"Success always comes from God, and from God alone. This is true both for pioneer missionaries and for preachers and teachers in local congregations: only God gives growth (1 Cor 3: 6-7) The effectiveness of missionary work and the effectiveness of pastoral ministry depend neither on individual persons and their gifts nor on programs or rhetorical techniques, but on God's agency. Preachers are nothing (1 Cor 3: 7). The nature of the ministry of the gospel prohibits deference to and exclusivistic respect for individual preachers and teachers, as they are all instruments of God on whose work all "success" depends."

Eckhard Schnabel