My dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I was frustrated by the fact that I couldn’t talk with you as I would with spiritual people. But I had to talk with you as infants in Christ -- people totally lacking in spiritual maturity. 2 I bottlefed you baby’s milk because you were unready for solid food. 3 And now it appears that you’re STILL not ready -- STILL void of spiritual maturity. Your jealousy and quarreling indicate that you’re unspiritual brats -- acting no different than all the other babies -- doesn’t it?
4 So, when one person shouts, “Well, I’m better than you are because I’m in Paul’s group,” and then someone else whines, “Oh yeah, well, I’m in Apollos’ group,” aren’t you behaving like spiritual toddlers? 5 I mean, really, who is Apollos anyway? And who is this Paul guy? The fact is that we’re just the household help who led you by the hand to faith.
Of course, each of us had God-assigned chores: 6 I plant seeds and then Apollos waters them -- BUT it’s God who makes them grow. 7 It’s not about us! The one who plants is nothing. And the one who waters is nothing. The only one who really matters is God -- the one who makes it all grow!
8 Of course, the planter and the waterer work together, with each being paid for what they do. 9 We are God’s coworkers, and you are God’s field -- or to illustrate it differently, you are God’s building project.
