· Translation: KJV

1 Corinthians 3:7So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

The setting

Corinth, Greece, ~55 AD. Paul delivers the punch line that deflates all human ego...

The emotion here: free from the exhausting burden of trying to be indispensable

The original word

οὐδέν (ouden) — absolutely nothing, zero, null and void

Why it matters

Ancient Corinth was rebuilt by Romans in 44 BC after being destroyed for rebellion

Read with care

What most readers miss in 1 Corinthians 3:7

Paul includes HIMSELF in the 'nothing' category — he's not exempting apostles from this truth

Common misconceptionPeople think this means they're worthless. Actually, it means they're free from the impossible pressure of producing spiritual results — that's God's job.

Bible Genome reading

1 Corinthians 3:7 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerPaul
Eraearly_church
Primary emotionworship
Literary typeteaching

Emotional genome

Comfort power60%
Quotability80%
Memorability80%
Crisis relevance70%
Standalone80%
Themes:humilitydivine sovereignty

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 1 Corinthians 3

1 Corinthians 3:7 comes from the book of 1 Corinthians, written during the early_church period. These words are attributed to Paul. The dominant emotion in this verse is worship, with a comfort power of 60% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the teaching genre of biblical literature. Key themes include humility, divine sovereignty. Notable phrases: neither he who plants is anything; God who gives the increase.

Your reflection

What does 1 Corinthians 3:7 mean to you, today?

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