11 Strifes there are amongst you, it has come to my knowledge through the members who meet in Chloe's house.
12 They tell me some describe themselves as disciples of Paul, others of Apollos, others of Cephas, others of Christ —
13 but Christ is not divided. I was not crucified for you, nor were you baptised into my name.
14-15 For this very reason I was careful not to baptise disciples personally amongst you. It is to me a cause of gratitude to God that I baptised only Crispus and Gaius,
16 and also the household of Stephanas — not another soul, I think, did I baptise, and purposely, that it might not seem that I was making disciples.
17 Christ Jesus sent me not to baptise, but to make known the word of joy, not intellectually, not with the persuasive brilliance of personality and personal influence, lest the cross of the Christ should be obliterated and ruled out.
18 Cleverness, human wisdom, intellectual strength do not accomplish the mighty works of the Gospel. Ours is the word of the cross; it saves us; there is in it the power of God; but to those who are in the power of death and subject to its ever-increasing dominion, this word appears as folly, as an impertinence.