1 Corinthians 1:10-13

The context

After the thanksgiving, Paul turns abruptly to the reports from Chloe's people that the congregation is quarreling. The faction slogans name Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and Christ himself. The passage opens the letter's long argument about the wisdom of the world and the message of the cross.

What it establishes

The verses appeal for unity and expose the personality cults that had formed around particular teachers, and they do so by asking whether Christ is divided. The rebuke is directed at the partisanship, not at the teachers named.

What it does not establish

It does not demand uniformity of opinion. Paul argues vigorously elsewhere and expects disagreement on some matters, and the appeal here concerns rival loyalties rather than every difference. Nor does the passage identify the factions' actual doctrines, which must be inferred from the letter's later sections.

Short note, first pass, October 2026. Corrections welcome.

Cited in these answers

• What does it mean to be a Christian? There are over 30,000 different groups, all of which answer this question differently. If agreement cannot be found on THIS issue, can the claims of Christians be taken seriously?
• The existence of so many Christian denominations indicates the Bible is inherently unclear. If truly God's revelation, could we not expect Him to reveal Himself clearly?

Part of Scripture, Opened — the exegetical layer behind every citation on this site. Scripture quotations are from the ESV.