This passage speaks of a loss but not of salvation. Elsewhere Paul encourages rather than discourages the notion of belonging to Christ (3:23 6:15, 20). That group is probably Paul’s own invention, a rhetorical ploy that prompts his response, “Is Christ divided?” (1:13). But Paul never repeats anything about a Christ group throughout the letter. He also mentions Peter (Cephas) again in 3:22 and 9:5–6, suggesting perhaps some reality behind this group. Paul has to insist before the Corinthians that he and Apollos are on the same team (3:4–9, 22 4:6). Paul mentions that there are divisions in the congregation: some say “I am of Paul,” others “I am of Cephas,” others “I am of Apollos,” and others “I am of Christ.” We often hear that the last group, “I am of Christ,” is supposedly maverick Christians who listen to no human leaders-they only listen to the alleged voice of Christ.Īctually, the Apollos group against the Paul group is the main problem. In this letter the Corinthians are envious (1 Cor 3:3), boastful (4:6–7), proud (8:1-2), rude (7:36), self-seeking (10:24, 33 11:33), and virtually everything love is not! On the contrary, Paul wrote these words in 1 Cor 13 as a way to encourage the Corinthians to stop practicing the very vices he mentions.
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