1 Corinthians 1:12 (LSB)

Passage

Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.”

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I exhort you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.

1 Corinthians 1:11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brothers, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you.

1 Corinthians 1:12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.”

1 Corinthians 1:13 Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

1 Corinthians 1:14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "mean", "each", "saying", "paul", "apollos", "cephas", and "christ". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "mean" and "each", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "For I have been informed concerning you..." into verse 13's "Has Christ been divided Was Paul crucified...", so "mean" and "each" belong inside that flow. In 1 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "mean" and "each" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.