I Corinthians 3:6

Misinterpretations often include seeing the verse as a competition between Paul and Apollos, pitting their contributions against each other instead of demonstrating teamwork; or downplaying the necessity of human effort by claiming since God alone gives increase, planting and watering are optional, which contradicts the need for faithful ministry; another error is taking it literally as advice on farming rather than a metaphor for church growth, or using it to justify neglecting evangelism under the guise of waiting for God to act unilaterally.

Paul illustrates the cooperative nature of ministry in the Corinthian church, where he planted the seed of the gospel and Apollos watered it through teaching, but emphasizes that only God causes the spiritual growth and increase, highlighting human responsibility in evangelism and discipleship while underscoring God's sovereign role in producing fruit, which fosters humility among leaders and directs glory to God rather than to any individual worker.