1 Corinthians 3:5
New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us.

English Standard Version
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each.

Berean Standard Bible
What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each his role.

Berean Literal Bible
Who then is Apollos? And who is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord has given to each.

King James Bible
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

New King James Version
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?

New American Standard Bible
What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one.

NASB 1995
What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one.

NASB 1977
What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one.

Legacy Standard Bible
What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to each one.

Amplified Bible
What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Just servants through whom you believed [in Christ], even as the Lord appointed to each his task.

Christian Standard Bible
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given.

American Standard Version
What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For who is Paulus or who is Apollo, but Ministers by whom you have believed? And each man is according to what THE LORD JEHOVAH has given him.

Contemporary English Version
Apollos and I are merely servants who helped you to have faith. It was the Lord who made it all happen.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The ministers of him whom you have believed; and to every one as the Lord hath given.

English Revised Version
What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Who is Apollos? Who is Paul? They are servants who helped you come to faith. Each did what the Lord gave him to do.

Good News Translation
After all, who is Apollos? And who is Paul? We are simply God's servants, by whom you were led to believe. Each one of us does the work which the Lord gave him to do:

International Standard Version
Who is Apollos, anyhow? Or who is Paul? They're merely servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord gave to each of us his task.

Literal Standard Version
Who, then, is Paul, and who Apollos, but servants through whom you believed, and to each as the LORD gave?

Majority Standard Bible
Who then is Paul? And Who is Apollos? They are servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each his role.

New American Bible
What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one.

NET Bible
What is Apollos, really? Or what is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, and each of us in the ministry the Lord gave us.

New Revised Standard Version
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each.

New Heart English Bible
What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, and each as the Lord gave to him.

Webster's Bible Translation
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

Weymouth New Testament
What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are just God's servants, through whose efforts, and as the Lord granted power to each, you accepted the faith.

World English Bible
Who then is Apollos, and who is Paul, but servants through whom you believed, and each as the Lord gave to him?

Young's Literal Translation
Who, then, is Paul, and who Apollos, but ministrants through whom ye did believe, and to each as the Lord gave?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God's Fellow Workers
4For when one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men? 5What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each his role. 6I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.…

Cross References
Acts 18:24
Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, well versed in the Scriptures.

Acts 19:1
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the interior and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples

Romans 12:6
We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one's gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith;

Romans 15:16
to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 3:10
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds.

1 Corinthians 3:22
whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future. All of them belong to you,

1 Corinthians 16:12
Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was not at all inclined to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.


Treasury of Scripture

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

ministers.

1 Corinthians 3:7
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

1 Corinthians 4:1,2
Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God…

Luke 1:2
Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;

even.

1 Corinthians 3:10
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

1 Corinthians 9:17
For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11,28
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit…

Jump to Previous
Accepted Apollos Apol'los Assigned Believe Believed Efforts Faith God's Good Granted Ministers Ministrants News Opportunity Paul Power Servants
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Accepted Apollos Apol'los Assigned Believe Believed Efforts Faith God's Good Granted Ministers Ministrants News Opportunity Paul Power Servants
1 Corinthians 3
1. Milk is fit for children.
3. Strife and division, arguments of a fleshly mind.
7. He who plants and He who waters are nothing.
9. The ministers are God's fellow workmen.
11. Christ the only foundation.
16. You are the temples of God, which must be kept holy.
19. The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.














(5) The Apostle now proceeds to explain (1Corinthians 3:5-9) what is the true position and work of Christian ministers. He asserts that all alike--both those who teach the simpler truths, and those who build up upon that primary knowledge--are only instruments in God's hand; and in 1Corinthians 3:10-15 (replying to those who sneered at and despised his simple teaching as compared to the higher instruction of Apollos) he points out that though all are only instruments used by God, yet that if there be any difference of honour or utility in the various kinds of work for which God so uses His ministers, the greater work is the planting the seed, or the laying the foundation. There can be only one foundation--it is alike necessary and unvarying--many others may build upon it, with varied material and with different results.

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos.--Better, What then is Apollos? what is Paul? and to these abrupt and startling questions the answer is, "Merely those whom Christ used, according as He gave to each his own peculiar powers as the means of your conversion." (Such is the force of the word "believed" here as in Romans 13:11). It is therefore absurd that you should exalt them into heads of parties. They are only instruments--each used as the great Master thought best.

Verses 5-15. - The one foundation and the diverse superstructure. Verse 5. - Who then is Paul? The better reading is what? (א, A, B). The neuter would imply a still greater depreciation of the importance of human ministers. Ministers. The same word as that rendered "deacons" (diakonoi); "ministers of Christ on your behalf" (Colossians 1:7). Through whom ye believed. Through whom," not "in whom" (Bengel). They were merely the instruments of your conversion. In the second Epistle (2 Corinthians 3:3) he calls them "the epistle of Christ ministered by us written... with the Spirit of the living God." As the Lord gave to him. The gifts differ according to the grace given (Romans 12:6).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
What
Τί (Ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

then
οὖν (oun)
Conjunction
Strong's 3767: Therefore, then. Apparently a primary word; certainly, or accordingly.

is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

Apollos?
Ἀπολλῶς (Apollōs)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 625: Apollos, a Jew of Alexandria. Probably from the same as Apollonia; Apollos, an Israelite.

And
δέ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

what
τί (ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

Paul?
Παῦλος (Paulos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3972: Paul, Paulus. Of Latin origin; Paulus, the name of a Roman and of an apostle.

[They are] servants
διάκονοι (diakonoi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1249: Probably from an obsolete diako; an attendant, i.e. a waiter; specially, a Christian teacher and pastor.

through
δι’ (di’)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.

whom
ὧν (hōn)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

you believed,
ἐπιστεύσατε (episteusate)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4100: From pistis; to have faith, i.e. Credit; by implication, to entrust.

as
ὡς (hōs)
Adverb
Strong's 5613: Probably adverb of comparative from hos; which how, i.e. In that manner.

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Lord
Κύριος (Kyrios)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.

has assigned
ἔδωκεν (edōken)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1325: To offer, give; I put, place. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to give.

to each [ his role ].
ἑκάστῳ (hekastō)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1538: Each (of more than two), every one. As if a superlative of hekas; each or every.


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NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 3:5 Who then is Apollos and who (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 3:4
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