“I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas.” Not esteeming himself before Peter hath he set his name last, but preferring Peter to himself, and that greatly. He arranged his statement in the way of climax, (κατὰ αῦξησιν) that he might not be supposed to do this for envy; or, from jealousy, to be detracting from the honor of others. Wherefore also he put his own name first. For he who puts himself foremost to be rejected, doth so not for love of honor, but for extreme contempt of this sort of reputation. He puts himself, you see, in the way of the whole attack, and then mentions Apollos, and then Cephas. Not therefore to magnify himself did he do this, but in speaking of wrong things he administers the requisite correction in his own person first. [5.] But that those who addicted themselves to this or that man were in error, is evident. And rightly he rebukes them, saying, “Ye do not well in that ye say, ‘I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas.’” But why did he add, “And I of Christ?” For although these who 12 addicted themselves to men were in error, not surely (οὔδε που Bened. οὐ δήπου Savil.) those who dedicated themselves unto Christ. But this was not his charge, that they called themselves by the Name of Christ, but that they did not all call themselves by that Name alone. And I think that he added this of himself, wishing to make the accusation more grievous, and to point out that by this rule Christ must be considered as belonging to one party only: although they were not so using the Name themselves. For that this was what he hinted at he declared in the sequel, saying, Ver. 13. “Is Christ divided.” What he saith comes to this: “Ye have cut in pieces Christ, and distributed His body.” Here is anger! here is chiding! here are words full of indignation!  For whenever instead of arguing he interrogates only, his doing so implies a confessed ab- surdity. But some say that he glanced at something else, in saying, “Christ is divided:” as if he had said, “He hath distributed to men and parted the Church, and taken one share Himself, giving them the other.” Then in what follows, he labors to overthrow this absurdity, saying, “Was Paul crucified for you, or were ye baptized into the name of Paul?” Observe his Christ- loving mind; how thenceforth he brings the whole matter to a point in his own name, shewing, and more than shewing, that this honor belongs to no one. And that no one might think it was envy which moved him to say these things, therefore he is constantly putting himself forward. Observe, too, his considerate way, in that he saith not, “Did Paul make the world? did Paul from nothing produce you into being?” But only those things which belonged as choice treasures to the faithful, and were regarded with great solicitude—those he specifies, the Cross, and Baptism, and the blessings following on these. For the loving-kindness of God towards men is shewn by the creation of the world also: in nothing, however, so much as by the (τῆς συγκαταβάσεως) condescension through the Cross. And he said not, “did Paul die for you?” but, “was Paul crucified?” setting down also the kind of death. 25 Homily III