1 Corinthians 3:9

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

We are coworkers belonging to God. You are God’s field, God’s building.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Θεοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν συνεργοί: Θεοῦ γεώργιον, Θεοῦ οἰκοδομή ἐστε.

Transliteration

Of Theou gar esmen synergoi: of Theou geōrgion, of Theou oikodomē este.

Grammar Details

• *Theou*: noun, masculine, genitive, singular - of God
• *gar*: conjunction - for/because
• *esmen*: present active indicative, 1st person plural - we are
• *synergoi*: noun, masculine, nominative, plural - fellow workers
• *geōrgion*: noun, neuter, nominative, singular - field/farm
• *oikodomē*: noun, feminine, nominative, singular - building/structure
• *este*: present active indicative, 2nd person plural - you are

Word Meanings

• *synergoi*: fellow workers/co-laborers/colleagues
• *geōrgion*: field/farm/cultivated land
• *oikodomē*: building/structure/edifice

Referenced Verses

• Eph 2:20-22 : 20 because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
• 2 Cor 6:1 : 1 God’s Suffering Servants Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
• 1 Pet 2:5 : 5 you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
• 1 Cor 3:16 : 16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
• Isa 61:3 : 3 to strengthen those who mourn in Zion, by giving them a turban, instead of ashes, oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning, a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement. They will be called oaks of righteousness, trees planted by the LORD to reveal his splendor.
• Matt 16:18 : 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
• Mark 4:26-29 : 26 The Parable of the Growing Seed He also said,“The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground. 27 He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 By itself the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29 And when the grain is ripe, he sends in the sickle because the harvest has come.”
• Mark 16:20 : 20 They went out and proclaimed everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through the accompanying signs.]]
• John 4:35-38 : 35 Don’t you say,‘There are four more months and then comes the harvest?’ I tell you, look up and see that the fields are already white for harvest! 36 The one who reaps receives pay and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps can rejoice together. 37 For in this instance the saying is true,‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap what you did not work for; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.”
• Col 2:7 : 7 rooted and built up in him and firm in your faith just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
• Ps 65:9-9 : 9 You visit the earth and give it rain; you make it rich and fertile. God’s streams are full of water; you provide grain for them, for you have prepared the earth in this way. 10 You saturate its furrows, and soak its plowed ground. With rain showers you soften its soil, and make its crops grow. 11 You crown the year with your good blessings, and you leave abundance in your wake. 12 The pastures in the wilderness glisten with moisture, and the hills are clothed with joy. 13 The meadows are clothed with sheep, and the valleys are covered with grain. They shout joyfully, yes, they sing.
• Isa 61:11 : 11 For just as the ground produces its crops and a garden yields its produce, so the Sovereign LORD will cause deliverance to grow, and give his people reason to praise him in the sight of all the nations.
• Matt 9:37 : 37 Then he said to his disciples,“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
• Matt 13:3-9 : 3 He told them many things in parables, saying:“Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground where they did not have much soil. They sprang up quickly because the soil was not deep. 6 But when the sun came up, they were scorched, and because they did not have sufficient root, they withered. 7 Other seeds fell among the thorns, and they grew up and choked them. 8 But other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. 9 The one who has ears had better listen!”
• Matt 13:18-30 : 18 “So listen to the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches what was sown in his heart; this is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed sown on rocky ground is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. 21 But he has no root in himself and does not endure; when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 The seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth choke the word, so it produces nothing. 23 But as for the seed sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word and understands. He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.” 24 The Parable of the Weeds He presented them with another parable:“The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed darnel among the wheat and went away. 26 When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the darnel also appeared. 27 So the slaves of the landowner came and said to him,‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the darnel come from?’ 28 He said,‘An enemy has done this!’ So the slaves replied,‘Do you want us to go and gather it?’ 29 But he said,‘No, since in gathering the darnel you may uproot the wheat along with it. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I will tell the reapers,“First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burned, but then gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
• Matt 13:36-42 : 36 Explanation for the Disciples Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying,“Explain to us the parable of the darnel in the field.” 37 He answered,“The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world and the good seed are the people of the kingdom. The poisonous weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 As the poisonous weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers. 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
• Jer 2:21 : 21 I planted you in the land like a special vine of the very best stock. Why in the world have you turned into something like a wild vine that produces rotten, foul-smelling grapes?
• Amos 9:11-12 : 11 The Restoration of the Davidic Dynasty“In that day I will rebuild the collapsing hut of David. I will seal its gaps, repair its ruins, and restore it to what it was like in days gone by. 12 As a result they will conquer those left in Edom and all the nations subject to my rule.” The LORD, who is about to do this, is speaking!
• Zech 6:12-13 : 12 Then say to him,‘The LORD of Heaven’s Armies says,“Look– here is the man whose name is Branch, who will sprout up from his place and build the temple of the LORD. 13 Indeed, he will build the temple of the LORD, and he will be clothed in splendor, sitting as king on his throne. Moreover, there will be a priest with him on his throne and they will see eye to eye on everything.
• Ps 72:16 : 16 May there be an abundance of grain in the earth; on the tops of the mountains may it sway! May its fruit trees flourish like the forests of Lebanon! May its crops be as abundant as the grass of the earth!
• Ps 80:8-9 : 8 You uprooted a vine from Egypt; you drove out nations and transplanted it. 9 You cleared the ground for it; it took root, and filled the land. 10 The mountains were covered by its shadow, the highest cedars by its branches. 11 Its branches reached the Mediterranean Sea, and its shoots the Euphrates River.
• Ps 118:22 : 22 The stone which the builders discarded has become the cornerstone.
