The divisions in the Corinthian church were caused by the believers' carnality, which expressed itself in rival loyalties to Paul, Apollos, Peter, and Christ.
The Corinthians were saved, but Les Feldick explains that they were carnal believers—still controlled by the flesh rather than the Holy Spirit—and had not grown spiritually as Paul expected. Their carnality produced envy, strife, and contentions as different groups claimed, "I am of Paul," "I am of Apollos," "I am of Cephas," and "I am of Christ." Paul had to address these divisions in the opening chapter of his first letter to them.
1 Corinthians 1:10-12 — Paul commands that there be no divisions and then explicitly names the four factions—Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and Christ—that split the Corinthian assembly.
1 Corinthians 3:1-4 — Paul diagnoses the divisions as evidence that the Corinthians were still carnal and walking as men rather than as spiritual believers.
In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul immediately addresses the problem of division. He writes, "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." Paul had been informed of the trouble: "For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you." Then he names the source: "Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ." In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul explains what such partisanship reveals. He told the believers, "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ." He then asks, "For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?" The Scripture therefore shows that the divisions were the visible evidence that the Corinthians were walking as carnal men rather than as spiritual believers.
Les Feldick teaches that the divisions in Corinth were rooted in the believers' carnality. He explains that God divides the whole human race into three categories: first lost and saved, and then the saved into spiritual believers and carnal believers. The Corinthian believers, for the most part, were believers—but they were carnal, still fleshly, and not growing as Paul expected. They were still on the milk of the Word and could not handle the deeper doctrinal truths, and their carnality showed itself in their divisions. Les also emphasizes that the divisions came from choosing favorite leaders. In a congregation that probably numbered less than a hundred and likely met in the house of Chloe, four groups had formed: some followed Paul, some Apollos, some Peter, and some Christ. These rival loyalties created serious trouble, and Paul had to upbraid and reprove the Corinthians for their carnality—and to defend his apostleship, which was under constant attack.
In 1 Corinthians 1:12, Paul names the four factions: "every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ." Les Feldick explains that the group loyal to Paul was made up of those who had become believers through Paul's preaching in the idolatrous city of Corinth and naturally stayed with him. Another group looked to Apollos as the man they admired, a third followed Peter, and a fourth claimed to follow only Christ and His teachings. Les stresses that even in that small assembly—probably not over a hundred people and likely meeting in the house of Chloe—these four distinct loyalties created havoc and division.
Les teaches that the Corinthians' carnality was the root problem. They were still on the milk of the Word and could not handle the deeper doctrinal things of Scripture. Their fleshly condition went beyond divisions: Paul also had to deal with believers suing one another in pagan courts, gross immorality in the church, and the tongues phenomenon causing disorder in the local assembly. Les points out that none of these were aspects of spirituality—they were problems that showed the believers had not grown and had upset the function of the local church.
As Paul addressed the divisions, he also had to defend his apostleship. Les notes that everywhere throughout Paul's letters Paul is defending his apostleship, and it stands to reason, because in his early ministry he always went first to the Jew. Les says Paul's apostleship was under constant attack—satanic, to be sure. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to say that by the grace of God, as a wise master builder, he had laid the foundation; but Les is careful to point out that Paul did not claim to be the foundation himself.
Carnal Believers Controlled by the Flesh
Les explains that the Corinthian believers were saved yet carnal—still controlled by the flesh rather than the Holy Spirit—and had not grown enough to handle the deeper truths of the Word, showing that carnality was the root condition behind their divisions.
Four Factions in a Small Congregation
Les identifies the four distinct divisions in Corinth—some followed Christ, some Peter, some Apollos, and some Paul—even though the church was probably less than a hundred people.
A Carnal Church Beset with Problems
Les notes that Corinth was not a spiritual church like Ephesus or Philippi, that divisions were the first problem among many, and that Paul consequently had to defend his apostleship.
Spiritual Immaturity Revealed in Carnality
Les shows that the Corinthians had not grown spiritually, and their carnality appeared not only in divisions but also in lawsuits, gross immorality, and disorderly tongues—all of which Paul had to correct.
Divisions Prove They Were Yet Carnal
Les emphasizes that saying "I am of Paul" or "I am of Apollos" was not merely a preference but proof that the Corinthians had not grown sufficiently, and that their major problem was division.
Paul's Plea for No Divisions
Les points out Paul's opening appeal that believers "all speak the same thing" and that there be no divisions, adding that these were small home congregations rather than huge assemblies.
Chloe's Report of Contentions
Les explains that the house of Chloe was likely the meeting place, and that Chloe sent word to Paul about the contentions—the divisions being those who said "I am of Paul," "I am of Apollos," and so forth.
Loyalty to Men Versus the Foundation
Les connects the divisions to people following Jesus' words, Peter, Apollos, or Paul, and notes that Paul's apostleship was under satanic attack—yet Paul only claimed to have laid the foundation, not to be the foundation.
1 Corinthians 1:10: Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
Paul's direct command that there be no divisions frames the entire discussion of Corinthian disunity.
1 Corinthians 1:11: For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
This verse shows that the report of the contentions came to Paul through the household of Chloe.
1 Corinthians 1:12: Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
This names the four factions—Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and Christ—that divided the Corinthian church.
1 Corinthians 3:1: And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
Paul explains why he had to treat the Corinthians as carnal believers rather than spiritual believers.
1 Corinthians 3:3: For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
Paul's direct diagnosis that envy, strife, and divisions prove the Corinthians were still carnal.
1 Corinthians 3:4: For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
Paul shows that even the partisan slogans themselves were evidence of carnality.
The root cause was the believers' carnality. The Corinthians were saved but still controlled by the flesh rather than the Holy Spirit, and they had not grown spiritually. Their carnality showed up in envy, strife, and contentions over which leader to follow, as Les Feldick explains.
There were four groups: one claimed Paul, another Apollos, a third Cephas (Peter), and a fourth claimed to follow Christ. Les notes that even a congregation probably under a hundred people had these four distinct divisions.
Yes. As Paul addressed the divisions, he also had to defend his apostleship. Les points out that Paul constantly defended his apostleship throughout his letters, because it was under constant attack—satanic, to be sure.
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