Welcome to Corinth!

Have you ever wondered what it was like in the first-century church? How did they conduct their gatherings? What did their worship look like? Are we vastly different in how we do things, or do we retain some similarity with them? While it’s not the same as traveling back in a time machine with a camera, the letters of the New Testament do give us clues.

Welcome to Corinth! Corinth was a strategic city for its culture and the provincial capital of Greece under Roman rule. Excavations in the area have revealed numerous temples and shrines dedicated to Apollo, Athena, Aphrodite, Sisyphus, and even the Egyptian gods of Isis and Saraphis. It was also home to the Isthmian games, which took place twice a year and drew people from all over Greece. ^[1]

The letters of 1 and 2 Corinthians offer detailed insider looks into what happened within one of the Apostle Paul’s church plants. As you read through those letters, you’ll find a simple truth. The Corinthian believers were both gifted and messy. They had issues, just like us, but the Lord graciously gifted them (1:4-9). This study will examine 1 Corinthians. A multitude of issues arose within that gifted congregation, several of which they did not handle well, which led to a series of letters from the man who planted their church.

First Corinthians was likely written around 54-56 AD. We know this because solid archaeological evidence indicates that Gallio (Acts 18:12) became proconsul of Achaia in 51 AD. 2 The city itself was home to many freed slaves, retired military personnel, and a large Jewish community. For the ancient world, Corinth offered uncommon opportunities for economic mobility. This was due mainly to its position on the map, lying on major trade routes and having two important sea ports.

It’s evident from reading 1 and 2 Corinthians that Paul wrote at least four letters to them. In 1 Corinthians 5:9, Paul mentions a former letter he had written prior to 1 Corinthians. In 2 Corinthians 2:3, he referred to a letter that might be 1 Corinthians, but many scholars believe it to be a letter written between 1 and 2 Corinthians. Unfortunately, these other two letters were not believed to be divinely inspired and were lost to history.

Key Players

Several names are mentioned within 1 Corinthians who played important roles in the formation of their church. Paul, of course, was the Apostle who planted, but he didn’t do it alone. Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:2, 1 Cor 16:19) were instrumental in establishing the Corinthian church plant. Acts 18 details Paul’s arrival in Corinth, his encounter with Aquila and Priscilla, and the events that led to the church’s planting. Notably, Acts 18:11 says that Paul remained in Corinth for 18 months.

Sosthenes is mentioned in the very first verse (1:1). There is some discussion concerning whether he contributed to the content of 1 Corinthians since Paul’s opening implied this letter was from both of them. There’s a good probability that he was the ruler of the synagogue in Corinth (Acts 18:17). It would seem that at some point before the Jews went to Gallio, Sosthenes believed the Gospel that Paul preached. This would explain why the Jews beat him in front of the tribunal after Gallio refused to stop Paul’s preaching. After this, it seems Sosthenes joined Paul on his journey to Ephesus.

Apollos is another key name. Along with Peter (Cephas), he is mentioned as one of the teachers around whom factions had formed in the Corinthian congregation (1:12). Apollos was an eloquent and powerful teacher who received instruction from Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:24-28), and made his own journey to Corinth where he instructed them further after Paul had departed (Acts 19:1). Paul recognized the Lord’s hand on his teaching and encouraged Apollos to return to Corinth (16:12).

Finally, there are Stephanas, Fortunatus, Achaius, and Chloe. Paul called Stephanas’ household the first converts in Achaia (16:15), meaning his household began the Christian community in Corinth. Chloe is an informant. She informed Paul of the divisions besetting their church (1:11). It seems that Chloe and Stephanas worked together to send a report of the dysfunction that had formed. Fortunatus and Achaius (16:17) joined Stephanas on his journey to Ephesus (16:8), where Paul, Aquila, and Priscilla were ministering.

Themes

It’s difficult to nail down a single overarching theme for 1 Corinthians because the subject changes frequently. Perhaps the best characterization would be instructions for a healthy Christian community. Within that, Paul addresses five distinct problem areas.

Factions – chapters 1-4
Civic and Marriage Matters – chapters 5-7
Christian Liberty and Conscience – chapters 8-10
Gathered Worship Matters – chapters 11-14
Resurrection Theology – chapter 15

Why 1 Corinthians?

It’s easy to read about their issues and fail to recognize that we are them. We struggle with precisely the same things. Today’s church is rife with division, sexual scandal, divorce, lawsuits, sensual behavior, stumbling blocks, a lack of brotherly love, misuse of spiritual gifts, and a broad ignorance of theology that goes well beyond the resurrection.

Like us, they faced matters of conscience, temptation, and opposition. The presence of so many temples dedicated to Roman and Egyptian gods created enormous social pressure to participate in festivals and observances that violated the conscience of many brothers in the Corinthian church. Some were saved Jews who objected to eating meat from the marketplace that had been sacrificed to idols (8:10-13). Other believers viewed their sexual appetites as unspiritual and merely matters of the body, so they participated in temple prostitution to curb the desires of the flesh (6:12-20). And then there was opposition. Early in the church’s life, the Jews persecuted Paul and his teachings (Acts 18:12-17).

Sound familiar? Do we not face constant violations of our consciences? Are we not surrounded by sexual temptation? Is there not a persistent drumbeat of opposition to a Biblical understanding of the world?

Revisiting this letter with fresh eyes and open hearts will do us well.