What does 1 Corinthians 3:7 mean?

The Corinthians were embroiled in conflict and strife over what may seem to us now a very silly issue. They had divided themselves into factions over which Christian leader they were loyal to. We must be careful, however. Most of us fail to see how senseless our own conflicts with other Christians really are in the heat of the moment. And, believers can easily dismiss others based on their opinion of famous names in the religious community. Doctrine and teaching are important (Titus 2:1), but even today, some "divisions" are as absurd as the ones being condemned by Paul (Titus 3:9).

Paul is tackling this misunderstanding head on. He has equated himself and Apollos as servants of Christ: each completing the task given to them in Corinth. Using a gardening metaphor, Paul said that he planted the seed of the gospel and Apollos watered it. God, though, is the one who caused it to grow. Different emphasis, or different style, does not mean one is more godly or more important than the other.

Paul now connects the dots. Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters have any real power. The field hand doesn't do magic, he does his assigned job. That work matters, but the work in and of itself cannot make seeds grow. Only God can give growth to the seed. That's real power. God, then, is the only one worth following. As much as we might prefer certain jobs—or certain teachers—we can't divide the body of Christ over such preferences.