1 Corinthians
Corinth
In Paul’s day, Corinth was the capital of Achaia, a province that included most of what we call Greece; it had been a Roman colony for nearly a century. Rome had destroyed old Corinth in 146 BC; although some local Greeks continued to live on the site, it was Julius Caesar’s decree in 44 BC that led to the city’s refounding, now as a Roman colony. Roman veterans and freed slaves settled there, so Corinth’s citizens were also Roman citizens; the city celebrated its Roman character. Many Greeks who were not officially citizens continued to live in Corinth during this period.
Because most maritime trade between Rome and Asia Minor passed through the Isthmus of Corinth (the rugged southern coast of Greece was dangerous for ships), Corinth was well positioned for trade and wealth. Although wide disparity between rich and poor characterized the Roman Empire more generally, this problem was particularly acute in Corinth. Its mercantile character contributed to the presence of foreign religions and may have accelerated the level of sexual promiscuity, although some promiscuity was characteristic of ancient Greek urban male culture in general. Corinth was known for its prosperity, and the proverbial sexual looseness of earlier Greek Corinth seems to have continued in Roman Corinth as well.
Although Latin was used for official business in Corinth, most people could speak Greek, and this was especially true of settlers from elsewhere in Greece and farther east, including most Jewish immigrants. Clearly the Corinthian Christians, to whom Paul wrote his letters in Greek, understood him. Later in the first century, Clement of Rome also wrote to this church in Greek, which became Corinth’s official language again in the early second century.
Background of 1 Corinthians
Although the Corinthian Christians had some theological misunderstandings, their culture affected their thinking on many points. The idea of bodily resurrection (; ) did not make sense to Greeks who thought only the soul (at most) would survive death. Instead of relating it to its Jewish Passover background, Corinthians were treating the Lord’s Supper like a typical Corinthian banquet (). Greek ideologies may have also supported sexual immorality (especially in ), abstinence from marriage (ch. ), and certainly issues of food offered to idols (chs. ).
Also, although only a small portion of people in the church, and in antiquity more generally, were of high status, those high-status members would wield disproportionate influence in the church. Their social peers would expect better seating and food (), would prefer speakers with elite rhetorical styles and displays of Greek wisdom (; ), and would be embarrassed by a teacher who was a manual laborer (; cf. ). Even the debate about head coverings might relate to a class issue in the church (). Their misunderstandings and behavior make more sense to us when we understand their culture. This understanding may in turn help us to see how much many of us or our churches today are like them. ◆
Quick Glance
The apostle Paul
Audience:
Believers at Corinth whose church was divided by factions and spiritual immaturity
Date:
AD 55
Theme:
Paul addresses problems in the church and answers questions from the church.