1 Corinthians 1:16 (WEB)

Passage

(I also baptized the household of Stephanas; besides them, I don’t know whether I baptized any other.)

Nearby Context

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

1 Corinthians 1:15 so that no one should say that I had baptized you into my own name.

1 Corinthians 1:16 (I also baptized the household of Stephanas; besides them, I don’t know whether I baptized any other.)

1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Good News—not in wisdom of words, so that the cross of Christ wouldn’t be made void.

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are saved it is the power of God.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "baptized", "household", "stephanas", "besides", "whether", and "other". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "baptized" and "household", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "so that no one should say that..." into verse 17's "For Christ sent me not to baptize...", so "baptized" and "household" 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 "baptized" and "household" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.