For first of all, when ye come together in the church
The place where the church met together to perform divine service, called "one place". ( 1 Corinthians 11:20 ) and is distinguished from their own "houses", ( 1 Corinthians 11:22 ) and the first thing he took notice of as worthy of dispraise and reproof, in their religious assemblies, were their animosities and factions:
I hear that there be divisions among you:
schisms and parties, either about their ministers, one being for Paul, another for Apollos, and another for Cephas; or in the celebration of the Lord's supper, and that which went before it, they going into separate bodies, and partook by themselves, and each took his own supper before another, one ate, and another did not. This the apostle had heard from the house of Chloe:
and I partly believe it;
meaning, either that this was the practice of a part of the church to do so, though not of them all; or that part of the report that had been made to him was true; though he hoped in that charity which hopeth all things, that it was not quite so bad as was feared or represented, since things are generally heightened and increased by fame; but yet he had it from such good hands, that he could not but believe there was something in it. So the Syriac version renders it, (Mdm Mdmw) , "and something, something I believe".