Bible Commentaries
1 Corinthians

Paul came to the city of Corinth on his Second Missionary Journey (AD 49-52). He came alone, after being a short time in Athens and actually speaking to the Athenian philosophers. Paul had encountered much difficulty after founding the first churches in what was later to become Europe. He and his team had to flee from Philippi and from Thessalonica after founding churches in these cities. The Jewish agitators followed him and his team to Berea, making it necessary for Paul to flee alone to Athens (Acts 17:15). After spending time there and actually addressing the Athenians at the Areopagus, Paul traveled on alone to Corinth (Acts 18:1ff) He came in weakness and much distress because of his concern for the welfare of the new churches (1 Corinthians 2:3). This distress prompted him to write 1 Corinthians.

At Corinth, Paul must have been comforted to make the acquaintance of Aquilla and Priscilla, Jews who were forced out of Rome due to the decree of Emperor Claudius. Paul began working with them in their common trade of tent making. In time, his helpers Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia to join him. Corinth was large enough to have a synagogue, so as his custom was, he attended each Sabbath and began reasoning with the Jews and with the Gentiles who had attached themselves to the synagogue.

It was a productive time for Paul in Corinth as Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, became a believer, along with his whole household (Acts 18:8). Many others believed as well. When tensions mounted with the Jews, Paul moved next door to the house of Titus Justus and focused his ministry on the Gentiles.

The Lord assured Paul that he had many people in Corinth (Acts 18:10), so Paul stayed a total of a year and a half in the city. At last, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and his company. This happened while Gallio was the proconsul. (v. 12). The mention of this proconsul and the dating of his service enables us to accurately fix the stay of Paul in the city.^{Acts 18:11)…Paul's stay at the city is established by comparing the reference to Gallio with a Gallio, proconsul of Achaia, mentioned on an inscription of the Emperor Claudius at Delphi, dated between January and August, AD 52. This Gallio took office on July 1 AD 51, and Paul had arrived in Corinth about a year earlier. Shortly after this court appearance, Paul left Corinth for Syria (v. 18)."">(F1)} Gallio would not hear the case against Paul, which further infuriated the Jews.

It would help us to understand some things about the city of Corinth. It was an ancient city, but was destroyed by the Roman consul Lucius Mummius Achaicus in 146 BC. However, it was rebuilt in 46 BC by Julius Caesar. Corinth had always been a great commercial center, since it was established on an isthmus controlling two seas, the Aegean to the East and the Ionian to the west. The city also had considerable military importance.

Unfortunately, "Corinth was a place where all the evils of the pagan world were on display."^(F2) It was the center for the Corinthian goddess Aphrodite. At one time her temple had some 1,000 female prostitutes attached to its worship.^(F3) In time Corinth gained a terrible reputation for its immorality. Radio preacher and Moody pastor, Warren Wiersbe says, "About the lowest accusation you could make against a man in that day would be to call him a 'Corinthian.'"^(F4)

No doubt, partly because of the low standard of morality, Paul had a great deal of future trouble with this church. He probably wrote this letter around AD 55, but he likely wrote a total of four letters, with two of them being lost. He probably wrote mostly from Ephesus during his long stay there. There has never been much doubt that Paul wrote this letter.

Since the church had many problems, such as immorality and discord, 1 Corinthians turned out to be the longest letter of the apostle. We can be thankful for this letter because it gives us a very good look at life in the earliest Christian churches. In fact, we probably know more about the Corinthian church than any other church in the New Testament.^(F5)