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Corinth: According to Greek tradition, Corinth was founded by Korinthos, grandson of the sun-god Helios. There is evidence of some civilization from around 3000 B.C. By 650 B.C. Corinth had become the center of business and commerce in Greece. This was chiefly due to the fact that it was strategically placed on an isthmus with ports in both the Corinthian and Saronic gulfs. Corinth went through alliances with many different factions, before it was destroyed in 146 B.C., by the Romans. Around 44 B.C., Julius Caesar came to Corinth, saw its’ potential, and rebuilt the city, naming it Laus Iulia Corinthus, or “Corinth, the praise of Julius”. In 51 to 52 A.D., Paul visited the city, and wrote two letters to the Christians in this city. Corinth’s economy remained stable until about the 297 A.D., when Goths came and pillaged the city. The economy declined until the 12th century when Crusaders came and sacked the city. The city changed hands between the Turks, Venetians, and the Greeks, until 1858, when an earthquake completely destroyed the city, and left it in the condition that it is in today. Corinth is important to the Bible scholar, because it was the destination of two of Paul’s letters, aptly named 1st and 2nd Corinthians. As mentioned above, Paul visited the city and was able to witness firsthand, the corruption and immorality that pervaded every aspect of a Corinthian’s daily life. Women who served at Apollo’s Temple, in the middle of Corinth, were basically prostitutes. Men, especially those who were wealthy, would come and offer sacrifices to the god, Apollo, then find a woman in the temple to sleep with. For the group of Christians who made their home in Corinth, it was not an ideal atmosphere for building up those who were new to the faith. In his letters, Paul addressed the many issues that the Corinthian church was facing, such as, incest between a man and his step-mother, general immoral practices, promiscuity, division, the eating of meat sacrificed to idols, greed and drunkenness at the Lord’s Supper, and even the denial of Christ’s resurrection, to name a few. It is also important to note that the many topics of the Corinthian letters’, are extremely relevant today.
Approximate Word count = 1429
Approximate Pages = 5.7
(250 words per page double spaced)
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