Introduction to Corinth

There are some stories that just don’t leave us with a conclusive ending--not happy, not depressing, just a rather abrupt change of scenes and essentially a new segment of the story with no smooth segue

We’re in one of those awkward transitions here

Last week’s message left Paul at the Areopagus in Athens

He’d made his convicting apologetic. won a few converts, had met some skepticism, and left the venue, at which time his hearers said that they’d hear him again on the matter...that’s all we’re told and scholars don’t have a clear picture of what exactly happened after that

Estimates of his total time in Athens vary, but probably not much over a week--and there is really no consensus on that

We don’t have any solid record of the circumstances under which he left--though it doesn’t seem like he’d been run out of town as before, we’re only told that he’d left Athens and arrived in Corinth, finding and connecting with a fellow Jew, and fellow tentmaker named Aquila and his wife Priscilla (AKA Prisca)

This is largely a teaching session

We will first look at the history--both behind Aquila and Priscilla, and of the city itself; then the geography and some of the things that made it so important; finally the industry--not of the city but that of Paul, Aquila and Priscilla

Finally we’ll ask, “why does any of this matter?”

A Lesson in History

Of Aquila and Priscilla

Originally Aquila was from Pontus in NE Turkey, along the coast of the Black Sea

Had moved to Rome, expelled c. 49 AD after some sort of problems; three major theories, the most sensible one being disputes between Jews and Christians

Most likely they had been Jewish believers when they left Rome (some scholars disagree)

They worked with and supported as he began his customary ministry within the Jewish culture and among God-seeking Greeks

They would be found with Paul again in Ephesus, while Paul was there writing to the church at Corinth

They would ultimately move back to Rome after the death of Claudius

Interesting trivia: in some places, Priscilla is mentioned first, which was odd for writings of the day, some suggest it was a mark of her prominence and high regard from the perspective of Luke

Of Corinth

A Greek city destroyed by Romans in 146 BC; rebuilt and repopulated as a Roman colony in 44 BC by Julius Caesar

It had been and was returned to being a great and wealthy city with many skilled craftsmen

With wealth comes decadence

The term to “corinthianize” was to become promiscuous and/or immoral

At least in part this was due to the presence of the temple of Aphrodite which housed about 1000 temple prostitutes

At least on other temples--Apollo---the Asklepion, a place of healing named for Asklepius, god of healing; public baths and major architecture were also attractions

A Lesson in Geography

Only about 45-50 miles west of Athens

It sits on an isthmus between the Aegean and Ionic seas, making it a major trade hub...adding to its affluence...and its decadence

A major shipping center, with ships hauled 6 & 1/2 miles overland; a canal finished in the 19th century

So far, we’ve not learned much about doctrine, theology or ministry, but now we move on to....

A Lesson in Industry

Not the major industry of the city...but the industry, or industriousness of Paul, Aquila and Priscilla

They were all “tentmakers” by trade and that was what formed the bond between them

Exactly how they came to meeting and discovering this common ground we’re not given, but it may have been related to the common heritage and possibly a connection within the synagogue

Paul would settle in with them--which suggests a measure of success, if not wealth, on their part—and resume his reasoning at the synagogue

Why Does this Matter?

Much of our doctrine of ecclesiology comes from Paul’s letters to the church that he established there

We have two of them; most scholars believe that there were two others, Cor. A & Cor. B, that set up the conversations he had in 1st and 2nd Corinthians

Understanding some of the history of the city is helpful to understanding the nature of the problems of the church

The Matter of our Circumstances

Takes us to Col 3 17

Colossians 3:17 ESV

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:23 ESV

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

...we can extrapolate from this “wherever you are and however you got there....”

Aquila and Priscilla had been driven from their home in Rome...and ended up exactly where God wanted them to support Paul and the beginning of his work in Corinth

Some of us are so upset by our circumstances in life that we blame God rather than looking for how we can use our situation in life to serve Him

The Example of Industry

Without working over the clear direction that a servant is worthy of his hire--the need for the church to support those who are actively engaged in ministering to them--the pastors, and other Christian workers--all this outlined in 1 Cor. and brought up again in 1 Tim., we must acknowledge that the vast majority of the Christian message is carried by those who are self-supporting...or it should be that way

Priscilla and Aquila were active partners in Paul’s ministry, though they were never supported by (or there is no record of support from) anywhere else

A lesson we can extract from that is that whatever our trade, we should use the blessings it provides to produce some form of active ministry in our lives

“Secular work is Christian service”

The Realities of our Corinthianized Culture

There has been a parallel throughout history: affluence and prosperity breed decadence and degradation

If we go to 1st Corinthians we find some of the problems there that exist yet today in the church...because the culture and its influence is not dealt with in our lives, thus infecting the church

From early on we see Paul addressing things that were holdovers from previous lives, or invasions from the culture

The first issue Paul dealt with was divisiveness over leadership

1 Corinthians 1:11–12 tells us, “For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.””

He follows up with chapter 3, then goes on to discuss the authority of the apostles and other teachers in chapter 4...

We see that in factions within the church...though we no longer have apostolic authority, there are established authorities in the church—and they should be followed; we have pastors, deacons and trustees, a constitution and bylaws that govern our behavior

We (here) largely get it right; some churches...not so much

There was reliance on worldly wisdom; Paul gave them this

1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

The problem worldly wisdom is picked up again in chapter 6...lawsuits among believers

We see individual churches and entire denominations denominations that follow the wisdom of the world, leadership denying the Scripture’s authority and sufficiency

We must guard against that

In chapter 5 Paul deals with a major difficulty in the church—a holdover from Roman culture—rampant sexual immorality—not only being tolerated, but seemingly celebrated

This related to family structure and the church dysfunction overall, later chapters deal with sexuality in its proper context: marriage

If there is but one Corinthian behavior rampant today, it is that

Immorality is not just accepted it is celebrated...and often in churches

We can point fingers at those congregations and denominations which promote homosexual, transgender and other aberrations from the Biblical standard, but many others refuse to deal with the realities of immorality within their own ranks

(Ref: our experience with Billy and Phyllis—living together while he was an officer in a Baptist church—and married in a full-blown church ceremony...which lasted only a bit less time than the marriage)

According to a 2022 Barna study, only around 55% of self-described Christians disapprove of extra-marital affairs and polygamy; 40% or less see nothing morally wrong with pornography, homosexuality, transgenderism (numbers are fuzzy there) pre-marital sex (about 25%)

To be clear, any person, in whatever sin they may be in, is welcome to be here, be taught and worship; HOWEVER, expect that sin will not be celebrated, but addressed;

Paul understood the Corinthian culture, was used by God to establish a church there...and stayed in a position of authority over it for years to come, nurturing it, correcting it, loving it

Another major issues Paul had to address was the matter of the Lord’s Supper

In chapter 11 of 1 Cor, he gives a rather harsh wake-up call

We have established structures which prevent many of the abuses seen there; but we still have the matter of unrepentant hearts 1 Corinthians 11:27–32 “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.”

First of all, are you trusting in Jesus for the salvation of your soul?

Are you harboring any unconfessed sin in your life right now? If so, do you repent of it and renounce it right now?

Are you harboring any grudge or resentment against anyone? Repent and deal with it now