From: Bret Hicks (bret@ratedg.com)
Date: Thu Dec 09 1999 - 14:25:06 EST
In 1 Corinthians 3:9 Paul says that he and Apollos were
THEOU ... SUNERGOI
This is translated y the KJV as "co-workers with God" and more
ambigously by the NIV as "God's co-workers". My question regards the
best way to understand the genitive THEOU. Is is "possesive" in nature,
so that Paul and Apollos are co-laborers who both work together UNDER
(are owned by) God? Or is it to be understood in the sense of the KJV
that they are co-workers WITH God.
As I understand it, the points in favor of co-workers under God are:
1) The remaining genitives in the verse are possessive in nature (a
field/building owned by God)
2) With the possible exception of 1 Thessalonaisn 3:2 (which has
significant textual variants), every other place Paul uses SUNERGOI it
erefers to two humans who are co-workers.
3) The rest of the passage seems to be talking about he and Apollos
being servants of God, not His co-workers.
The points in favor of co-workers wih God are:
1) This would seem to be the best possible meaning of the phrase in
1 Thessalonians 3:2 (assuming the correct reading is the NA26 and not
the TR in this case)
From what I have been able to discover, Gordon Fee and TDNT seem to
prefer the idea of "under" God, while AT Robertson (Word Pictures) and
Charles Hodge take the meaning to be "with" God. Additionally,
commentators on 1 Thessalonians 3:2 consistently to seem to read the
idea in 1 Cointhians 3:9 as being "with God" (perhaps duer to the
influence of the KJV rendering?)
The arguments in favor of "under" God seem more persuasive to me,
but maybe I am missing something. Is there a reason to read this a
"co-laborer with God"? Any comments would be appreciated!
In Christ,
Bret A. Hicks
Pastor,
Bay Ridge Christian Church
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