1 Corinthians 11 · Verse 18

1 Corinthians 11:18

For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

1 Corinthians 11:18, King James Version

1 Corinthians 11:18 in other translations

BSB	First of all, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it.
WEB	For first of all, when you come together in the assembly, I hear that divisions exist among you, and I partly believe it.
ASV	For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and I partly believe it.
YLT	for first, indeed, ye coming together in an assembly, I hear of divisions being among you, and partly I believe it,
DARBY	For first, when ye come together in assembly, I hear there exist divisions among you, and I partly give credit to it.
BBE	For first of all, it has come to my ears that when you come together in the church, there are divisions among you, and I take the statement to be true in part.
Webster	For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

What does 1 Corinthians 11:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

18. first of all--In the first place. The "divisions" (Greek, "schisms") meant, are not merely those of opinion (1Co 1:10), but in outward acts at the love-feasts (Agapæ), (1Co 11:21). He does not follow up the expression, "in the first place," by "in the second place." But though not expressed, a second abuse was in his mind when he said, "In the first place," namely, THE ABUSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS, which also created disorder in their assemblies [Alford], (1Co 12:1; 14:23, 26, 33, 40). in the church--not the place of worship; for Isidore of Pelusium denies that there were such places specially set apart for worship in the apostles' times [Epistle, 246.2]. But, "in the assembly" or "congregation"; in convocation for worship, where especially love, order, and harmony should prevail. The very ordinance instituted for uniting together believers in one body, was made an occasion of "divisions" (schisms). partly--He hereby excepts the innocent. "I am unwilling to believe all I hear, but some I cannot help believing" [Alford]: while my love is unaffected by it [Bengel].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 18. For first of all. That is, I mention as the first thing to be reproved.

When ye come together in the church. When you come together in a religious assembly; when you convene for public worship. The word church here does not mean, as it frequently does with us, a building. No instance of such a use of the word occurs in the New Testament; but it means, when they came together as a Christian assembly; when they convened for the worship of God. These divisions took place then; and from some cause which it seems then operated to produce alienations and strifes.

I hear. I have learned through some members of the family of Chloe, 1Cor 1:11.

That there be divisions among you. Greek, as in the margin, Schisms. The word properly means a rent, such as is made in cloth, (Mt 9:16, Mk 2:21;) and then a division, a split, a faction among men, Jn 7:43, 9:16, 10:19. It does not mean here that they had proceeded so far as to form separate churches, but that there was discord and division in the church itself. 1Cor 1:10, 1Cor 1:11.

And I partly believe it. I credit a part of the reports; I have reason to think, that, though the evil may have been exaggerated, yet that it is true at least in part. I believe that there are dissensions in the church that should be reproved.

(b) "hear" 1Cor 1:11,12 (2) "divisions" "schisms"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 18 There be divisions among you - They had σχισματα, schisms, among them: the old parties were kept up, even in the place where they assembled to eat the Lord's Supper. The Paulians, the Kephites, and the Apollonians, continued to be distinct parties; and ate their meals separately, even in the same house.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Corinthians 11:17-22

The apostle rebukes the disorders in their partaking of the Lord's supper. The ordinances of Christ, if they do not make us better, will be apt to make us worse. If the use of them does not mend, it will harden. Upon coming together, they fell into divisions, schisms. Christians may separate from each other's communion, yet be charitable one towards another; they may continue in the same communion, yet be…

Read the full comment on 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 →

1 Corinthians 11:18 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΠρῶτονPrōtonFirstG4413

μὲνmenindeedG3303

γὰρgarforG1063

συνερχομένωνsunerchomenōncoming togetherG4905

ὑμῶνhumōnyouG4771

ἐνeninG1722

ἐκκλησίᾳekklēsiaan assemblyG1577

ἀκούωakouōI hearG191

σχίσματαschismatadivisionsG4978

ἐνenamongG1722

ὑμῖνhuminyouG4771

ὑπάρχειν,huparcheinthere to be,G5225

καὶkaiandG2532

μέροςmerosin partG3313

τιtiitG5100

πιστεύω·pisteuōI believe;G4100

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Corinthians 11:18

1 Corinthians 3:3
For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1 Corinthians 1:10-12
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
1 Corinthians 5:1
It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
1 Corinthians 6:1
Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

I hear.
1:10-12; 3:3; 5:1; 6:1
divisions. or, schisms.
1:10; 3:3

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

1 Corinthians 11:17
Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
1 Corinthians 11:18
For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
1 Corinthians 11:19
For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

Read all of 1 Corinthians 11

1 Corinthians 11:18 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Porque lo primero, cuando os juntáis en la iglesia, oigo que hay entre vosotros disensiones; y en parte lo creo.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Car d’abord, quand vous vous réunissez en assemblée, j’entends dire qu’il y a des divisions parmi vous, et je le crois en partie;
German Elberfelder 1871	Denn fürs erste, wenn ihr als Versammlung zusammenkommet, höre ich, es seien Spaltungen unter euch, und zum Teil glaube ich es.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Primum quidem convenientibus vobis in ecclesiam, audio scissuras esse inter vos, et ex parte credo.