Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Corinthians 3:4

"For when one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not men?" — 1 Corinthians 3:4 (ASV)

The word “worldly” (lit. “fleshly”; GK 4920) further indicates that these Christians are showing characteristics of spiritual immaturity. “For” prepares for Paul’s illustrations of this worldliness—the “jealousy” and “quarreling” that plague the Christian community. His questions are stated in a way that expects a positive answer. The Corinthians, if honest with themselves, should admit their failing here. They are living the way the ordinary sinful people live—in selfishness, pride, and envy.

Implied here is an allusion to their divisions . Paul’s example of himself and Apollos who shared in the ministry at Corinth (Acts 18:1–28) was needed to show the Corinthians that they had a distorted view of the Lord’s work. Whenever they thought of God’s work in terms of belonging to or following a particular Christian worker, they were simply acting on the human level and taking sides, just as the world does.