1 Corinthians 3:9
For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
Original Language Analysis
θεοῦ
God's
G2316
θεοῦ
God's
Strong's:
G2316
Word #:
1 of 9
a deity, especially (with g3588) the supreme divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; exceedingly (by hebraism)
γάρ
For
G1063
γάρ
For
Strong's:
G1063
Word #:
2 of 9
properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles)
θεοῦ
God's
G2316
θεοῦ
God's
Strong's:
G2316
Word #:
5 of 9
a deity, especially (with g3588) the supreme divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; exceedingly (by hebraism)
θεοῦ
God's
G2316
θεοῦ
God's
Strong's:
G2316
Word #:
7 of 9
a deity, especially (with g3588) the supreme divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; exceedingly (by hebraism)
Cross References
1 Peter 2:5Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.2 Corinthians 6:1We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.1 Corinthians 3:16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?Mark 16:20And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.Matthew 9:37Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;Isaiah 61:11For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.Colossians 2:7Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.1 Corinthians 3:6I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.Acts 4:11This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.Ephesians 2:10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Historical Context
The dual metaphor (agriculture/architecture) was common in ancient Near Eastern texts. Jeremiah employed both: 'to pluck up and to break down, to build and to plant' (Jeremiah 1:10). Paul's genius lies in applying both images to the same reality—the church—emphasizing different aspects of spiritual formation: organic growth (agriculture) and purposeful construction (architecture).
Questions for Reflection
- How does recognizing you are 'God's field' and 'God's building' (not your own) affect your response to spiritual formation and church discipline?
- What does it mean to be a 'coworker with God'—what is your contribution and what is his in your sanctification and service?
- How do the agricultural and architectural metaphors together provide a fuller picture of church growth than either alone?
Analysis & Commentary
For we are labourers together with God (θεοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν συνεργοί, theou gar esmen synergoi)—synergoi (coworkers) could mean 'working with God' or 'working together as God's servants.' The grammar permits both: we labor alongside one another in God's employment. Ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building (θεοῦ γεώργιον, θεοῦ οἰκοδομή, theou geōrgion, theou oikodomē)—Paul shifts metaphors from agriculture (geōrgion, cultivated field) to architecture (oikodomē, construction).
The double genitive 'God's' (θεοῦ) emphasizes divine ownership and agency. Ministers don't own the field they plant or the building they construct; God owns both workers and work. This transitions from agricultural imagery (verses 6-8) to the building metaphor (verses 10-15) that becomes dominant. Both pictures emphasize:
They are passive—a field being tended, a structure being erected—through the ministry of Paul, Apollos, and ultimately God himself.