Theology 101 — God’s Field

For several weeks, Theology 101 has been considering the Church as God’s people by pondering some of the images or analogies in the Bible. Among those already explored have been the Church as the bride of Christ and the Church as God’s building.

This week we take up yet another — the Church as God’s field, as declared in 1 Corinthians 3:9: “You are God’s field.” This declaration is a reminder that the Church ultimately belongs to God.

Church was, and is, God’s idea for His children to experience fellowship with one another on earth as preparation for an eternity of fellowship in heaven. 

Since the Church, both universally and locally, belongs to God, those who work in His field are His servants. Church workers do not all possess the same gifts, talents or functions. Paul termed himself a planter and called Apollos a “waterer” (1 Cor. 3:6). Both were necessary for the growth of God’s field. God apportions abilities and assigns opportunities. 

Gratitude

We do well to express gratitude to church leaders and workers who demonstrate faithfulness and effectiveness. While appropriate praise for workers in God’s field has its place, comparisons between church leaders does not. However prominent or visible one’s service in the church, all will be judged according to faithfulness rather than visible fruitfulness. Whatever our abilities or functions, we are all God’s field hands, whether clergy or layperson.

Furthermore, when every member has made his or her contribution to the work by using their gifts and seizing their opportunities, we all do well to remember that only God causes the growth. Church growth in all its aspects is due to God’s presence through His Spirit gifting, enabling and working through His servants. All praise and exaltation rightfully belong to the Giver of the increase, not to the servants who tend the field. 

When the day is done or the harvest is completed, the owner of the field disburses wages to the field hands. God alone can accurately gauge how faithfully each worker has labored in light of that worker’s giftedness to serve in the Church. “Each will receive his wages according to his labor” (1 Cor. 3:8).

The most important issue is not the particular task each of us performs. Rather, the important concern is the degree of faithfulness with which we labor at whatever we do in God’s field in relation to our opportunities or assignments.