Corinth
Summary
A celebrated city of ancient Greece on the isthmus connecting the Peloponnese to the mainland. Renowned for commerce, wealth, and immorality, it became a major center of Paul's missionary work, where he founded a significant church and wrote important epistles.
☩Location and Commerce
Corinth was situated on the isthmus joining the Peloponnese to mainland Greece, commanding traffic between the Ionian and Aegean seas. It had two harbors: Cenchreae on the east (Acts 18:18) and Lechaeum on the west. Merchandise passed through Corinth from sea to sea, making it an entrepôt for goods of Asia and Italy. Julius Caesar refounded it as a Roman colony after its destruction in 146 BC, and it rapidly regained prominence as the seat of the Roman proconsul for Achaia (Acts 18:12).
☩Reputation and Character
Corinth was proverbially wealthy and notoriously immoral—'to Corinthianize' became a byword for wantonness. The temple of Venus employed a thousand female slaves for profligate worship. The city was also a center of intellectual activity, with the Greek love of philosophical subtleties. Paul's epistles reflect these conditions, addressing sexual immorality, lawsuits, and the pursuit of wisdom over the simple gospel (1 Corinthians 5-7, 1:17-2:5).
☩Paul's Ministry
Paul arrived in Corinth from Athens during his second missionary journey (Acts 18:1). Here he met Aquila and Priscilla, working with them as tentmakers. Despite Jewish opposition, Paul stayed eighteen months, receiving divine encouragement: 'Be not afraid, but speak... for I have much people in this city' (Acts 18:9-10). During this residence he wrote 1 and 2 Thessalonians (A.D. 52-53). He later visited again, spending three months writing Romans.
☩The Corinthian Church
The church consisted mainly of Gentile converts from the lower classes (1 Corinthians 1:26, 12:2), though some Jews and persons of rank were included—Crispus, Gaius, and Erastus. The congregation struggled with divisions, immorality, abuse of spiritual gifts, and questions about resurrection. Paul's two epistles addressed these issues with apostolic authority. Despite its problems, the Corinthian church was 'enriched in everything' with spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 1:5-7).
☩Notable Corinthian Christians
Prominent believers included Crispus, the synagogue ruler whom Paul baptized (Acts 18:8, 1 Corinthians 1:14); Stephanas, whose household was 'the firstfruits of Achaia' (1 Corinthians 16:15); Gaius, Paul's host (Romans 16:23); and Erastus, the city treasurer (Romans 16:23). Apollos also ministered powerfully in Corinth after Paul's departure (Acts 18:27-28), and his eloquence unfortunately contributed to party divisions (1 Corinthians 1:12).
Related Verses21 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Corinth," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. II (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Corinth," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Corinth," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).
- 4.George Morrish, "Corinth," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).