1Cor 3:9 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 9. For we are labourers together with God ] We do nothing of ourselves, nor in reference to ourselves; we labour together in that work which God has given us to do, expect all our success from him, and refer the whole to his glory. It would perhaps be more correct to translate θεουγαρεσμενσυνεργαι, we are fellow labourers of God ; for, as the preposition συν may express the joint labour of the teachers one with another, and not with God, I had rather, with Bishop Pearce, translate as above: i.e. we labour together in the work of God. Far from being divided among ourselves, we jointly labour, as oxen in the same yoke, to promote the honour of our Master. Ye are God's husbandry , ye are God's building. ] θεουγεωργιον θεουοικοδομηεστε. The word γεωργιον, which we translate husbandry, signifies properly an arable field ; so : I went by the FIELD, γεωργιον, of the slothful ; and : The wise woman considereth a FIELD, γεωργιον, and buyeth it . It would be more literal to translate it, Ye are God's farm : γεωργιον in Greek answers to sadeh in Hebrew, which signifies properly a sown field . Ye are God's building .-Ye are not only the field which God cultivates, but ye are the house which God builds, and in which he intends to dwell. As no man in viewing a fine building extols the quarryman that dug up the stones, the hewer that cut and squared them, the mason that placed them in the wall, the woodman that hewed down the timber, the carpenter that squared and jointed it, &c., but the architect who planned it, and under whose direction the whole work was accomplished; so no man should consider Paul , or Apollos , or Kephas , any thing, but as persons employed by the great Architect to form a building which is to become a habitation of himself through the Spirit, and the design of which is entirely his own.

‏ 1 Corinthians 3:9

Verse 9. For we are labourers together with God] We do nothing of ourselves, nor in reference to ourselves; we labour together in that work which God has given us to do, expect all our success from him, and refer the whole to his glory. It would perhaps be more correct to translate θεουγαρεσμενσυνεργαι, we are fellow labourers of God; for, as the preposition συν may express the joint labour of the teachers one with another, and not with God, I had rather, with Bishop Pearce, translate as above: i.e. we labour together in the work of God. Far from being divided among ourselves, we jointly labour, as oxen in the same yoke, to promote the honour of our Master.

Ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.] θεουγεωργιον θεουοικοδομηεστε. The word γεωργιον, which we translate husbandry, signifies properly an arable field; so Pr 24:30: I went by the FIELD, γεωργιον, of the slothful; and Pr 31:16: The wise woman considereth a FIELD, γεωργιον, and buyeth it. It would be more literal to translate it, Ye are God's farm: γεωργιον in Greek answers to sadeh in Hebrew, which signifies properly a sown field.

Ye are God's building.-Ye are not only the field which God cultivates, but ye are the house which God builds, and in which he intends to dwell. As no man in viewing a fine building extols the quarryman that dug up the stones, the hewer that cut and squared them, the mason that placed them in the wall, the woodman that hewed down the timber, the carpenter that squared and jointed it, &c., but the architect who planned it, and under whose direction the whole work was accomplished; so no man should consider Paul, or Apollos, or Kephas, any thing, but as persons employed by the great Architect to form a building which is to become a habitation of himself through the Spirit, and the design of which is entirely his own.