1 Corinthians 1:10–17

Verse 10. and so forth That there is no schisms … contentions, and so forth To hinder these, was the chief design of this letter; one saying, I am of Paul, and so forth each party bragging of their master by whom they had been baptized, and made Christians. I am of Apollo, the eloquent preacher, and I of Cephas, the head of the apostles, and of the whole Church; whilst others, the only party not to be blamed, contented themselves with saying, and I am of Christ.—Is Christ divided? Is not your salvation, is not your justification in baptism, and all gifts from him? Witham.

The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”

Verse 11. Of Chloe. It is worthy our observation, that Saint Paul does not here mention any one person in particular, lest he might expose any one to the resentment of the rest, but mentions only in general terms the house of Chloe. Saint John Chrysostom Theophyl.

Verse 12. Chloe was a Christian woman of Corinth. Apollo is the person mentioned, Acts 18:24. and so forth Cephas is Saint Peter, so called in the Syriac tongue. V.

Verse 13. Was Paul crucified for you? Though says Saint Augustine brothers may die for brothers, yet the blood of no martyr is shed for the remission of a brother’s sin. See also S. Leo the Great, serm. xii. de pass. Dom.

Verse 14. I give God thanks that I baptized none of you, but, and so forth It is strange that Quakers should from hence pretend, that Saint Paul condemned baptism, when he only tells them, he is glad they were baptized by some other, rather than by him, lest they should say, they were baptized in his name, or think that baptism had a greater virtue, when given by a minister of greater sanctity; whereas it is Christ only, who is the chief minister, who gives grace in baptism, and in the other sacraments. This makes him say, was Paul crucified for you, and so forth He tells them the occasion why he baptized few, because he was sent chiefly to preach and to be their apostle, whereas other inferior ministers were employed in baptizing. Witham.

Verse 17. and so forth Not to baptize. That is, the first and principal intent, in my vocation to the apostleship, was to preach the gospel, before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. Acts chapter 9:15. To baptize is common to all, but to preach is peculiarly the function of an apostle. Est. Menoc. Grot.—I was sent to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of speech, and as he says in the next chapter, (verse 13) not in the persuasive words of human wisdom, and so forth The Spirit of God, which guided the thoughts and pen of Saint Paul, and the other sacred writers, inspired them to deliver the gospel-truths with great simplicity, without the ornaments of an artificial human eloquence, lest the cross of Christ should be made void, lest the conversion of the world might be attributed to any human means, and not to the power of God, and of Christ crucified. Witham.