The Bible Says
1 Corinthians 1:10-17 Meaning

In 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Paul begins his exhortation to the Corinthians to have fellowship with one another, even as they were called to have fellowship with Christ, by addressing and resolving the divisions that have arisen among them.

Paul makes an appeal for harmony among believers when he writes, Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment (v.10).

By urging the Corinthian believers to all agree, Paul affirms that church harmony is a matter of personal choice. In the prior section, Paul made abundantly clear that he has full confidence that these believers in Jesus are made holy in God’s eyes through Christ. He has no doubt of their position in Christ; they are His children. But God’s gift of new birth is received freely as a gift, while becoming Christ’s disciple is a matter of making good choices.

We see this throughout the New Testament. Jesus said to His followers that to follow Him and be His disciple required them to learn what He has to teach them (Luke 14:27). Jesus also said that to gain the experience of life requires choosing to enter a narrow gate and walk a difficult path (Matthew 7:13-14). Paul gives us a reason why following in obedience to Christ is difficult; it is because the way of Christ goes against our sinful nature.

In Galatians 5:13-16, Paul sets forth that believers have the freedom to make choices and urges them to make a choice to follow the leading of the Spirit which leads us to love one another. The alternative is to follow our flesh, which leads us to “bite and devour one another.” This sort of friction leads to divisions among the church. Paul’s first corrective message to the Corinthian church is to urge them to seek unity rather than division.

He appeals earnestly to them as brethren, highlighting the familial bond they share through being members of the family of God in Christ. Those who believe in Jesus are born into His family through a new, spiritual birth (John 3:3). Paul’s admonitions are as applicable today as then, since neither human nature nor the Spirit of God has changed. It is appropriate to heed Paul's strong reminder here and elsewhere as to the importance of seeking unity in Christ's name, so far as it depends on us (Romans 12:18).

As Paul uses the phrase by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, he stresses that this exhortation does not come only from a place of human authority or personal conviction. Instead, it comes in the strong name of the Messiah, Jesus, who unites all believers under His lordship (Ephesians 4:1-6).

Three significant ideas flow from verse 10.

• Paul urges the Corinthians to seek agreement (you all agree).
  
  In John 17:20-21, Jesus prayed for our unity:

"I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me." 
(John 17:20-21)

Lack of unity can impede the church from fruitfulness in the mission Jesus has given us, which is to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20).

• Paul condemns divisions, a word that implies splits or schisms. In Greek, the word can carry the sense of a tear in a garment—something once whole, now torn asunder.
  
  
• Paul calls them to be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment, urging them to let God mend the tear and restore fellowship.

This completeness is not just a temporary truce or compromise. Paul urges his readers to seek to be made complete in the same mind. The Greek word translated made complete is translated in Mark 4:21 as “mending.” The idea here seems to be that the way to mend a fractured relationship is through gaining the same mind and having the same judgment.

Paul then is asking the Corinthians to do the hard work of talking to each other and aligning perspectives. The sense of the Greek word translated mind is to have understanding. The Greek word translated judgment is also translated “opinion” and “purpose.” Paul is asking the Corinthians to engage in discourse until they come to a common understanding and shared purpose. This infers a biblical pattern for reconciliation that is fact-based. We can observe that shared facts create shared stories.

It is observable that the natural bent of our human minds is to weave any circumstance into a story, with ourselves as the hero; we do not have to train children to rationalize their own behavior. Engaging to listen to the perspective of others and seeking shared facts sets the table to get a shared story and create a shared plan to accomplish a shared purpose. By applying this approach, we can seek to be made complete in the same mind and come to have the same judgment.

Verse 10 serves as the bedrock of Paul’s forthcoming arguments in 1 Corinthians. By stressing unity through Christ, he is laying the foundation for addressing a variety of issues the Corinthian church faced. From addressing sexual immorality to lawsuits among believers to the misuse of spiritual gifts, many of the problems could be traced back to a lack of shared perspective and Christ-centered purpose.

His opening plea here sets the tone for a letter that calls the Corinthians—and every generation that follows—to remember their oneness in Jesus Christ. Paul continues For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you (v.11).

This identifies the reason he is addressing the topic of unity. Chloe's people have presumably traveled from Corinth to inform Paul of their divisions. Corinth is an ancient city located in southern Greece on an isthmus between the mainland and the Peloponnesian peninsula. It was known for trade, having two ports on either side of the isthmus, as well as cultural diversity and immorality.

The Apostle Paul may have been in Ephesus when he penned this letter. Ephesus was the next city Paul visited after leaving Corinth (Acts 18:19) and it could have been shortly after his departure that he wrote this letter. Paul apparently felt compelled to address this situation as a spiritual father to the congregation he had helped establish (Acts 18:1).

