1 Corinthians

Authorship

Paul is the author of this letter, and even critical scholars do not generally dispute this claim. Several very early Christian leaders confirmed Paul’s authorship of this book:

• Clement of Rome, To the Corinthians, 47:1

• Polycarp, To the Philippians, ch. 11

• Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 4, 27

• Clement of Alexandria, The Paedagogus 1, 6

• Tertullian, On the Prescription of Heretics, Ch. 33, 11:46

Archibald Robertson and Alfred Plummer write, “Both the external and the internal evidence for the Pauline authorship are so strong that those who attempt to show that the Apostle was not the writer succeed chiefly in proving their own incompetence as critics.” More recently, Carson and Moo write, “Paul is identified as the author in the opening verses of both epistles, and few have contested the claim.” Even critical scholar Hans Conzelmann writes, “The authenticity of the epistle is universally recognized.”

When Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthians, this was obviously after he stood before Gallio, placing the date after AD 51. Moreover, Paul writes that he was still in Ephesus when he wrote 1 Corinthians (1 Cor. 16:8), after just planting the church there (Acts 18:18-21). Therefore, Paul probably wrote this letter sometime in between a two-and-a-half-year span, while he was at Ephesus from the autumn of 52 to the spring of 55 AD (Acts 19:10; 20:31). Thus, most NT scholars date this letter sometime in the late winter or early spring of 55 AD. Morris dates the book to the mid-fifties, and cites “wide agreement” on this amongst NT scholarship.

Geography

Corinth was located between two major sea ports. The ancient Greek poet Pindar referred to Corinth as “the bridge of the sea.” Instead of sailing hundreds of miles out of their way, sailors simply dragged their boats across the narrow Isthmus of Corinth (which was about 3 or 4 miles wide). Craig Blomberg writes, “Tucked between the two port towns of Cenchrea and Lechaeum, [Corinth] formed a major center of trade. The narrow isthmus on which Corinth was located, contained a path, the diolkos [literally “haul-across”], across which mariners would drag their unloaded boats, between the Adriatic and Aegean Sea, rather than sail over a hundred miles out of their way around the southern tip of Achaia.” Today, a canal cuts through the Isthmus, but this wasn’t created until 1893.

Population

Corinth was a large trade-city, so it attracted traders, sailors, and business people. On average, roughly 200,000 people populated this booming city at its peak with as many as “half a million slaves in its navy and in its many colonies.” Indeed, scholars estimate the population anywhere from 100,000 to 700,000 people—most of whom were slaves. There was some sort of Jewish population in Corinth—at least big enough to have a synagogue (Acts 18:4), and Philo confirms the fact that Jews lived in Corinth during the dispersion.

History

In 146 BC, the Romans destroyed Corinth. But in 46 BC, Julius Caesar rebuilt the city and filled it with retired war veterans and freedmen. The Romans rehabilitated the city after the pattern of a typical Roman city. It was during this period that “Corinth became the capital of the Roman province of Achaia (cf. Acts 18:1, 2), which included all the Peloponnesus and most of the rest of Greece and Macedonia.”

Culture

The culture in Corinth was not unlike what we see in our own day and age: A focus on self-indulgence to varying degrees.

Sports. The Corinthians celebrated the Isthmian games at the Temple of Poseidon. Blomberg writes, “Every other year Corinth hosted the Isthmian games, second only to the Olympics in prominence among athletic competition in Greece. The city housed an 18,000 seat theater, a 3,000 seat concert hall, and a large central market for famers.”

Sex. Ancient people knew about Corinth for its infamous temple to Aphrodite, which contained 1,000 temple prostitutes. One ancient author referred to “Aphrodite of the Beautiful Buttocks.” The second century Greek rhetorician Athenaeus recorded that shrines devoted to Aphrodite were erected “everywhere” in Corinth. He also wrote, “Whenever the city prays to Aphrodite in matters of grave importance, [they] invite as many prostitutes as possible to join in their petitions.” The first-century Greek historian and philosopher Dio Chrysostom wrote that large numbers of people gathered at Corinth for its harbor and its prostitutes, and the first century biographer Plutarch refers to a “great army of prostitutes” in Corinth. NT scholar Craig Blomberg writes,

A huge stone mountain known as Acrocorinth, with its temple to Aphrodite perched atop it, towered over the city, and symbolized the dominance of Pagan cults. In pre-Christian times it was said to have employed as many as one thousand sacred priests or priestesses who doubled as prostitutes. Still more prostitutes plied their wares at ground level for the many visitors to the town, as well as the local populace.

