12What I mean is this: One of you says, “I…

12What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephasb ”; still another, “I follow Christ.” 13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 1 Cor. 1 12-17 There is a clear allusion to the baptismal formula ‘’into the name of Christ ‘’in Paul’s paraphrase,’’ into the name of Paul ‘’and ‘’into my name.’’ The force of the argument is that the nature of one’s baptism determines one’s identity—–whose name one wears , with whom one is associated , and to whom one is a disciple . The common experience of baptism into the name of Christ meant that all belonged to Christ. This was the basis for unity and showed the fallacy of division in the church at Corinth. For Paul’s theology of baptism it is notable how the crucifixion of Christ and baptism are paralleled. It is as unthinkable to be baptized in Paul’s name as that Paul was crucified for them. Hence, the reference to baptism leads immediately into a discussion of the ‘’message of the cross.’’