Dec 6 2019 - Introduction to 1 Corinthians

The City of Corinth was situated on an isthmus commanding the north-south land route between the two halves of Achaia. Five miles to the east was the harbour of Cenchraea facing towards Ephesus and the Roman province of Asia; a mile and a half to the north lay the harbour of Lechaeum facing west towards Italy. An ancient roadway had been laid across the isthmus at its narrowest point allowing transportation of cargo and even light ships. Corinth was therefore an important centre of trade: it was both wealthy and cosmopolitan. The city also attracted crowds of visitors who came to the biennial Isthmian Games.

Corinth provided ready opportunities for the skilful entrepreneur to become wealthy. Self-promotion and patronage were important elements of public life: "In such a culture" writes Ben Witherington, "a person's sense of worth is based on recognition by others of one's accomplishments."

Paul must have been attracted to Corinth as a strategic centre for mission. The city had a sizeable Jewish community, swollen by the edict of Claudius which had driven many out of Rome. The travellers and visitors for the games would also have meant that there was considerable demand for Paul's trade as a tentmaker.

"Paul made a firm decision," writes Anthony Thistleton, "not to ... market the gospel as a consumer commodity designed to please the hearers and to win their approval (1:18)... He would earn his keep as a tentmaker and proclaim the cross of Christ." He began his ministry in the synagogue where he reasoned with both Jews and Greeks, testifying that Jesus was the Christ. However, he soon met the customary opposition from the Jews. In response, Paul shook out his clothes and set up camp next door in the house of the newly converted Titius Justus. Here Paul continued to teach this infant church which now included Crispus and his family – Crispus had formerly been leader of the synagogue.

Paul remained in Corinth for some 18 months, during which both he and the church continued to face opposition but also encouragement from the Lord. When he left Corinth, "He left behind him a thriving church, throbbing with vitality and full of gifts and services (1:4-8; 12:1-14:40). The problems which would emerge would be those of life, not of decline." (Anthony Thistleton). 

The church at Corinth was made up of people from a variety of social backgrounds. The majority of members would have come from the lower classes, in contrast to the few influential members who come from the upper classes. Among the latter would seem to be Stephanus Gaius and Crispus, the last of whom had previously enjoyed a prominent office in the synagogue.

In his book, An Introduction to the Sociology of the New Testament, Derek Tidball describes how these social divisions gave rise to the variety of controversies at Corinth. He writes, "Many of the problems at Corinth can be understood in the light of the fact that people from different social classes still found it difficult to relate to each other even after their conversion to Christianity. They would be aware that, as far as God was concerned such distinctions were no longer of any importance (1 Cor 7:22; Col 3:4) and yet in reality mutual acceptance still had to be learned through hard experience... In this socially heterogeneous church the leadership fell upon those who were middle class and elitist. They were the natural leaders, not only because of their social and educational skills, but because of their having the property in which to host the meetings of the church. Paul accepts their right to lead and supports them... He is not happy, however, about certain attitudes they adopt or actions to which they are party. Much of 1 Corinthians is a pointed address to them, encouraging them to overcome their deficiencies and forsake their worldly pretentions; however understandable these conceits may have been from a human standpoint. These activist leaders at Corinth needed to be wary lest they run the church as they would an ordinary business and ... working class people did not receive the standing in the church that God intended them to have."

Paul's letter addresses a series of issues, some raised by news conveyed to him, others in a letter requesting his advice and direction. Anthony Thistleton says that "issues of 'knowledge,' the ministry, ethical laxity, advantages sought at law, marriage and celibacy, meat associated with pagan temples or worship, dress codes in public worship, the divisions at the Lord's Supper, misperceptions of the significance of what counts as 'spiritual' in the context of 'gifts' and Christ's Lordship, and perhaps a premature anticipation of eschatological 'glory' all relate to the differing outlooks (some of them manipulative) on the part of specific groups." But he is also keen to emphasise that Paul's response is not fragmentary: "Glorying in the Lord and receiving status derived from identification with the crucified Christ (1:30-31) lead to a new value system demonstrable in a wide array of life issues. These range from attitudes towards 'the less esteemed' in civil actions (6:1-11) to eating meat in the precincts of temples or bought at market (8:1-11:1); or from dress-codes in public worship (11:2-16) or mutual respect for differing gifts (chs 12-13) to the 'ranking' and use of prophetic discourse and glossolalia (ch 14)."

Paul's first letter to the Corinthians is not always easy to understand, but I believe it speaks into many of the divisive issues we face in contemporary society and in the church – even though many of the specific issues we face are very different from those in ancient Corinth. We need to pay careful attention to what Paul has to say and to think carefully and deeply about what it means for us to make "Christ and him crucified" central to our lives and to the life of our churches.

Peter Misselbrook