Ministry of Grace Church

Before we begin our study of 1 Corinthians, here is some background information on the city and the letter we are about to study.

The City of Corinth

The city of Corinth was located approximately 45 miles southwest of Athens on the narrow isthmus which connects Achaia (Southern Greece) with the Peloponnesus, where the city of Sparta was located. At its narrowest point, this isthmus is only four miles wide, and it separates the Saronic Gulf on the west from the Gulf of Corinth on the east. The city of Corinth is near the middle of this narrow strip of land, where it was built at the foot of a high plateau. This plateau, some 2,000 feet above the surrounding area, provided a defensive fortress against enemies. For centuries, anyone traveling north or south in that area had to pass through or near this ancient city. Since travel by sea around the Peloponnesus involved a 250-mile voyage that was dangerous and time-consuming, ships were often carried on skids or rollers across the isthmus directly past Corinth. Because of its location, Corinth became a major trade city, not only for most of Greece, but for much of the Mediterranean area, including North Africa, Italy, and Asia Minor. In Paul’s time, Corinth was the capital of the province Achaia and the seat of the Roman proconsul.

Because of its strategic and commanding location, the high plateau above the city became a prime location for the Temple of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love (known as Venus by the Romans). It is believed that at one time there were as many as 1,000 priestesses (religious prostitutes) who “served” in the temple and in the town. Because of the depraved pagan religious beliefs of the people, Corinth soon became the center for the grossest forms of immorality. Even by the secular standards of the day, Corinth was considered one of the most morally corrupt cities of its time. It was so well known for its wickedness, that its name became synonymous with moral depravity, wickedness, and drunkenness. There is even a Greek verb, korinthiadzomai, which means “to lead a life of depravity and drunkenness.”

Who Wrote This Letter?

It is nearly universally agreed that the Apostle Paul wrote this letter. There is plenty of external evidence from early Church fathers, this letter being specifically referred to by Clement of Rome (around A.D. 95) as “the Epistle of the blessed Apostle Paul.” Other early church writers quoting the book include Polycarp (around A.D. 135), Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, Irenaeus, Ignatius (around A.D. 110), Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian (around A.D. 200).

The internal evidence for Paul’s authorship is very strong as well. Paul refers to himself in 1 Corinthians 1:1 and 1 Corinthians 16:21. The arguments in 1 Corinthians 1:12-17; 1 Corinthians 3:4, 1 Corinthians 3:6, and 1 Corinthians 3:22 also support Pauline authorship. Corroborating facts between Acts and other letters of Paul, plus the strong flavor of genuine apostolic concern, rule out a forgery and make the arguments for authenticity overwhelming.

From Where Was This Letter Written?

After being in Corinth for about a year and a half, Paul went to Ephesus, taking Aquila and Priscilla with him. But, leaving them there, he continued on to Jerusalem. Then he travelled back over the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, eventually returning to Ephesus where he remained for more than two years. It is reasonably clear that Paul wrote this letter while he was in Ephesus this second time (see 1 Corinthians 16:8).

When Was This Letter Written?

As certain as we are about the author of this letter, we are much less certain of the date this letter was written. Although each Biblical scholar who determines the exact date is convinced he is correct, their dates vary from A.D. 53 to A.D. 59. It seems most reasonable to place the time of writing of this letter at around A.D. 55. Chronologically, it was the fifth book of the New Testament to be written.

Historical Background

On his second missionary journey, after leaving the city of Thessalonica, Paul travelled to Athens, where he ministered for a short while before moving on to Corinth. There he met up with a man named Aquila and his wife Priscilla. Because they were tentmakers like Paul, he stayed with them while he began his ministry in Corinth. Then, after Silas (Sylvanus) and Timothy rejoined him, he began reasoning with the Jews in the local synagogue. When the Jews refused to listen to his claims that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, Paul made his famous statement, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles” (Acts 18:6).

He then started preaching and teaching in the house of a man named Justus, next door to the synagogue. As a result of Paul’s tireless preaching, the ruler of the synagogue and many other Corinthians believed and were baptized. But because of jealousy over his success, the Jews rose up and took Paul before the proconsul Gallio, accusing him of teaching people to worship God contrary to the law. But, when Gallio realized that it was a religious matter, not a civil matter, he sent them away.

After ministering in Corinth for a year and a half, Paul left Corinth and headed to Ephesus, taking Aquila and Priscilla with him. Then, leaving this husband and wife team at Ephesus, Paul journeyed back to Jerusalem. Sometime after Paul left Ephesus, a gifted and eloquent man by the name of Apollos came to Ephesus. He was very knowledgeable in the Jewish Scriptures, but not well taught in the ways of Christianity. Aquila and Priscilla took him under their wing and taught him Christian doctrine. Apollo then headed to Corinth where he was very helpful in the church in Corinth, perhaps even being their pastor for a while.

Why Was This Letter Written?

As noted earlier, the city of Corinth was known for its depravity and debauchery. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul lists some of the specific sins for which the city was known. Therefore, it is not surprising that many of these same sins crept into the church. One of these sins, incest, was so vile that it was even condemned by the pagans who lived there (1 Corinthians 5:1). It’s not surprising that in the midst of such depravity, some of the Gentiles who had become members of the Corinthian Church showed the influence of their old habits. Neither is it surprising that the apostle found it necessary to rebuke such behavior again and again.

What was especially troubling in this church was the propensity of the members to cause divisions within the church. There were several factions within the church which claimed they were the true followers, some claiming to follow Peter, some claiming to follow Paul, some claiming to follow Apollos, and others claiming simply to follow Christ. While Paul was ministering in Ephesus, a letter was brought to him seeking his teaching on such problems as marriage, the wearing of veils by women in the church, the proper conduct with regard to sacrificial feasts, the practice of Christians taking other Christians before the heathen courts, the proper use of spiritual gifts, and even on the nature of the resurrection from the dead. This letter from Paul to the Christians at Corinth was an attempt to address all these issues.

Lest we become overly proud, we must recognize that many of the problems in the church in Corinth exist in one form or another in Christian churches around the world today. As we walk through this letter from the masterful preacher/teacher, let’s learn how we can overcome such problems in our own churches.