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What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom
you came to believe--as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted
the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants
nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man
who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be
rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you
are God's field, God's building (1 Corinthians 3:5-9).
As a teacher of God's word, we possess one of the most important jobs that
an individual can have. And while this is true, we need to realize that
Christian workers are simply God's agents through whom people believe in
Christ. By "believe" Paul not only means the initial trust in Christ but, as
verse 6 shows, the planting, watering, and God-given increase--the whole
process of growth in the Christian life to maturity (2 Peter 3:18).
It is good for us to keep in mind that since we are merely God's servants;
the pressure to produce any spiritual results does not rest on our
shoulders. Only God can do that. All of us as God's servants have different
functions, but we are really one, being united in God's work. And yet,
though we are one in the work, we are individually subordinate to God and
responsible to Him who will reward us according to our faithful labor. This
is all from God, and the church is His work. He chooses to use people of
different talents and temperaments to help Him cause the church to grow
spiritually and numerically.
Christians are the spiritual "field" in which God's servants are working. My
prayer is that we will always strive to be in step with His will and His
desire for His people that are a part of the West-Ark Body of believers.
Teachers, I appreciate all you continue to do to help the kingdom of God to
grow. I heard this quote recently that relates to our work as teachers.
"Teachers are the architectural designers of nations. People must see that
education is not an expense, but an investment."
See you in Bible Class!
Link to Ted Edwards Home Page