Paul writes to the believers gathered in the city of Corinth. He is thankful for the grace of God that has been realized and experienced by them. He expresses concern that they are not as united as they should be. Some cliques had developed among them, petty arguments over the superiority of one leader over another. Paul reminds the church that the leader is not important; the gospel preached by the leader is, and all the leaders they were giving allegiance preached the same gospel. They were united and should act that way! Their allegiance should belong first, foremost and finally to the Lord Who saved them. Such unity would be a mark of their maturity. Instead, their cliques were a testimony to their delayed spiritual development. They were being influenced by these great leaders, not to build the reputation of the leader, but to be displayed as God's building.
Paul's personal desire for himself was to earn the title "faithful." His work was focused so that he would earn this accolade not from his friends or the members of the churches he started, but from God. The church in Corinth needed to remember their importance came from a right relationship to Christ, not from a loyalty oath to a church leader.
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