“Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.”
The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor — despite the unified 'purpose' (hen, literally 'one'), there will be individual 'reward' (misthos) according to 'their own labor' (idios kopos). Rewards are proportional to faithfulness, not to fame or faction-size. Paul and Apollos stand equal before Christ's judgment seat, rewarded for fidelity, not for Corinthian popularity.
Church Fathers on 1 Corinthians 3:8
“He that plants and he that waters, are one.” For by means of this he establishes another point also, viz. that they should not be exalted one against another. His assertion, that they are one, refers to their inability to do anything without “God that gives the increase.” And thus saying, he permitted not either those who labored much to lift themselves up against those who had contributed less; nor these again to envy the former. In the next place, since this had a…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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