The mention of quarrels among the believers points to a personal “me versus you” culture rather than a team culture with a common purpose. Personality-centered cultures naturally breed pride, favoritism, and blame. Rather than a focus being on the centrality of serving Christ and completing the mission He gave us to make disciples of all nations, the centrality is “Me.”

Quarrels are a competition for dominance, to seek to establish who is “right.” Quarrels require a perspective that “I must win and you must lose.” The fact that there are quarrels among you appears to be sufficient information to spur Paul to write this letter. This shows the priority Paul places on seeking unity among the brethren. The unity is not personal, as he will soon emphasize. He is not seeking unity around himself. He is seeking unity around what is true and right. He is seeking unity in Christ.

Our flesh constantly leads us to lose sight of the mission, which is to make disciples (Matthew 28:18). Rather, the church of Jesus Christ should be on mission together and ruthlessly focus on making disciples in order to please Him. As Paul will emphasize in Chapter 3, our focus should be on our judgement before Him, not on how we are viewed by others. Our unity should be around pleasing Christ.

As Paul so often teaches, any boasting, authority, or teaching centered on self, not firmly grounded in Christ, leads to contentiousness rather than unity. Paul desires that we focus on Christ, and gain unity through seeking to serve Him.

Readers may wonder about the identity of Chloe. Scripture does not detail her role but it is clear she was a respected figure with sufficient influence that her household or associates had a credible voice in Paul’s estimation. It is likely that one of the house churches that made up the church in Corinth was in the house of Chloe, which was the normal pattern (Romans 16:5, 1 Corinthians 16:19, Colossians 4:15, Philemon 1:2).

Chloe’s prominence in this story continues a pattern throughout the New Testament of a significant participation in the spread of the gospel by women. Aquila and his wife Priscilla were important ministry partners with Paul (Acts 18:2, 18, 26, Romans 16:3, 1 Corinthians 16:19). Phoebe was apparently the messenger for Paul’s letter to the Romans (Romans 16:1). Jesus entrusted women to be the first messengers to testify to His resurrection, and it was this group of women that provided financial support for His ministry (Matthew 28:9, Mark 16:9, John 20:14-16).

While the quarrels threatened to pull the church apart, the fact that believers remained in contact with Paul reflects their underlying desire to seek biblical guidance and restore unity through spiritual counsel. He specifies the nature of their quarrels when he writes, Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of Apollos," and "I of Cephas," and "I of Christ" (v.12).

This verse paints a vivid picture of factionalism in Corinth. Given the nature of conflicts, we might imagine that Chloe’s people came to Paul because they were of Paul and were seeking his help to win over the others. Paul will do no such thing. He will point everyone to be unified in seeking to do good works that will endure the refining fire of Christ’s judgement (1 Corinthians 3:14-15).

Some Corinthian believers identified themselves as followers of Paul, the pioneer missionary who had first shared the gospel in their city (Acts 18:1-11). Others preferred Apollos, an eloquent teacher and fellow worker in the early Church (Acts 18:24-28). Still others admired Cephas, meaning the Apostle Peter, one of the original twelve apostles appointed by Jesus, who ministered primarily among Jewish believers and was a leader among the apostles (Matthew 16:18). The final group claimed, “I of Christ,” perhaps in a dismissive way toward earthly teachers, implying a certain superiority in bypassing any human leader.

What Paul writes shows how the Corinthian believers’ focus on specific leaders improperly overshadowed their focus on Jesus. Although Paul, Apollos, and Cephas were each faithful ministers in their own contexts, elevating one over the other created harmful comparisons. Also, this verse underscores the danger of personality-driven division, a problem that can plague any organization, luring it away from its intended purpose. The biblical pattern is for any group or organization to unite around a purpose. The purpose Paul will propose is to please Jesus Christ, our Creator and King.

This lesson applies to any church; good leaders unite people to serve Christ, poor leaders create loyalty toward themselves. That Paul included those who said I am of Christ among the various divisions might indicate they were not focusing on serving Christ so much as invoking the authority of Christ to lord over others. Even what is true can be weaponized if we allow our hearts to be prideful (James 4:6). Paul frames the divisive behavior in a negative light by asking Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (v.13).

This rhetorical device invites the Corinthians to consider how absurd it is to claim allegiance to any person over Christ. Jesus alone took on flesh, died on the cross, and rose from the dead so that humanity might be reconciled to God. No human teacher, no matter how gifted, can substitute for Jesus’ sacrificial and saving work (Hebrews 10:4-12).

• It is in Christ that all things exist (Colossians 1:16-17)
• It is Jesus who reconciles all things to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
• It is He who will judge the world and all who live or have ever lived (2 Timothy 4:1)

In light of these realities, Paul’s question “Has Christ been divided?” highlights the futility of seeking to divide rather than seeking to please Christ with all we do. And with respect to serving any mere human, Paul’s question “Paul was not crucified for you, was he?” demonstrates how silly it is to place any human leader in the place properly occupied by Christ.

