A chiasm is a literary structure where vocabulary of the first section of a passage is repeated in reverse order in the second. The center of the chiasm is typically the climax of the passage. In 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 the center and climax is “I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one would say you were baptized in my name” (1 Cor 1:14-15).ANow (Greek: de) I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree(Greek: legō to auto) and that there be no divisions among (Greek: en) you, but that you be made complete in (Greek: en) the same mind and in (Greek: en) the same judgment. For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among (Greek: en) you. Now (Greek: de) I mean this, that each one of you is saying (Greek: legō), “I am of Paul,” and(Greek: de) “I of Apollos,” and (Greek: de) “I of Cephas,” and (Greek: de) “I of Christ.” Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?(1:10-13)BI thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, (1:14)B’so that no one would say you were baptized in my name. (1:15)A’Now (Greek: de) I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in (Greek: en) cleverness of speech (Greek: logos), so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. (1:16-17)
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