 “GOD THAT GIVETH THE INCREASE” Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians provides us with a fascinating glimpse into a church of the first century. The church existed in the city of Corinth, the commercial capital of ancient Greece and a city as immoral and debauched as any modern city that exists today. In fact there was a word that was used at that time, “korinthiazesthai” that meant to “live like a Corinthian” – wickedly and without morals. I believe we get an indication of the difficulty of the work there by noticing what the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision while Paul was working in that city. In Acts 18:9-10, we find, “Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.” I cannot help but believe that the environment from which these Christians came and in which they lived contributed to some of the problems that the church experienced. They had many problems that Paul addressed. We see that they had difficulty with what I will call preacheritis. This is clear from chapters 1 and 3. There was a problem of one of their members engaging in incest and they tolerated it (chapter 5). The brethren were going to law one against another for civil matters that should never have reached that point (chapter 6). There were marriage problems (chapter 7). Some of them were still struggling with idol worship. It was not that they wanted to still worship the idols, it was that they were having difficulty understanding that the idols were nothing and what that meant in their everyday lives (chapters 8 & 10). There were some who denied Paul’s apostleship (chapter 9). Chapter 11 tells us of the abuses of the Lord’s Supper. Chapters 12-14 address the subject of miraculous spiritual gifts, and the Corinthians failure to understand the purpose of those gifts. There were women acting out of place (chapter 14), and even some denying the general resurrection of the dead (chapter 15). Even though they had many problems, that does not make them unique. There are no perfect congregations that I know of. However, there is a wonderful statement made in chapter 3 of 1 Corinthians that I want to notice. In verses 6-9, Paul wrote, “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 labor. For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” There is a great deal that can be said about this passage. For space sake I began in verse 6, but what Paul was doing was rebuking them for their carnality as they proclaimed allegiance to one preacher or another. Different Greek philosophers traveled about seeking to build a following around themselves and the philosophy they espoused. The Corinthians, being young in the faith and spiritually immature, viewed the evangelists who taught them in the same manner. Paul was teaching them that that was not right. All Christians followed the same Lord, and there was only one, Jesus Christ. All Christians, including the evangelists, were servants of the Lord. Without seeking to minimize the work of any Christian in teaching the lost the gospel, Paul makes the point that that work is not a basis for boasting or for dividing the brethren. As we all try to teach others the wonderful gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, just like Paul and Apollos, we are planting and watering, but it is God who gives the increase. Even as one Christian should not be elevated above another as we all seek to evangelize the lost, each individual will be judged independently and receive his or her just reward. That is Paul’s point in verse 8, “and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.” Paul was not talking about a person “earning” their salvation, but was simply making the point that a person’s reward will be based upon what they have done or not done. Remember that Jesus said in John 5:28-29, “Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” But notice, the emphasis of Paul is upon the labor and not upon the results. As we teach the gospel of the Lord Jesus we are planting and watering, but the results are in the hands of God. This brings us to a statement that just thrills me. In verse 9, Paul wrote, “For we are laborers together with God”. The New American Standard renders it, “For we are God’s fellow workers”. I know that many believe that statement in the context refers only to Paul and Apollos, but I believe that is far too limiting. Anyone who teaches another the gospel of Jesus Christ is a fellow worker with God. We are God’s helpers, we are God’s fellow laborers. He went on and said that they were “God’s husbandry” and that they were “God’s building.” In other words, they were God’s cultivated field. Planting and watering had been done and God had given the increase. They were His building. Just like the cultivated field, they belonged to God. We teach, we evangelize, working with God. He gives the increase. What a privilege! What an honor! When we evangelize we are working together with God! Greg Litmer
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