The Corinthians

Corinth was the capital of the Roman province of Achaia. It was probably the fifth largest city in the entire Roman Empire behind Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, and Ephesus. Corinth was located at the tip of what is modern-day Greece, about 40 miles west of Athens. The city sat on a narrow strip of land separating the Aegean Sea from the Adriatic Sea, making it both a strategic military location and an important commercial hub for ships traveling east and west. Corinth was significant in the ancient Roman world because of its power, influence, and wealth.

The Temple of Apollo was one of the oldest temples in Corinth and a major landmark in the city. It was located right near the main Jewish synagogue and was constantly performing cult rituals. Corinth was a very pagan city, where the worship of many mythological gods and goddesses was encouraged. This rough reality made it very difficult on the new Christians there.

Due to its size and location, Corinth was prosperous. With prosperity came wealth, luxury, and immorality. The city was also home to sexual perversion and ritual prostitution, with many so-called “temples” dedicated to such behavior. In the ancient world, there was a Greek saying, korinthiazomai (“live like a Corinthian”), which everyone knew meant a lifestyle of decadent, unrestrained debauchery.

Many of the questions and problems in the Corinthian church are still questions and problems in the church today. Not only do we need Paul’s clarifications and corrections from time to time, but on occasion, we even need to be reminded of our central focus - Jesus Christ.

In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, we saw that true Christian love (agape) is the answer to many problems in the church. Also, we learned that a proper appreciation for the resurrection of Jesus (and thereby a proper appreciation for the hope found in our own future resurrection) is the powerful cure for what divides many of us as Christians.

In addition to justifying his ministry and authority, Paul used 2nd Corinthians to announce a collection for the needy Christians in Jerusalem. In chapter 8, Paul offered two examples of sacrificial giving. The first one was the church in Macedonia, where they fully surrendered their will to God and shared their wealth beyond what anyone expected.