We could properly take Paul’s rhetorical questions (each of which presumes a “No!” answer) and put any human’s name in place of Paul:

• [Insert name] was not crucified for you, was he?
• Or were you baptized in the name of [insert name]?

Only Jesus Christ is fit to sit in the seat of Jesus Christ. This makes it all the more amazing that Jesus promises to reward faithful believers with the amazing privilege of reigning with Him. We will see this later in this letter, in 1 Corinthians 6:2, where Paul alludes to this amazing reality, noting that in God’s kingdom believers will judge the world. Other verses where this is set forth include 2 Timothy 2:12, Revelation 3:21, 21:7, and Hebrews 2:9-10.

The way of gaining a reward of this elevation from God comes through obedient service. This is why in Philippians 2:5-9, Paul urges believers to have the same mindset Jesus had. Jesus “humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). The next verse says, “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9). In like manner, Jesus promises those who willingly serve that He will lift them up. Paul takes his own advice by deflecting those who seek to follow him and pointing them to Christ.

In asking “Has Christ been divided?” Paul paints a picture of chopping up Christ into segments, each group clinging to a “piece.” This is no more functional that a human body chopped into pieces. In Chapter 12, Paul uses the human body as an illustration of a properly functioning church. In a high-functioning body, each member serves its role in obedience to the head, who is Jesus. It is only Jesus who was crucified to atone for sins (Hebrews 10:10).

Internally, these questions point to the futility of the quarreling between the Corinthian believers. The questions make the case that if the believers had fully grasped the significance of their baptism into Christ, they would not cling to the separate identities of mere men or even prioritize certain beliefs. By using pointed questions, Paul attempts to bring the Corinthians back to the heart of the gospel: Jesus the Christ alone is Lord and Savior.

Everything else, including personal preferences for teachers, preachers, and leaders must find its proper place beneath the authority of Jesus. This becomes particularly difficult in a "celebrity"-oriented culture, but we can heed Paul's admonition, as well as the writer of Hebrews when he proclaims we are to be "fixing [focusing] our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).

The “joy” Jesus had “set before Him” was to sit down “at the right hand of the throne of God.” His reward for faithful obedience was to be given all authority over the heavens and earth, as the God-man (Matthew 28:18, Hebrews 2:9, Philippians 2:9-11). We are to have the same mindset as Jesus and focus our attention on following His example (Philippians 2:5, Hebrews 12:2).

Jesus served as a faithful witness, “despising the shame” heaped on Him by the world, and rewarded by being “crowned” with the “glory and honor” of reigning over the world, restoring God’s original design (Psalm 8:3-9, Hebrews 2:5-9). It is the way of the world to seek honor from others rather than to serve. Paul seeks to orient the minds of the Corinthians on serving Christ, which is the path to true glory.

Paul then says, I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius so that no one would say you were baptized in my name (v.14-15).

Crispus was originally the leader of the synagogue in Corinth, known for his conversion to Christ when Paul first preached there (Acts 18:8). Gaius is unnamed in the Book of Acts, but he may be the same Gaius who hosted Paul or at least had a close relationship with him (Romans 16:23). By citing these specific baptisms, Paul points out that he had not personally water baptized many of the Corinthians. That he did not baptize many indicates that Paul distributed rather than concentrated authority. If Paul was seeking to get everyone to follow him, then he likely would have baptized them all.

It seems Paul now expresses gratitude that he chose this path and baptized none... except Crispus and Gaius. This is because Paul is glad that he did not unintentionally mislead anyone to place their loyalty toward him because he performed their baptism. He desires them to root their faith in Christ’s lordship, not Paul’s ministerial acts. This is why he is thankful he baptized few, so that no one would say you are baptized in my name, and thus add to the division he seeks to heal.

Paul also subtly illustrates that baptism, although important, does not require a specific minister to be effective. There is no indication in scripture indicating that any believer is unqualified to baptize another. The power of baptism is linked to faith in Christ, not the baptizer’s identity.

Highlighting Crispus and Gaius by name personalizes Paul’s argument. He is not claiming that baptism is unimportant—after all, Crispus and Gaius were clearly treasured believers and their baptisms were meaningful. Instead, Paul’s focus remains on ensuring that no one mistakes the baptizer for the true source of salvation and unity—Christ.

Paul’s language reveals just how wary he is of fueling any cult of personality, particularly toward himself. He is fully aware that misguided human nature can idolize spiritual leaders. We see this fervor in Paul in Acts 14:8-16, where he is distraught when he discovers the Lycaonians intend to make a sacrifice to him, as though he were a god. Paul continues to set the stage for an argument aimed at re-centering the Corinthians on Jesus, making clear that there should be no confusion as to whom they belong.

