1 Corinthians 3:4

4 For whenever anyone says, "I am with Paul," and another, "I [am] with Apollos," are you not [merely] human?

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 to drink, not solid food, for you were not yet able [to eat it]. But now you are still not able,
3 for you are still fleshly. For where [there is] jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and do you not live like [unregenerate] people?
4 For whenever anyone says, "I am with Paul," and another, "I [am] with Apollos," are you not [merely] human?
5 Therefore, what is Apollos and what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, and to each as the Lord gave.
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing [it] to grow.
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.