Paul sought to impress upon his Corinthian brethren the fact that he himself, and the ministers associated with him, were only men, commissioned of God to teach the truth; that they were individually engaged in the same work, which was given them by their Heavenly Father; and that they were all dependent upon him for the success which attended their labors. “For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.”{LP 126.1}

Paulus søgte at indprente sine korintiske brødre med kendsgerningen, at han selv, og prædikanterne der var knyttet til ham, kun var mennesker, hvervet af Gud til at undervise sandheden; at de hver især var engageret i det samme arbejde, som blev givet dem af deres Himmelske Fader; og at de alle var afhængige af ham, for om deres arbejde fik succes. "Thi når en siger: ’Jeg er tilhænger af Paulus,’ og en anden: ’Jeg er tilhænger af Apollos,’ er I så ikke ’mennesker’? Hvad er da Apollos? og hvad er Paulus? Tjenere, ved hvem I kom til troen. Og enhver tjente, som Herren gav ham; jeg plantede, Apollos vandedde, men Gud gav væksten."