1 Corinthians 3:2

3:2 I fed you milk, ¹  not solid food, for you were not yet ready. In fact, you are still not ready,

1 Corinthians 3:6-8

3:6 I planted, ²  Apollos watered, but God caused it to grow. 3:7 So neither the one who plants counts for anything, ³  nor the one who waters, but God who causes the growth. 3:8 The one who plants and the one who waters work as one, ⁴  but each will receive his reward according to his work.

1 Corinthians 12:13

12:13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Whether Jews or Greeks or slaves ⁵  or free, we were all made to drink of the one Spirit.

[3:2]  ¹ sn Milk refers figuratively to basic or elementary Christian teaching. Paul’s point was that the Corinthian believers he was writing to here were not mature enough to receive more advanced teaching. This was not a problem at the time, when they were recent converts, but the problem now is that they are still not ready.

[3:6]  ² sn The expression I planted is generally taken to mean that Paul founded the church at Corinth. Later Apollos had a significant ministry there (watered). See also v. 10.

[3:7]  ³ tn Grk “is anything.”

[3:8]  ⁴ tn Grk “are one.” The purpose of this phrase is to portray unified action on the part of ministers underneath God’s sovereign control. Although they are in fact individuals, they are used by God with a single purpose to accomplish his will in facilitating growth. This emphasis is brought out in the translation “work as one.”

[12:13]  ⁵ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 7:21.