|
by Pastor Fred I. The City of Corinth First-century Corinth was one of the great Grecian cities of the ancient world. It was large (perhaps 700,000 people), prestigious, and affluent, the capitol of the Roman Province of Achaia, the residence of the Roman Proconsul. It was located on a narrow (four mile wide) strip of land (“Isthmus”) between the Agean & Adriatic Seas. Travel around the peninsula was dangerous, so most sailors chose to carry their ships overland on skids (rollers) – it was quicker, safer, and more economical. And so Corinth became very much a “world city.” Consequently, it became a great center of trade and commerce. Archaeologists have uncovered there one of the great “shopping malls” of the ancient world – the agora. The streets were lined with shops selling the best of everything that was available in that day – Corinthian brass, Thyatyrian die, Italian tents, Phrygian slaves, Lyconian wool, Silician goats’ hair, Arabian horses, Phonician dates and produce, Lybian ivory, Babylonian carpets, as well as the local meat and liquor markets and all that is necessary to local “shopping.” And so Corinth had become a thriving, economically wealthy, commercial city. Some have described it as “the empire in miniature” – everything in the entire Roman empire was represented in Corinth. Architecturally, the city was beautiful and modern, with the famous “Corinthian columns” on buildings everywhere. In the center of the agora was the bema, the “judgment seat” – a high platform running 700 by 300 feet and made of white and blue marble. This platform was used for public speaking and for public judgment by the magistrates. It provides the background allusion for Paul’s exhortations and instruction regarding the “bema of Christ” in (2 Cor. 5:10, as well as other references in the NT). Corinth was also a great center of entertainment, the home of the famous Olympian and Isthmian games held in its great amphitheater, seating some 20,000 spectators. And this provides the background for Paul’s allusion of the Christian life as a race in 1 Cor. 9:24-27. Corinth was a port city, and so it grew large and prosperous. In large, bustling cities it is common also to find unblushing vice, and Corinth was no exception. It was well known for it’s flaunted immorality – the “Hollywood” of its day. On a granite mound above the city stood the Acropolis – a fortress and pagan center of worship situated more than a third of a mile high. The Roman historian Strabo tells us that this Temple of Aphrodite (Venus), the goddess of “love” housed some 1,000 priestesses – ritual prostitutes employed by the temple to sell their services day and night to the many who passed through Corinth. A “Corinthian” on stage was always drunk, foul-mouthed, or otherwise immoral. A “Corinthian girl” was euphemism for a prostitute. The Greeks coined a verb – korinthianozomai, “to live / act like a Corinthian” to connote the practice of fornication. This was the Corinth to which the apostle Paul took the gospel of grace. II. The Church at Corinth Paul told the Corinthians that when he first went to them, it was “with weakness, and fear, and much trembling” (1 Cor. 2:3). Paul was always aware of his own limitations in the face of spiritual needs (2 Cor. 2:16; 3:5-6), but in a city such as Corinth, this feeling of insufficiency was no doubt even more acute. But in AD 50, on his second missionary journey, Paul entered the city by the direction and encouragement of the Lord (Acts 18:9-10). Corinth was forever changed as a result. Paul found lodging with one Aquila and his wife Priscilla, fellow tent-makers who had been forced to leave their home in Rome (Acts 18:2ff; see Romans notes). Evidently they came to faith in Christ as a result of their association with Paul, and they subsequently proved immensely valuable to Paul and his ministry. Paul was soon joined by Silas and Timothy (Acts 18:1-17; 1 Cor. 3:6; 2 Cor. 1:19; 10:14; 11:7), who perhaps by gifts from Macedonian churches freed him to devote more time to ministry. Other converts in Corinth include Justus, Crispus (the chief ruler of the synagogue) and his family, Sosthenes, Erastus, and “many of the Corinthians.” And for a year and a half Paul remained in Corinth teaching and preaching – first in the synagogue, as his pattern was, and then to all who would hear him. So many were coming to faith in Christ, in fact, that the Jews took him to court for his great disruption of life! But Gallio, the