“Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?”
My Notes
What Does 1 Corinthians 1:13 Mean?
"Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" Paul attacks the Corinthian factionalism with THREE rhetorical questions that share ONE answer: NO. Christ is NOT divided. Paul was NOT crucified for you. You were NOT baptized in Paul's name. Each question exposes the ABSURDITY of the divisions: the Corinthians are following HUMAN leaders as though those leaders were CHRIST. The questions reduce the factions to their logical absurdity.
The phrase "is Christ divided?" (memeristai ho Christos — has Christ been divided/portioned out?) asks whether Christ has been SPLIT into parts: each faction claims a PORTION of Christ — 'I am of Paul,' 'I am of Apollos,' 'I am of Cephas' (verse 12). Paul asks: is Christ in PIECES? Has He been distributed among your factions? The question exposes the impossibility: Christ is ONE. He can't be divided into faction-sized portions.
The "was Paul crucified for you?" (mē Paulos estaurōthē hyper hymōn — surely Paul was not crucified for you?) shifts to CRUCIFIXION: the cross is the basis of loyalty. If PAUL wasn't crucified for you, you can't belong to PAUL. Only the CRUCIFIED one earns the allegiance. The question strips factional loyalty by asking: who DIED for you? The answer determines the allegiance. And Paul didn't die for anyone.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What faction are you in — and does it divide what the cross united?
- 2.What does allegiance being determined by who was CRUCIFIED for you teach about the basis of belonging?
- 3.How does the baptismal name (Christ's, not a leader's) settle the identity question?
- 4.What human leader are you following with the loyalty that belongs only to Christ?
Devotional
Is Christ DIVIDED? Was PAUL crucified for you? Were you baptized in PAUL'S name? Three questions. One answer: NO. The factionalism is ABSURD because it treats human leaders as though they were Christ. Only ONE person was crucified for you. Only ONE name was spoken at your baptism. The divisions break what can't be broken.
The 'is Christ divided' exposes the IMPOSSIBILITY of factionalism: the Corinthians say 'I am of Paul,' 'I am of Apollos,' 'I am of Cephas.' Each faction claims a PORTION. Paul asks: can Christ be PORTIONED? Can you divide the undividable? The question is rhetorical because the answer is obvious: Christ is ONE. He can't be split among factions. The factionalism that claims portions of Christ misunderstands the nature of Christ.
The 'was Paul crucified for you' locates ALLEGIANCE at the CROSS: the basis of belonging isn't who TAUGHT you. It's who DIED for you. If Paul wasn't crucified for you (he wasn't), you don't belong to Paul. If only Christ was crucified for you (He was), you belong only to Christ. The cross determines the loyalty. The crucifixion establishes the allegiance. Every other leader is subordinate to the Crucified One.
The 'were ye baptized in the name of Paul' locates IDENTITY at BAPTISM: the name spoken at your baptism is the name you belong to. You were baptized in CHRIST'S name — not Paul's, not Apollos', not Cephas'. The baptismal name settles the identity question. The name over your baptism is the name over your life. And that name is CHRIST.
What faction are you in — and does it divide what the cross united?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Is Christ divided?.... Some read the words as an assertion, "Christ is divided"; that is, his body, the church, is…
Is Christ divided? - Paul, in this verse, proceeds to show the impropriety of their divisions and strifes. His general…
Is Christ divided? - Can he be split into different sects and parties? Has he different and opposing systems? Or, is the…
Here the apostle enters on his subject.
I. He extorts them to unity and brotherly love, and reproves them for their…
Is Christ divided? Some editors read this affirmatively, "Christ is divided," instead of interrogatively as in the text.…
Cross References
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