1 Corinthians 3:4

4 For when one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?

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 gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready,

3 for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man?

4 For when one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?

5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each his role.

6 I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.