Reconsidering the Coherence of 1 Corinthians 1:10–4:21

Abstract 1 Corinthians 1:10–4:21 is usually seen as a defense against adherents of an “Apollos party,” who have become enamored with Apollos’ “wisdom” and who denigrate Paul as his inferior. This article argues for a different reading of this unit. Some in the church have espoused some kind of “human” wisdom, but not the wisdom of any particular leader. These people were boasting in themselves, not in their leaders. Paul discusses his relationship with Apollos not because there was a rivalry between them or between parties who claimed them as their leaders, but because the relationship between Paul and Apollos embodied the wisdom of Christ crucified and thus offered an antidote to the church’s divisions.