Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Corinthians 1:11

"For it hath been signified unto me concerning you, my brethren, by them [that are of the household] of Chloe, that there are contentions among you." — 1 Corinthians 1:11 (ASV)

Paul had received word about the divisions (which he here calls “quarrels”) in the Corinthian church from members of a certain Chloe’s house. Presumably, all of those quarrelling were Christians and were members of the church. They were divided into at least four factions, each one having its own emphasis, following its own leader, and acting in antagonism to the other three. How frequently local church congregations today are likewise divided into cliques!

At Corinth the four groups centered around four prominent leaders. First, there were those who claimed to be special adherents of Paul, possibly because of his emphasis on the ministry to the Gentiles, a ministry with which many of them were connected. Then there were those following Apollos, enamored of that learned and eloquent preacher from Alexandria (Acts 18:24; Acts 19:1; Titus 3:13). The followers of Cephas (Peter’s Aramaic name; cf. Jn 1:42) were no doubt impressed by this apostle’s emphasis on the Jews. Possibly they connected him with the Judaizers. The mention of the “Christ” party suggests that some Corinthians claimed special relationship to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:7) or placed a special emphasis on him—an emphasis they felt the followers of Paul, Apollos, and Cephas had neglected or did not have.