by “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”
(1 Corinthians 3:9)
The word husbandry means “area of land used for cultivation.” Here, Paul is the cultivator of the soil, or husbandman, while he is speaking of the church as the soil, or husbandry. When God says, “ye are God’s husbandry,” He is saying that you are the cultivated soil, ready to be used of God continue to cultivate the land.
Think about soil. It never snaps back, grips or complains. When turned over, it stays turned over right where it is. Wherever it is, it will trampled upon. This is our calling as a church. We’re not to talk back, grip or complain to God. We’re to remain right where God put us. Knowing, we’ll always get trampled upon by the world.
The word building means “process of building.” This word is not speaking of a literal structure, but the process having a structure built. When God says, “ye are God’s building,” He is saying that you are His building process. This word is translated “edifying” multiple times as in Ephesians 4:11-12 and 1 Corinthians 14:12.
The words labourers together means “fellow-helpers.” This is speaking of the faithful workers of His Church. Paul says, “we,” including himself and God in the labourers. God has chosen us, or elected us as born-again believers for this building project, knowing exactly who we are.
Putting these 3 words together, we are labourers together with God in the husbandry that God has placed us in order to be building His church. It takes every member building together as “one” for this church to grow to run efficiently (everyone is a soul winner, inviter, prayer, servant, etc.). This lines up with the context brought in from the previous verses, 1 Corinthians 3:5-8, where “he that planteth and he that watereth are one.” Afterwards, as we all have labored together as “one,” each of us will be individually rewarded by God for our individual labor ─ “every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.”
We just recognized Labor Day. We are all Called to be Laborers. How will your eternal rewards reflect your temporal labors for God?
