Biblical Profile: Corinth

Corinth

Corinth was one of the oldest cities of Greece, with evidence of settlement going back to at least 3000 BC. Its prime location along both east-west and north-south trade routes enabled it to become a center of commerce and trade, and it reached the height of its strength and power between 800 and 600 BC. When in the mid-100s BC the Roman military machine began a relentless march to forge a vast empire, Corinth led the Hellenic League to oppose Roman dominance in Greece. They were no match for the Romans, and in 146 BC Corinth was completely destroyed, its men executed, its women and children sold into slavery. Corinth lay in ruins for a century.

In 44 BC Julius Caesar established a Roman colony at Corinth. The colony attracted a mixed group of Italians, freedmen (freed former slaves) from Rome, and dispossessed Greeks. With great industry and ingenuity the new inhabitants quickly reestablished the city as a prosperous center for trade, commerce, and industry. By the time Paul came to Corinth, it was a bustling cosmopolitan city with a population of almost 700,000, including many wealthy people, and many others who were struggling to become so. Corinth attracted tradespeople from all over the world, though its reputation also grew as a center of luxury, indulgence, and vice. Corinth had a reputation for promiscuity and prostitution, so much so that the verb “Corinthianize” meant having immoral sex. The church in Corinth struggled with sexual immorality (1 Cor 5:1-13; 6:12-20).

Corinth was also prominent because of the Isthmian Games, which dated from 523 BC and occurred every two years. Competition centered on three kinds of events: equestrian, gymnastic, and musical. By the New Testament period, the games included chariot racing and other Roman spectacles in addition to the traditional Greek competitions. In an allusion to these athletic contests, Paul mentioned both running and boxing (1 Cor 9:24-26). The winners of the games were national heroes. The prize for winning the games was a wreath made of myrtle, olive, or pine branches, plus the additional benefits of a stipend from the state, remission of taxes, and special benefits for the champion’s children.

As in most Roman cities, marble temples dominated the landscape; participation in the worship of the gods and their feasts was a prominent part of life in Corinth. These pagan feasts were another major issue that the Corinthian church wrestled with (8:1–10:33).

A large colony of displaced Jews also developed in the city, many of whom may have arrived after the emperor Claudius’s edict expelling Jews from Rome (see Acts 18:2). When Paul traveled to Corinth on his second missionary journey, he met Aquila and Priscilla, who became his close friends and co-workers (Acts 18:1-3). Paul stayed at Corinth for over a “year and a half, teaching the word of God” (Acts 18:11).

The church of Corinth, born in such a hothouse of paganism and promiscuity, went through serious birth pangs. Their troubles provide, through Paul’s letters to them, a rich collection of solutions to the practical issues of Christian life and community.

Passages for Further Study

Acts 18:1-18; 1 Cor 1:1-2; 16:5-20; 2 Cor 1:1; 13:1; 2 Tim 4:20