proconsul, would have nothing to do with such a dispute, and “he drove them from the bema” (Acts 18:16). It was a fruitful ministry in Corinth, fraught with difficulty though it was. After 18 months (spring, AD 51), Paul left with Aquila and Priscilla for Ephesus where Aquila and Priscilla remained for Paul to return later (3rd missionary journey) and then to stay for a prolonged ministry there also (some two and a half years, AD 52-55). III. Occasion of Writing While ministering in Ephesus Paul received disturbing word about the church in Corinth (where Apollos was now ministering, himself having been discipled by Aquila and Priscilla). So Paul wrote a letter to the church concerning their associations with a so-called brother who was living in open sin (1 Cor. 5:9-13). This letter is no longer extant. Still later Paul is visited in Ephesus by a delegation from Corinth (1 Cor. 1:11; 16:17) who deliver to him a letter from the church as well as news of fighting and divisions among the believers there. In response Paul writes a second letter to the church – known to us as First Corinthians. Evidently, the letter did not do the job completely, and so Paul makes a quick and “painful” visit (2 Cor. 2:1; 12:14; 13:1) – just as he warned he might (1 Cor. 4:21). With matters still unresolved, Paul then writes a third letter, written “out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears” (evidently a scorcher!) and sent it to them by the hand of Titus (2 Cor. 2:3-9; 7:8-12). This letter is lost to us also. Eager to hear how it was received, he hurried to Macedonia to find Titus (2 Cor. 2:13; 7:5ff, etc.), who told him that the people at Corinth had repented of their rebelliousness against Paul and that things were on the mend (2 Cor. 7:5ff, 13-14; etc.). And so in Macedonia, with joy Paul writes his fourth letter to the church at Corinth (our Second Corinthians) and expresses his gladness for their favorable response to his ministry to them. He later made his third and final visit to Corinth (Acts 19:21; 20:1-4; 2 Cor. 13:1). IV. Detail Summary of Background to the Corinthian Letters A. Church: founded by Paul on his 2nd missionary journey (Acts 18) B. Author of letters: Paul (1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:1) C. Date of writing: AD 55 - 56 / 57 D. Place of writing: 1 Corinthians – from Ephesus (1 Cor. 16:8-9) 2 Corinthians – from Macedonia (2 Cor. 1;16; 2:13; 7:5; 8:1) E. Purposes in Writing: 1. To address specific problems in the church at Corinth 2. To defend and explain his own ministry 3. To call for giving to the needy saints in Jerusalem. V. Themes A. It is clear enough from the discussion above that Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to address specific problems in the church there and to answer specific questions they had sent to him. The theme, then, is that of local church problems and their solutions. And be sure to notice how Paul consistently sees the solution to church problems in the outworking of the implications of the Christian gospel. B. In 2 Corinthians Paul has two over all issues to address: the nature of Paul’s New Covenant ministry and the grace of giving. V. Survey I Corinthians The specific problems in the church at Corinth which Paul wrote to confront are disunity and immorality. The people were divided, and they were lax in regard to the moral demands of the gospel. I. Introductory Remarks (1 Cor. 1:1-9) II. The Disorders in the Church (1 Cor. 1-6) A. Divisions (1-4) B. Immorality (5-6) Several questions were sent to Paul by letter with the delegation from Corinth Notice 1 Cor. 7:1 – “Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me.” Notice also the frequently-repeated “Now concerning” which often tips us off to Paul’s shift from subject to subject (7:1, 25; 8:1; 12:1; 16:1, 12). III. Answers to Specific Questions from the Church (1 Cor. 7-16) A. Marriage (7:1ff) B. Celibacy & Christian Service (7:25ff) C. Things offered to idols (8:1ff) D. Women and head-coverings (11:1ff) E. The Lord’s Supper (11:17ff) F. Spiritual gifts (12:1ff) G. The Resurrection (15:1ff) H. The Collection (16:1ff) I. Apollos (16:12ff) IV. Final Remarks (1 Cor. 16:5-24) 2 Corinthians I. Greetings & Praise for Divine Comfort (2 Cor. 1:1-11) II. Paul’s Exposition and Defense of His Ministry (2 Cor. 1-7) III. Paul’s Plea for the Jerusalem Offering (2 Cor. 8-9) IV. Paul’s Exposition and Defense of His Ministry (2 Cor.10-13) V. Greetings & Benediction (2 Cor. 13:11-14)
|
