1 Corinthians 1:13 kjv

Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

1 Corinthians 1:13 nkjv

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

1 Corinthians 1:13 niv

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?

1 Corinthians 1:13 esv

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

1 Corinthians 1:13 nlt

Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not!

1 Corinthians 1 verses

1 Corinthians 1 13 Meaning

The Apostle Paul confronts the divided Corinthian church with three powerful rhetorical questions that underscore the absurdity and sinfulness of their factions. The verse forcefully asserts the indivisible nature of Christ, the singular efficacy of His crucifixion for salvation, and the ultimate dedication and allegiance signified by baptism into His name alone. It calls believers back to the one foundation of faith: Jesus Christ Himself.

1 Corinthians 1 13 Context

This verse is situated early in Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians, directly following his initial greetings and thanksgiving. The Corinthian church, though gifted, was deeply troubled by internal divisions, rivalry, and immaturity. Members were aligning themselves with different spiritual leaders: "I follow Paul," "I follow Apollos," "I follow Cephas," and even "I follow Christ" (1 Cor 1:12), though the latter phrase is interpreted by some as another factional claim of spiritual superiority rather than a true allegiance to Christ alone. Paul uses these rhetorical questions to cut to the core of their pride and folly, exposing the foundational error of creating human-centered factions in a church that should be unified in Christ. He immediately connects the idea of division with the absolute centrality of Christ's person and saving work. The entire letter, particularly chapters 1-4, seeks to dismantle their worldly wisdom, human pride, and divisive spirit by redirecting their focus solely to Christ crucified.

1 Corinthians 1 13 Word analysis

• Is Christ divided? (Greek: Χριστὸς μεμέρισται; Christos memeristai):

  • Christos: Refers to Jesus, the Messiah, the Anointed One. His identity as Christ implies singularity and authority.
  • memeristai: From merizō, meaning "to divide, separate, distribute." It is in the perfect passive indicative, conveying a completed action with continuing results, or a state of being. The perfect tense makes the implied question even more forceful: Has Christ become divided and remained so? The very idea is absurd and blasphemous. Christ is one, indivisible. To attempt to divide His body, the church, along human lines, is to attempt to divide Christ Himself. This highlights the deep offense their factions posed.

• Was Paul crucified for you? (Greek: Παῦλος ἐσταυρώθη ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν; Paulos estaurōthē hyper hymōn):

  • Paulos: Refers to the Apostle Paul, a human messenger, a servant.
  • estaurōthē: From stauroomai, "to be crucified." It is in the aorist passive indicative, denoting a completed historical act. The crucifixion is the supreme act of atonement, unique to Christ.
  • hyper hymōn: "For you," indicating a substitutionary or redemptive purpose. Paul’s question forcefully highlights the singular, non-transferable nature of Christ's atoning sacrifice. No human, however great or gifted, could ever bear the sins of humanity. Only Christ accomplished this redemptive work. The implication is that their allegiance should be solely to the One who suffered and died for them.

• Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (Greek: ἢ εἰς τὸ ὄνομα Παύλου ἐβαπτίσθητε; ē eis to onoma Paulou ebaptisthēte):

  • ē: "Or," introducing the alternative absurdity.
  • eis to onoma: "Into the name of," indicating transfer of allegiance, ownership, and identification. To be baptized "into the name of" someone meant to come under their authority and ownership, signifying dedication to them.
  • ebaptisthēte: From baptizō, "to immerse, baptize." Aorist passive indicative, again a completed historical act. Baptism is the initiatory rite that signifies a person's conversion, spiritual union with Christ, and inclusion into His body.
  • The question mocks the idea of identifying with a human teacher to the point of being baptized into their name. Baptism is an act of solemn commitment to God through Christ. It symbolizes death to self and resurrection to new life in Christ. Paul is asserting that their baptism committed them exclusively to Christ, not to Paul, Apollos, or Cephas. Any other focus distorts the true meaning of their conversion and commitment.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "Is Christ divided?" This sets the theological foundation for the argument against division. If the very head of the Church, Christ, is indivisible, then His body, the Church, must also strive for unity. Divisions undermine the fundamental nature of who Christ is and what He represents. This statement also anticipates Christ as the unified cornerstone upon which the Church is built.
  • "Was Paul crucified for you? / Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" These two questions are deeply interconnected, focusing on the ultimate act of salvation (crucifixion) and the ultimate sign of allegiance (baptism). By using his own name, Paul humbly points away from himself and all other human leaders to Christ alone. He highlights the absolute insufficiency of any human to save and the profound spiritual commitment implied by baptism. The rhetorical force demands a resounding "No!" to both, thereby affirming that only Christ saves and only into Christ's name are believers truly baptized.

1 Corinthians 1 13 Commentary

Paul's rhetorical barrage in 1 Corinthians 1:13 serves as a foundational corrective to the Corinthian church's carnal divisions. Each question probes a crucial aspect of Christian identity and salvation, forcefully revealing the absurdity and theological error of their factions. "Is Christ divided?" challenges their logic directly, arguing that Christ, the very head of the unified body (the Church), cannot be fragmented by human loyalties or preferences. The notion that followers of Paul, Apollos, or Cephas are adhering to different aspects of Christ is antithetical to Christ's indivisible person and work.

"Was Paul crucified for you?" unequivocally states the uniqueness and exclusivity of Christ's atoning work. No human leader, no matter how influential or beloved, could ever suffer or die to redeem others. The cross is solely Christ's act, the singular means of salvation. This dismantles any human-centric focus, directing all glory and allegiance to the One who accomplished redemption.

Finally, "Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" exposes the misplaced loyalty implied by their sectarianism. Baptism is a powerful public declaration of commitment, signifying union with Christ, identification with His death and resurrection, and initiation into His universal body. To be baptized "into the name" of anyone means to become their property, to pledge ultimate allegiance to them. Paul underscores that their baptism sealed their belonging to Christ alone, making devotion to human leaders a profound distortion of their spiritual identity.

Together, these questions Strip away all pretenses and bring the Corinthians face-to-face with the radical implications of their faith: The church is unified because Christ is unified, saved because Christ was crucified, and committed to Christ alone because they were baptized into His name. This verse, therefore, is a timeless call to unity in Christ, urging believers to reject all human-centered allegiances that diminish the supreme Lordship and saving work of Jesus. It calls us to consider our spiritual foundations and ensure that our primary allegiance is solely to Christ, fostering true unity in His name.

Bonus Section

The structure of Paul's argument here (Christ's indivisibility, the exclusivity of His cross, and the singular meaning of baptism into His name) lays the groundwork for his later extended argument about spiritual gifts and the unity of the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12. The underlying issue Paul addresses is improper boastfulness and reliance on worldly wisdom (1 Cor 1:18-2:16) which fueled their pride in human leaders rather than in Christ alone. The factions at Corinth might have been based on preaching style (Paul's simple Gospel vs. Apollos' eloquence) or direct discipleship (Paul converting them, Apollos nurturing, Peter as an apostle, and the "Christ party" perhaps claiming a superior, direct revelation). Paul implicitly corrects the "Christ party" too, if their claim was an exclusive, sectarian one rather than a genuine devotion to the one true Christ, by showing that their very claim to follow Christ exclusively, yet divisively, demonstrates they fundamentally misunderstand Him. The unity Christ died for, and into which we are baptized, is holistic, not factional.