Corinth was so licentious that the Greek playwright Aristophanes used the term “Corinthianize” (korinthiazomai) to refer to a sexually immoral person. Carson and Moo write, “‘To Corinthianize’ could mean ‘to fornicate,’ and ‘Corinthian girl’ was a way of referring to a whore. Clay votives of human genitals have come down to us from the old city. They were offered to Asclepius, the god of healing, in the hope that that part of the body, suffering from venereal disease, would be healed.” Strabo recorded the infamous proverb, “Not for every man is the voyage to Corinth.”

Sophistry. Wordsmiths, public speakers, and lawyers filled the city of Corinth. These men were referred to as sophists. They would speak or argue persuasively for money. Carson and Moo write, “[The sophists’] influence in the Mediterranean world was enormous, not least in Corinth. They thought themselves wise, purveyors of wisdom.” The Corinthians revered gifted speakers like this, as though they were modern day movie stars or celebrities, and their audiences were similar to modern day “fans.” Greco-Roman culture placed a “longstanding emphasis on rhetoric,” and this was considered an “admirable art form.” We often hear the maxim, “The medium is the message.” That is, the way we communicate is more important than what we communicate. The Corinthians would agree: They were long on words, but short on wisdom. This explains why Paul repeatedly asks the question, “Do you not know?” ten times throughout the letter. This rhetorical question shows the poverty of the Corinthians with regard to God’s wisdom.

Success. Because of its unique location, Corinth became very wealthy. Pindar and Herodotus referred to the city as “prosperous,” and Thucydides called it “rich.” The first century Greek historian Strabo wrote that it was “always great and wealthy,” as did Homer. Corinth grew economically prosperous because of its location, its hosting of the Isthmian Games, and its legion of prostitutes. The Roman poet Ovid stated that Corinthian pottery and brass were known for their beauty across the world. Alciphron—a second century AD sophist—wrote, “I did not enter Corinth after all; for I learned in a short time the sordidness of the rich there and the misery of the poor.”

Summary. Ancient Corinth has often been compared to a modern-day New York City or Las Vegas, and it’s hard to disagree. This is probably why Paul wrote multiple long letters to this church. They must have needed a lot of help from this experienced leader.

The Church Plant

Luke records the history of the Corinthian church plant in Acts 18.

(Acts 18:1-18 NLT) Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. ² There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. ³ Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was. ⁴ Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike. ⁵ And after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent all his time preaching the word. He testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. ⁶ But when they opposed and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his clothes and said, “Your blood is upon your own heads—I am innocent. From now on I will go preach to the Gentiles.” ⁷ Then he left and went to the home of Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue. ⁸ Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and everyone in his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard Paul, became believers, and were baptized. ⁹ One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! ¹⁰ For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.” ¹¹ So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God. ¹² But when Gallio became governor of Achaia, some Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him before the governor for judgment. ¹³ They accused Paul of “persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to our law.” ¹⁴ But just as Paul started to make his defense, Gallio turned to Paul’s accusers and said, “Listen, you Jews, if this were a case involving some wrongdoing or a serious crime, I would have a reason to accept your case. ¹⁵ But since it is merely a question of words and names and your Jewish law, take care of it yourselves. I refuse to judge such matters.” ¹⁶ And he threw them out of the courtroom. ¹⁷ The crowd then grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him right there in the courtroom. But Gallio paid no attention. ¹⁸ Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that, then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters and went to nearby Cenchrea. There he shaved his head according to Jewish custom, marking the end of a vow. Then he set sail for Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him.

Originally, Paul came to Corinth with “fear and trembling” (1 Cor. 2:3). It must have been intimidating for him to walk into this extremely wild and licentious city. This is probably why Jesus personally encouraged Paul in Corinth, telling him to “not be afraid” (Acts 18:9-11). He probably needed the encouragement. After Jesus spoke to him, Paul ended up serving in Corinth for a year and a half (Acts 18:11).

What happened between the time when Paul left Corinth and when he wrote 1 Corinthians? Paul wrote a letter before he wrote 1 Corinthians (1 Cor. 5:9). This earlier letter drove the Corinthians to ask a lot of questions. This explains why we see Paul repeatedly responding to subjects that the Corinthians had raised (“Now concerning the things about which you wrote…” 1 Cor. 7:1; cf. 1 Cor. 7:25; 8:1; 12:1; 16:1, 12). Evidence within the letter implies that the Corinthians had misunderstood parts of Paul’s earlier letter (“I did not at all mean…” 1 Cor. 5:9-12). Paul had also heard a report from Chloe on how bad the church was (1 Cor. 1:11). Paul refers to Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus coming to meet him (1 Cor. 16:17). These were likely the men who brought this letter to the church in Corinth (1 Cor. 16:18). They may have brought a letter with a list of questions from the Corinthians.