1 Corinthians 3:4

4 For whenever someone says, "I'm with Paul," and another, "I'm with Apollos," are you not [typical] men?^[a]

1 Corinthians 3:4 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 3:4

For while one saith, I am of Paul
This shows what their envying and strife, and divisions were about, and from whence they sprung; and which serve, to strengthen the proof, and support the charge of carnality brought against them; for when one sort made a party for Paul, and set up him as their minister above all others; and said

another, I am of Apollos,
preferring him for his eloquence above Paul, or any other preacher, as appears from ( 1 Corinthians 1:12 ) there was a third sort for Cephas, whom they cried up as superior to the other two, or any other man; and a fourth were for Christ, and despised all ministers whatever:

are ye not carnal?
all this was a demonstration of it: they could never clear themselves from it, they must be convicted in their own consciences of it; to which the apostle appeals: the Alexandrian copy and the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read, "are ye not men?"

1 Corinthians 3:4 In-Context

2 I fed you milk, not solid food, because you were not yet able to receive it. In fact, you are still not able,

3 because you are still fleshly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not fleshly and living like ordinary people?

4 For whenever someone says, "I'm with Paul," and another, "I'm with Apollos," are you not [typical] men?

5 So, what is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given.

6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.

Footnotes

• [a]. Other mss read are you not carnal