St Paul in speaking to the Corinthians warns the community that those who consider themselves "perfect and mature" are nothing of the sort. That they are still unspiritual people, infants in church, is shown by their jealousy and wrangling. They build themselves up by aligning themselves with a certain preacher, and by pitting themselves and their favourite preacher against others. St Paul stresses that he and the others who preached to them, are not masters over them, but "servants" who wait on, and serve others.

He applies the image of "servants" to gardening. Preachers are gardeners, each one having a different share in the work. The basic proclamation, "the planting" was done by himself, the second stage, the further teaching or the "watering" was done by Apollos and others.

But Paul emphasises, the results can only be attributed to God. No one should forget that it is God who makes everything grow, that preachers and teachers are God's co-workers, the community is God's field. All comes from God.