1 Corinthians 1:15

Study note

Setting — Paul writes to the Corinthian church to counter factionalism by highlighting his minimal role in their initiation. He addresses believers directly to clarify that his baptismal work was intentionally limited to prevent personal allegiance.

The words — ἵνα (ina) and εἰς (eis) structure the clause toward purpose and destination, literally rendering "so that no one may say that you were baptized into my name." ἵνα introduces the intended result of Paul’s preceding actions, while εἰς marks the directional object of the baptism.

The thread — This pattern of deflecting personal credit appears in John 3:28, where John the Baptist testifies he is not the Christ but sent ahead of Him, and in John 7:18, where Christ seeks the glory of the One who sent Him rather than His own.

Why it lands — The text states that Paul’s restricted baptismal activity prevents followers from claiming initiation under his authority. It requires readers to separate the messenger from the message and direct all spiritual credit to Christ alone.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.