After a short break for the big football thing last weekend, our Aardwolf Brewing Co bible study is back in full swing! This time around, three of us (Jessi, Joe, and I) will trade off teaching responsibilities, but I’ll keep doing the Monday morning recaps. Last night was mostly background on the church at Corinth. Here’s what we discussed…
Only a narrow isthmus connects mainland Greece to the Peloponnesus (the massive peninsula making up about 1/6 of Greece’s total landmass), and in the ancient world, control of this strip of land meant control over much of Greek trade. As such, the city of Corinth was perfectly positioned as a trade center in ancient Greece, serving as a hub to sea and land merchants alike. As seafaring traders entered Corinth’s harbors, they brought their cultures and religions with them, giving Corinth a cosmopolitan flavor distinct from the rest of Greece. With temples to a bevy of gods from the Greek, Roman, and Egyptian pantheons, Corinth offered a diverse religious landscape, and, as a people displaced from their homeland, Jews found safety in this pluralistic city.
Corinth had a reputation as a hotbed of debauchery on par with Las Vegas, but the city’s devotion to Aphrodite and the prevalence of ritual prostitution may have been exaggerated by other Greek city-states. Of course, the city’s reputation isn’t helped by Paul’s immortalizing of the city’s immorality in 1 and 2 Corinthians, but I’m getting ahead of myself; we’ll get there in about five weeks. Corinth’s reputation in the ancient Mediterranean was complex, but the city’s wealth, artistry, and industry were known throughout the region.
Paul came to Corinth during his second extended missionary journey, and he immediately befriended Priscilla and Aquila, a Jewish couple who fled Italy for the safety of Corinth. As all three were tentmakers by trade, Paul worked alongside Priscilla and Aquila during the week and would then speak about Jesus in the synagogue on the Sabbath. Eventually, Paul wore out his welcome in the synagogue and began speaking to the Gentiles instead (taking some members of the synagogue with him as he departed). Due to the controversy around his teaching, Paul was eventually dragged before the proconsul Gallio, who (in keeping with the city’s pluralistic culture) refused to weigh in on what he considered an internal Jewish matter; he dismissed Paul’s case. Paul preached in Corinth for a year and a half.
Following Paul’s departure for Ephesus, others would step in to lead the church, perhaps the most notable being Apollos. A learned Jewish rhetorician from Alexandria, Apollos already had a pretty good idea about who Jesus was, but Priscilla and Aquila still needed to set him straight on some details (particularly baptism). Now armed with doctrine in keeping with Paul’s message, Apollos became a respected Christian teacher in Corinth, acquiring quite a following in the process, but more on that later.
After being away for a few years in Ephesus, Paul received word things in Corinth were going awry. The church was facing multiple cases of sexual immorality, confusion about proper worship, challenges around idolatry, and (as alluded to earlier) a major issue with cults of personality around teachers like Apollos. Seeking to extend both love and correction, Paul sent the first of his letters to Corinth, and we’ll be reading it together over the next sixteen weeks!
Next week, we’ll dive into chapter 1 of First Corinthians, and Jessi will be leading. See you there!