When we consider Crispus’s place in history, it is remarkable that a synagogue leader in Corinth—having deep roots in Jewish tradition—became one of the first converts in Corinth under Paul’s ministry (Acts 18:7-8). This happened around AD 50-52 during Paul’s second missionary journey. Gaius, though less historically detailed, is also presented in Scripture as a faithful believer. Their conversions highlight the diversity of the early Church, which consisted of both Jews and Greeks who both found unity in Christ.

When we look at modern application, it becomes evident that many believers can still fall into the trap of championing a particular speaker, denominational brand, ministry style, or any other brand of “tribe” more than the Lord Himself. Paul’s insistence upon clarity here helps us remain vigilant against such tendencies. Christ alone is to be exalted, and our unity flows from His work, not from a binding loyalty to a particular human servant.

It seems Paul next has a second thought and wants to ensure he speaks totally truthfully. He adds a brief mention of another baptism: Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other (v.16).

We can place ourselves back to the first century and imagine Paul dictating this letter to a scribe, who is writing by hand. Perhaps the scribe is Sosthenes, who is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:1. Paul makes the statement that he only baptized two people, then has a second thought.

Writing materials are expensive. Rather than starting over or erasing, Paul simply adds a corrective thought when he remembers there were a few others he baptized, the household of Stephanas. Then, to cover the possibility he forgot someone, he adds beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. This note demonstrates Paul’s integrity and commitment to truth.

Notwithstanding details, the point remains, Paul did not baptize many people in Corinth. This underscores the point that Paul is not their head—Jesus is their head. By including the household of Stephanas, Paul confirms that baptism often unfolded as a family event in the early Church. The household of Stephanas offers a glimpse of how the early Church spread. It was not merely individuals in isolation, but clusters of families, households, and connected circles that embraced the message of Jesus, reflecting the corporate nature of Christian fellowship.

In modern Christian life, relationships often remain a practical means through which the gospel goes forth. As with the household of Stephanas, entire families and social networks can come to faith because of one person’s transformation. And again, Paul wants to keep the spotlight on Jesus. Even as he recollects and clarifies details of who he baptized, it is never to tout his own role but to point the Corinthians back to Christ.

Paul concludes this section with a powerful statement: For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void (v.17).

This verse stands as a concise summary of Paul’s calling and passion. While baptism is important, his primary mission was not to baptize but to preach the gospel. The phrase preach the gospel translates a single Greek word, “euangelizo,” from which we get the English word “evangelize.” We might wonder why Paul subordinates baptism to preaching the gospel when Jesus’s charge in the Great Commission speaks of baptism:

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.’”
(Matthew 28:18-19)

We can observe in Acts that the Holy Spirit descended on Jews upon baptism and on Gentiles upon belief. We can contrast two verses to demonstrate this principle. First, in Acts 2:38, Peter exhorted a group of believing Jews to be baptized and promised they would then receive the Holy Spirit. Contrast this with Acts 10:44-45, where the Holy Spirit fell on Gentiles who simply believed Peter’s word; they were water baptized thereafter.

It could be that Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, now focuses on belief in Jesus, recognizing that baptism symbolizes what has taken place within the heart. In each case, whether Jew or Gentile, the belief that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God preceded the baptism. In each case, water baptism was, and is, a public act that disassociates the believer from our old identity and now identifies us with God in Christ, aligning and allying ourselves in submission to God.

It could also be that Paul is referencing the various gifts God gives the church. In Ephesians 4:11, Paul says God “gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers.” Paul could be recognizing that his job is to do the evangelism and he is leaving it to others to do the baptizing.

Paul’s reference to not in cleverness of speech highlights that the power of the gospel does not rely on rhetorical skill. In the city of Corinth—renowned for its orators and philosophers—many prized eloquence above substance. However, Paul refrains from such strategies, insisting that the cross of Christ is itself potent enough to transform hearts (Romans 1:16).

The phrase so that the cross of Christ would not be made void shows the risk of improperly subordinating Jesus’ sacrificial work to human efforts or personalities. If preaching becomes a competition of eloquence, the cross risks being reduced to an afterthought. This phrase is also translated as “lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.” If people respond to oratory eloquence, their focus is on the speaker rather than the message. Paul’s desire is for the message to be central. It is the cross of Jesus that saves humans from their sins, not clever public speaking.

This verse calls believers in every age to examine whether they are elevating method and style above the essential message of Jesus Christ crucified and raised. The cross remains the pivotal event that reconciles people to God, and no human approach should supplant its centrality (Hebrews 10:10).

In this section covering 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Paul pleads for believers to remove any barriers between them by focusing on their service in Christ rather than focus on personalities. He urges them to focus on the centrality of the message of the cross of Christ rather than the cleverness of any particular leader. And that includes Paul himself. This ancient message resonates still, urging us to keep our gaze firmly fixed on Christ, that in all things, He might have preeminence (Colossians 1:18).