Venus, the goddess of love. A temple built in her honor employed more than 1,000 prostitutes.
Paul Takes on the Corinthians
Due to all these influences, Corinth loomed as the one city "least likely to convert" to the Christian faith. What crazy cults and new religions did spring up there quickly gave in to the prevailing good-time atmosphere.
The mighty Paul, reeling from one of his most difficult missionary assignments in Athens, came to Corinth "in weakness and fear, and with much trembling" (2:3). He knews its strategic importance: if the gospel could take root there, it could transplant anywhere - and probably would, considering Corinth's crossroads location.
Paul worked in Corinth for 18 months. To everyone's surprise, the church he founded became one of the largest in the first century. But several years later he heard reports that the church, true to its city's heritage, had broken out in a series of spiritual ills. Ths distressing news prompted the letter known as 1 Corinthians.
The tone of this letter differs drastically from the one that precedes it. If Romans was stylistically carved in stone, 1 Corinthians was dashed off in tears and anger. One of Paul's longest letters, it covers the greatest variety of topics, partly because the Corinthians added bizarre new twists to ethical issues. In it, Paul gives practical advice on a series of church problems as well as a fascinating glimpse into the personal lives of early Christians. |
