How familiar Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 1 sound! Chloe's people had reported quarreling among the believers. Imagine that — disagreements in a church! There were rivalries and backstabbing even in the very earliest days of the Christian community. Paul's words are worth examining because factionalism is a perennial issue in the Christian community, found not just within modern day congregations, but between local congregations within a denomination, between churches in a given community, among religious organizations on a campus, or even among cliques and subgroups within a Christian entity.
It is easy enough to understand how the situation had developed. Paul was one of several missionaries who had preached the gospel at Corinth. Not surprisingly, Paul had his following, and so did ot…