With three rhetorical questions, the answers to which will be clear to everyone, Paul highlights the foolishness of clinging to church leaders instead of to Christ. His words suggest that the Corinthians tended to associate themselves with the specific church leader by whom they were led to faith and baptized.
Paul had brought the gospel to Corinth (Acts 18:1–18), but Apollos went there later (Acts 19:1) and was possibly followed by Cephas (see 1 Corinthians 3:22). Therefore, different church members were evangelized and baptized by different church leaders. Moreover, Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians shows that some Corinthians had come to doubt his own apostleship. This sentiment may have already been present at the time of Paul’s first letter. If so, it can help to explain why different parties were busy forming in the church.
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?