1Cor 1:13-17 | MHM | STEP | v. 13 : Paul questions their thinking: “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” Paul reminds them that there is only one Christ. No human leader should take the place of Jesus. Paul did not die for them, and they were not baptized in his name. Only Jesus is their Savior and Lord. Paul wants them to remember that all Christians are united in Christ, not separated by following different leaders.

‏ 1 Corinthians 1:13-17

v. 13: Paul questions their thinking: “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” Paul reminds them that there is only one Christ. No human leader should take the place of Jesus. Paul did not die for them, and they were not baptized in his name. Only Jesus is their Savior and Lord. Paul wants them to remember that all Christians are united in Christ, not separated by following different leaders.

Party-Spirit Reproved

In these verses, Paul explains more about his ministry in Corinth. He wants the believers to understand that he did not come to make followers for himself or to create divisions. Paul’s main focus was preaching the gospel, not gathering personal supporters. He is grateful that his actions cannot be misunderstood as trying to form a group devoted to him instead of to Christ.

v. 14: Paul thanks God that he baptized only a few people in Corinth: Crispus, who was once a synagogue ruler (Acts 18:8 ^a), Gaius, and the household of Stephanas. He cannot remember baptizing anyone else. This is not because Paul did not care about baptism, but because he did not want anyone to say that he baptized converts in his own name or was trying to make his own group of followers.

v. 15: Paul did not want people to say, “I was baptized in Paul’s name.” He left the job of baptizing to others, while he focused on his main mission—preaching the gospel. This helped avoid confusion and division in the church.

v. 16: Paul remembers he also baptized the household of Stephanas, but he is not sure if he baptized anyone else. This shows that he was not keeping a list for his own glory. His focus was on spreading the good news about Jesus.

The Efficacy of the Gospel; The Character of the Gospel

In this section, Paul explains how he preached the gospel in Corinth and what makes the gospel so powerful. Paul did not try to impress people with clever words or fancy speech. Instead, he simply told the truth about Jesus Christ and His death on the cross. Paul wants the believers to understand that God’s way is different from the world’s way. The message of the cross may seem weak or foolish to some, but it is truly the power and wisdom of God.

v. 17: Paul says he did not preach the gospel “with the wisdom of words” (1 Corinthians 1:17 ^b). He avoided using impressive speech or complicated language, because he did not want people to think the power was in his words. Instead, he wanted everyone to see the power of the cross. Paul preached about Jesus’ death and resurrection in plain language, trusting that God’s truth was stronger than any human wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:4 ^c).

Paul says, Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 1:17 ^d). This does not mean baptism is unimportant, but Paul’s special calling was to preach. He did not use fancy words or human wisdom, because he wanted people to trust in the message of the cross, not in clever speech. Paul preached Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 1:23 ^e). This is the heart of the gospel and the foundation of Christian faith. By Jesus’ death, we receive life, and that is what Paul wanted everyone to know and believe.