About this time there came to Ephesus members of the household of Chloe, a Christian family of high repute in Corinth. Paul asked them regarding the condition of things, and they told him that the church was rent by divisions. The dissensions that had prevailed at the time of Apollos's visit had greatly increased. False teachers were leading the members to despise the instructions of Paul. The doctrines and ordinances of the gospel had been perverted. Pride, idolatry, and sensualism, were steadily increasing among those who had once been zealous in the Christian life.

På dette tidspunkt ankom der til Efesus nogle medlemmer af Kloes husstand, en meget anset korintisk familie. Paulus udspurgte dem angående forholdene og de fortalte ham, at menigheden var splittet ved uenighed. Den splid, der havde hersket under Apollos besøg, var stadig blevet større. Falske lærere fik menighedens medlemmer til at ringeagte Paulus ord. Evangeliets lærdom og forordninger blev forvanskede. Hovmod, sanselighed og afgudsdyrkelse blev stadig hyppigere blandt dem, der engang havde været nidkære for et kristent liv.