コリントの信徒への手紙一3:1-9 1 Corinthians 3:1-9,

This week and next week, I will preach about a letter that Paul wrote to a church in Corinth in Greece. Corinth was a city where people gathered to buy and sell goods, as there were roads leading north and south and harbours on the west and east coasts. It was a city full of people looking to make money. However, there were also people in Corinth who were seeking salvation through Jesus. The first person to preach about Jesus in Corinth was Paul. Paul stayed in Corinth for about a year and a half, preaching about Jesus. Then, although there were only a few, some people believed in Jesus, and a small church was formed. Even though a church was formed, there was no church building. Worship services were held in the homes of those who believed.

Now, Paul went from Corinth to another city. After a while, a man called Apollos came to Corinth to preach about Jesus. Apollos had studied the teachings of the Old Testament and knew them well. He was also a very good speaker. As Apollo preached about Jesus with great power, the number of believers in the church in Corinth increased. The church grew!

However, a problem also arose. There was a conflict between those who had been taught by Paul and those who had been taught by Apollos. They began to say things like, “I follow Paul” and “I follow Apollos.” In terms of numbers, there were probably more people who had been taught by Apollos. These people thought that they and Apollos was better Christians than Paul and those who had been taught by Paul.

At that time, Paul was preaching in a different city Ephesus, but when he heard that there was a dispute among the members of the church in Corinth, he wrote a letter to them. The Bible passage we read today is a part of that letter. In this letter, Paul says something very interesting. It’s in verse 6: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” In Corinth, it was Paul who first preached about Jesus. So, if we compare it to farming, Paul was the person who planted the seeds. And then, after Paul, there was Apollos, who also preached about Jesus, and if we compare it to farming, he was the person who watered. So, who is more important, the person who planted the seeds or the person who watered them? If you don’t plant the seeds, they won’t sprout, so is the person who plant the seeds more important? Or, if you plant the seeds but don’t water them, the plants won’t grow, so is the person who water them more important? No, neither of them is right. God is the one who gives the growth, so God is the one who is important. And in verse 7, Paul says, “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” That’s right!

Even now, when a new pastor comes to a church after the previous pastor has quit or moved to another church, there are times when conflict arises within the church. There are those who say, “I liked the previous pastor better,” and those who say, “No, I like the new pastor better,” and they end up fighting with each other. But that is wrong. Both pastors are preaching about Jesus. And it is God’s work that causes people who believe in Jesus to be raised up and the church to grow. What does God’s work mean? It means that God sends the Holy Spirit from heaven to raise up people who believe in Jesus anew. It also means that God strengthens the faith of those who already believe. Let’s trust in God, who gives the growth, and continue to proclaim the gospel of Jesus.