Paul rebukes the Corinthians for dividing themselves around human leaders. The church belongs to the one crucified Christ, so neither baptism nor preaching should ever be used to create loyalty to ministers rather than to Him. Therefore the gospel and the cross must remain central, not human prestige or impressive speech.

Paul opens with a serious appeal in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is more than advice about getting along. It is a call to live under Christ’s authority. He urges the Corinthians to stop speaking in ways that reflect rivalry and division, and instead to be restored to shared mind and judgment. The language suggests mending what has been torn.

He then states the problem plainly. Reports from Chloe’s people have made it clear that quarrels are troubling the church. These are not small personal irritations. The congregation is being fractured by open conflict. Some are saying, “I am with Paul,” others, “I am with Apollos,” others, “I am with Cephas,” and others, “I am with Christ.” In this setting, even “I am with Christ” is best understood as another party slogan. It sounds orthodox, but Paul includes it in the same pattern of divisive boasting. Even true words can be used in a proud and sectarian spirit.

Paul answers this party spirit with three pointed questions. “Is Christ divided?” Certainly not. Christ is one, and His people must not split themselves into rival camps. “Was Paul crucified for you?” No human leader died to redeem them. Their salvation rests on Christ alone. “Were you baptized in the name of Paul?” No. Baptism marks belonging to Christ’s name, not attachment to a minister. Their slogans, then, are not merely immature. They contradict the meaning of their Christian identity.

When Paul says he is thankful he baptized only a few of them, he is not speaking against baptism itself. He is not treating baptism as unimportant. His point is narrower and more practical: he is glad that no one can use baptism administered by him as evidence of special allegiance to him. He mentions Crispus and Gaius, then adds the household of Stephanas, and admits he does not remember whether there were others. That brief aside feels natural and unforced, and it shows that the exact number is not the issue. What matters is that his role in baptism must not become fuel for factional pride.

Paul then exposes the deeper issue. Christ sent him primarily to preach the gospel, not to make baptism serve a minister-centered identity. And he was not sent to preach with “wisdom of speech” in a way that would empty the cross of Christ of its proper effect. Paul is not rejecting clear thought, careful argument, or faithful persuasion. He is rejecting a showy, self-exalting style of rhetoric that draws attention to the speaker and away from the crucified Christ. The Corinthians were drawn to status, polish, and human impressiveness, and that same desire was feeding their divisions.

So this passage is about more than bad manners in the church. It uncovers a deeper spiritual disorder. The Corinthians were treating Christian leaders as identity markers and status symbols. Paul cuts that off by reminding them that the church is defined by Christ’s person, Christ’s death, and Christ’s name. Ministers are servants. Christ alone is Savior and Lord.

Paul’s argument also prepares for what follows. Verse 17 leads into the next section, where he contrasts human wisdom with the word of the cross. The quarrels at Corinth are tied to boasting in human ability and prestige. When the church admires the messenger more than the message, the cross is pushed from the center in practice, even if it is still affirmed in words.

This passage therefore calls the church to more than polite coexistence. Paul calls for repaired unity shaped by the truth of the gospel. Believers may rightly value faithful teachers, but they must never build their identity around them. Baptism must be understood as belonging to Christ and, therefore, to His people. Preaching must serve the gospel rather than the fame of the preacher. In every dispute, the controlling question must be this: do our attitudes and words fit a people who belong to the one crucified Christ?