1 Corinthians 3:5

An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

After all, who is Apollos? And who is Paul? They are [only] servants through whom you believed [in Christ], with each one doing what the Lord gave him to do.

Cross References

Matthew 25:15

He gave one servant five talents [Note: This ‘talent’ was a large sum of money in the form of a certain weight of silver. It was the equivalent of sixty years of a farm laborer’s wages, or about $1,400,000 in 2005 income]. He gave two talents to another servant and one talent to another. He gave to each one an amount in keeping with his ability [to invest it wisely], and then left on his trip.

Luke 1:2

[that is, people] who were ministers of the word and original eyewitnesses [of these events], and who passed them on to us; [and since]

John 3:27

John replied to them, “A person cannot receive anything, unless it has been given to him from [God in] heaven.

Acts 18:24

Now a certain Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria [Egypt] and an effective speaker, who was well-grounded in the [Old Testament] Scriptures, came to Ephesus.

Acts 19:1

Then, while Apollos was [still] at Corinth, Paul traveled through the [western] districts and came to Ephesus where he found some disciples.

Romans 15:16

in appointing me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. I am serving like a priest in preaching God’s good news, so that the Gentiles might be like an acceptable sacrifice [to God], dedicated by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:28

Now God has placed some [ministries] in the church [as follows]: First apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, then [those able to perform] miracles, then gifts [enabling people] to perform [supernatural] healings, [those able] to help the needy, [wise] administrators, [and] those able to speak in different languages.

1 Corinthians 16:12

Now concerning our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the other brothers, but he was not at all willing to do so at this time. But he will go when he has the opportunity.

1 Corinthians 3:10

Using the unearned favor shown to me by God [Note: Paul here probably refers to his apostleship and its attending spiritual gifts], as an expert building contractor, I laid the foundation [i.e., in starting the Corinthian church], and someone else is building on it [i.e., Apollos. See verse 6].

1 Corinthians 3:22

including Paul, and Apollos, and Cephas [i.e., Peter], and the world, and life and death, and present and future things. All of these things are yours. [Note: Paul is showing that, as Christians, they really possessed and should value all preachers and circumstances of life alike].

1 Corinthians 3:7

So then, it does not matter who plants or who waters, but [it is] God who matters, for He makes the seed grow.

1 Corinthians 9:17

For if I preached because [I personally decided] I wanted to, I could claim a reward. But if I did not preach from a personal decision to do so, then it would be because I was entrusted with the task [by God]

2 Corinthians 11:23

Are they servants of Christ? (I am really talking like a crazy person now). I am more [of a servant, than they are]. I have worked much harder. I have been in prison more often. I have been flogged more severely. I have been in danger of death more frequently.

2 Corinthians 3:3

You people show [i.e., by your conversions] that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us [i.e., the result of our ministry], not written with ink but with the Holy Spirit of the living God; not on stone tablets [i.e., as in the case with Moses’ ministry], but on tablets of the human heart. [See Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10].

2 Corinthians 3:6

He has also made us competent as ministers of a New Agreement [i.e., between Himself and mankind]. It is not [an agreement] based [merely] on a written document [i.e., such as the Law of Moses], but on the Holy Spirit, for the written document brings [spiritual] death [See Rom. 8:2], but the Holy Spirit brings [never ending] life.

2 Corinthians 4:1

So, having obtained this ministry through [God’s] mercy, we do not become discouraged.

2 Corinthians 4:5

For we do not preach ourselves, but [we preach] Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.

2 Corinthians 4:7

But we have this treasure [i.e., the Gospel message] in clay pots [i.e., the mortal bodies of the apostles] to show that the [i.e., its] extraordinary power comes from God and not from us.

2 Corinthians 5:18

All [these] things are from God, who restored us to fellowship with Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of restoring [other] people to [such] fellowship.

2 Corinthians 6:1

As workers together with God we urge you also, who have received God’s unearned favor, do not allow it to be for nothing,

2 Corinthians 6:4

But, as ministers of God, we [try to] commend ourselves [to others] in every way. [We do this] by [our] great steadfastness in troubles, hardships and difficulties.

Ephesians 3:7

I was made a minister [of the Gospel] according to the gift of God’s unearned favor, which was given to me according to the working of His power.

Colossians 1:23

[This will happen] if you continue in the faith [Note: This means either “continue to observe God’s teaching” or, “continue to believe”], firmly grounded and established, and not moved away from the hope offered by the Gospel message, which you have heard and which was preached to people throughout the entire created world under heaven. I, Paul, was made a minister of this Gospel.

Colossians 1:25

I was made a minister of the church according to the task given to me by God to fully present His message to you.

1 Timothy 1:12

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me, appointing me to the ministry [i.e., to His service], because He considered me trustworthy,

1 Peter 4:10

As each of you has received a gift [from God], you should make use of it [in the body], so that you will be [good] caretakers of the many unearned ways that God favors you.