Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
This I say - this is what I mean in saying "contentions."
Every one of you saith - ye say severally, 'glorying in men' (1 Corinthians 1:31; 1 Corinthians 3:21-22), one, I am of Paul; another, I am of Apollos, etc. Not that they formed definite parties, but they individually betrayed the spirit of party in contentions about different favourite teachers. Paul will not allow himself to be flattered even by those who made his name their party cry, so as to connive at the dishonour thereby done to Christ. These, probably, were converted under his ministry. Those alleging the name of Apollos, Paul's successor at Corinth (Acts 18:24, etc.), were attracted by his rhetorical style, probably acquired in Alexandria (1 Corinthians 3:6), as contrasted with the 'weak bodily presence' and 'contemptible speech' of the apostle (1 Corinthians 2:1; 1 Corinthians 2:4; 2 Corinthians 10:10). Apollos did not willingly foster this spirit of undue preference (1 Corinthians 4:6); nay, to discourage it, he would not repeat his visit just then (1 Corinthians 16:12).
I of Cephas - Judaizers who sheltered themselves under the name of Peter, the apostle of the circumcision, (Cephas is the Hebrew, Peter the Greek name: John 1:42; Galatians 2:11, etc.) The subjects in 1 Corinthians 7:1-40; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; 1 Corinthians 9:1-27 were probably suggested as matters of doubt by them. The church there began from the Jewish synagogue, Crispus the chief ruler, and Sosthenes, his successor, being converts. Hence, Jewish leaven, though not so much as elsewhere, is traceable (2 Corinthians 11:22). Petrism afterward sprang up rankly at Rome. If it be wrong to boast, 'I am of Peter,' how much more to boast, 'I am of the Pope' (Bengel).
I of Christ - a fair pretext to slight the ministry of Paul (1 Corinthians 4:8; 2 Corinthians 10:7-11).