• Isa 5:1-7 : 1 A Love Song Gone Sour I will sing to my love– a song to my lover about his vineyard. My love had a vineyard on a fertile hill. 2 He built a hedge around it, removed its stones, and planted a vine. He built a tower in the middle of it, and constructed a winepress. He waited for it to produce edible grapes, but it produced sour ones instead. 3 So now, residents of Jerusalem, people of Judah, you decide between me and my vineyard! 4 What more can I do for my vineyard beyond what I have already done? When I waited for it to produce edible grapes, why did it produce sour ones instead? 5 Now I will inform you what I am about to do to my vineyard: I will remove its hedge and turn it into pasture, I will break its wall and allow animals to graze there. 6 I will make it a wasteland; no one will prune its vines or hoe its ground, and thorns and briers will grow there. I will order the clouds not to drop any rain on it. 7 Indeed Israel is the vineyard of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the people of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight. He waited for justice, but look what he got– disobedience! He waited for fairness, but look what he got– cries for help!
• Isa 27:2-3 : 2 When that time comes, sing about a delightful vineyard! 3 I, the LORD, protect it; I water it regularly. I guard it night and day, so no one can harm it.
• Isa 28:24-29 : 24 Does a farmer just keep on plowing at planting time? Does he keep breaking up and harrowing his ground? 25 Once he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter the seed of the caraway plant, sow the seed of the cumin plant, and plant the wheat, barley, and grain in their designated places? 26 His God instructs him; he teaches him the principles of agriculture. 27 Certainly caraway seed is not threshed with a sledge, nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin seed. Certainly caraway seed is beaten with a stick, and cumin seed with a flail. 28 Grain is crushed, though one certainly does not thresh it forever. The wheel of one’s wagon rolls over it, but his horses do not crush it. 29 This also comes from the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, who gives supernatural guidance and imparts great wisdom.
• Isa 32:20 : 20 you will be blessed, you who plant seed by all the banks of the streams, you who let your ox and donkey graze.
• 1 Tim 3:15 : 15 in case I am delayed, to let you know how people ought to conduct themselves in the household of God, because it is the church of the living God, the support and bulwark of the truth.
• Heb 3:3-4 : 3 For he has come to deserve greater glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house deserves greater honor than the house itself! 4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.
• Heb 3:6 : 6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. We are of his house, if in fact we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope we take pride in.
• 1 Cor 6:19 : 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
• 2 Cor 6:16 : 16 And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said,“I will live in them and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
• Eph 2:10 : 10 For we are his creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we can do them.
• John 15:1-8 : 1 The Vine and the Branches“I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. 2 He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me. He prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit. 3 You are clean already because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me– and I in him– bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and are burned up. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is honored by this, that you bear much fruit and show that you are my disciples.
• Acts 4:11 : 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, that has become the cornerstone.
• 1 Cor 3:6 : 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused it to grow.
• Matt 20:1-9 : 1 Workers in the Vineyard“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 And after agreeing with the workers for the standard wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When it was about nine o’clock in the morning, he went out again and saw others standing around in the marketplace without work. 4 He said to them,‘You go into the vineyard too, and I will give you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went. When he went out again about noon and three o’clock that afternoon, he did the same thing. 6 And about five o’clock that afternoon he went out and found others standing around, and said to them,‘Why are you standing here all day without work?’ 7 They said to him,‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them,‘You go and work in the vineyard too.’ 8 When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his manager,‘Call the workers and give the pay starting with the last hired until the first.’ 9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each received a full day’s pay. 10 And when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more. But each one also received the standard wage. 11 When they received it, they began to complain against the landowner, 12 saying,‘These last fellows worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who bore the hardship and burning heat of the day.’ 13 And the landowner replied to one of them,‘Friend, I am not treating you unfairly. Didn’t you agree with me to work for the standard wage? 14 Take what is yours and go. I want to give to this last man the same as I gave to you.
• Matt 21:23-44 : 23 The Authority of Jesus Now after Jesus entered the temple courts, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching and said,“By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them,“I will also ask you one question. If you answer me then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from people?” They discussed this among themselves, saying,“If we say,‘From heaven,’ he will say,‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say,‘From people,’ we fear the crowd, for they all consider John to be a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus,“We don’t know.” Then he said to them,“Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 28 The Parable of the Two Sons“What do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said,‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 The boy answered,‘I will not.’ But later he had a change of heart and went. 30 The father went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered,‘I will, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did his father’s will?” They said,“The first.” Jesus said to them,“I tell you the truth, tax collectors and prostitutes will go ahead of you into the kingdom of God! 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although you saw this, you did not later change your minds and believe him. 33 The Parable of the Tenants“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey. 34 When the harvest time was near, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop. 35 But the tenants seized his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them the same way. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying,‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves,‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’ 39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him,“He will utterly destroy those evil men! Then he will lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his portion at the harvest.” 42 Jesus said to them,“Have you never read in the scriptures:‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 For this reason I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.”
• Isa 61:5 : 5 “Foreigners will take care of your sheep; foreigners will work in your fields and vineyards.
• 3 John 1:8 : 8 Therefore we ought to support such people, so that we become coworkers in cooperation with the truth.