Intro to Corinth, Pt. 1

“Love Never Fails...”

Before jumping into 1 Cor. 13, I believe it would be beneficial to set the scene a bit. I would like to do that over the next 2 weeks by establishing...the historical and cultural context of 1 Corinthians What can we learn when we consider the stories of the Corinthians as individuals and as a group?What were they up against regarding the culture of that time and place?the literary context and purpose of 1 Cor. 13 (specifically)Why is Ch. 13 in between Chs. 12 & 14?the importance of love in and applications for modern dayWhat do those things mean for me in the here and now? Before we jump in, let’s consider an occasion when Jesus Himself addressed the importance of love.

Before jumping into , believe it would be beneficial to set the scene a bit. I would like to do that over the next 2 weeks by establishing...

the historical and cultural context of 1 Corinthians

What can we learn when we consider the stories of the Corinthians as individuals and as a group in this time period?

What were they up against regarding the culture of 1st century Corinth?

the literary context and purpose of (specifically)

Why is Ch. 13 in between Chs. 12 & 14?

the importance of love in and applications for modern day

What do those things mean for me in the here and now?

Before we begin, let’s consider an occasion when Jesus Himself addressed the importance of love.

Matthew 22:34–36 LEB

Now when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled at the same place. And one of them, a legal expert, put a question to him to test him: “Teacher, which commandment is greatest in the law?”

Matthew 22:37–40 LEB

And he said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.”

NKJV and NIV - “hang”

​Matthew 22:34–36 ESVBut when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

​ ESVBut when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

ESVBut when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

​ ESVAnd he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

​Matthew 22:37–40 ESVAnd he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Jesus claims that everything the law was designed to be, meant to be depends entirely on (1) loving Yahweh and (2) loving your neighbor (i.e. everyone)

Jesus claims that everything the law was designed to be, meant to be depends entirely on (1) loving Yahweh and (2) loving your neighbor (i.e. everyone)

wrap this up 10-15 min into class if necessary

Establish Setting for Church in Corinth

Establish Setting for Church in Corinth

Info about Corinth

Info about Corinthvast religious diversitypopulation of ~500k-700kFirst occupied around 8th century BC, most prominent city in Greece from 350-250 BC, destroyed by Rome in 146 BC, rebuilt as Roman colony in 46 BC, soon became Roman capital of AchaiaLarge group of displaced Jews living in the cityLocated on 3.5-mile wide isthmus separating central Greece and the PeloponnesusLocation of the Isthmian Games every 2 yearsone step lower than Olympic games in AthensSee 1 Cor. 9:24-26 paved roadway was constructed between bodies of water to avoid dangerous 200-mile journey around the Cape of Maleasaved time and was less riskyvarious temples and shrinesDionysius, Neptune, Pan, Artemis, Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, Aphrodite (Acrocorinth - hilltop part of Corinth), Apollo, Ascelpius (healing), Tyche, Venus, possible Hera, Isis and Osiris (Egyptian gods)

vast religious diversity

population of ~500k-700k

First occupied around 8th century BC, most prominent city in Greece from 350-250 BC, destroyed by Rome in 146 BC, rebuilt as Roman colony in 46 BC, soon became Roman capital of Achaia

Large group of displaced Jews living in the city as a result of the Diaspora

Located on 3.5-mile wide isthmus separating central Greece and the Peloponnesus

Location of the Isthmian Games every 2 years

one step lower than Olympic games in Athens

See

paved roadway was constructed between bodies of water to avoid dangerous 200-mile journey around the Cape of Malea

saved time and was less risky

various temples and shrines

Dionysius, Neptune, Pan, Artemis, Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, Aphrodite (Acrocorinth - hilltop part of Corinth), Apollo, Ascelpius (healing), Tyche, Venus, possible Hera, Isis and Osiris (Egyptian gods)

​Holman Bible Atlas CorinthThe colloquial expression “to Corinthianize” meant to engage in immoral behavior and loose living

​Holman Bible Atlas CorinthThe colloquial expression “to Corinthianize” meant to engage in immoral behavior and loose living

Holman Bible Atlas Corinth

The colloquial expression “to Corinthianize” meant to engage in immoral behavior and loose living.

​1 Corinthians 5:9–11 LEBI wrote to you in the letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. By no means did I mean the sexually immoral people of this world or the greedy people and swindlers or idolaters, since then you would have to depart out of the world. But now I have written to you not to associate with any so-called brother, if he is a sexually immoral person or a greedy person or an idolater or an abusive person or a drunkard or a swindler—with such a person not even to eat.

​ LEBI wrote to you in the letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. By no means did I mean the sexually immoral people of this world or the greedy people and swindlers or idolaters, since then you would have to depart out of the world. But now I have written to you not to associate with any so-called brother, if he is a sexually immoral person or a greedy person or an idolater or an abusive person or a drunkard or a swindler—with such a person not even to eat.

1 Corinthians 5:9–11 LEB

I wrote to you in the letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. By no means did I mean the sexually immoral people of this world or the greedy people and swindlers or idolaters, since then you would have to depart out of the world. But now I have written to you not to associate with any so-called brother, if he is a sexually immoral person or a greedy person or an idolater or an abusive person or a drunkard or a swindler—with such a person not even to eat.

​ LEBI wrote to you in the letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. By no means did I mean the sexually immoral people of this world or the greedy people and swindlers or idolaters, since then you would have to depart out of the world. But now I have written to you not to associate with any so-called brother, if he is a sexually immoral person or a greedy person or an idolater or an abusive person or a drunkard or a swindler—with such a person not even to eat.

Context of

​ LEBI wrote to you in the letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. By no means did I mean the sexually immoral people of this world or the greedy people and swindlers or idolaters, since then you would have to depart out of the world. But now I have written to you not to associate with any so-called brother, if he is a sexually immoral person or a greedy person or an idolater or an abusive person or a drunkard or a swindler—with such a person not even to eat.

has a context

why is it there?

what purpose does it serve?

what is its function in the big picture?

why did the Corinthians need to hear it in this particular way?

I believe we often take this chapter and turn it into something that is exactly the opposite of what it was intended to be.

What we like it to be:

A beautiful, intellectual, flowery discourse about love

What it must have been to the Corinthians:

A harsh, practical, pointed chastisement for the lack of love in the Corinthian church

(a) Audience and (b) Letter

Audience

According to , who were some of the Corinthian converts?

Aquila (husband), Priscilla (wife)

Jews from Pontus

kicked out of Rome

tentmakers (like Paul)

Titius Justus

Gentile

“worshiper of God”

lived next door to synagogue

Crispus (and entire household)

Ruler of the synagogue

Many others ()

Sosthenes

Ruler of Synagogue (co-writer of 1 Cor.)

beaten in front of Gallio, proconsul of Achaia

Who were NOT converted?

Jews in Synagogue

in other words, the religious Jews

Similar to how it was when Jesus was proclaiming the Kingdom

Homework!

According to 1 Cor., who were some of the saints there?

Named and unnamed