Maracay, May 12, 2014.

THEOLOGICAL TRAINING INSTITUTE

JESUS THE SAVIOR
PROFESSOR: BROTHER ISMAEL UTRERA
JOSE MARCHENA
EPISTLES OF THE CORINTHIANS AND THESSALONIANS
Subject: City of Corinth

GEOGRAPHICAL ASPECTS
It is located in the middle of the Greek peninsula, where the land shrinks to a
narrow waist of less than 6 km wide, known as the Isthmus of Corinto.
The city of Corinth is located on the high part of the Isthmus, which was a
important land bridge between the northern part and the southern part of Greece. On the other
Side, this strip of land constituted a barrier for navigation between the sea
Aegean to the east and the Adriatic Sea to the west. In the vicinity of Corinth, the terrain
it is arid, suitable mainly for vineyards and olive groves, with the help of systems of
irrigation. Further down in the plain of the Adriatic coast, the land is fertile and
productive.
The ancient city of Corinth was located on the isthmus that connects the Peloponnese.
with the continental Greece. It was located at the southern tip of the isthmus, in a
plain between the isthmus and a hill known as Acrocorinth, at the top of the
There was a citadel and a temple. The city was, therefore, strategically
located.

CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS ASPECTS

Some of the descriptions and cultural stereotypes that are often cited for
Characterizing the city of Corinth does not belong to the first century, but rather reflects a
previous period of its history, before being destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC.
It was in the time before that date that Corinth earned the reputation of
notoriously immoral city; however, the derogatory terms applied to
the Corinthians by the Athenians can be attributed in part to the rivalry that existed
between the two cities. It was also in that early time that it was said that in
the temple of Aphrodite in Corinth had a thousand prostitutes dedicated to the
erotic aspect of the worship of this goddess of fertility. The scourge of it flourished in her.
debauchery, to the point that the very name of the city became a
synonym of sensuality. The verb 'corintianize' meant libertinism
unrestrained.
Some Phoenicians settled in the city and continued with their trade of
make purple dye from the murex trunculus of the neighboring seas. Also
they introduced other arts, and established the immoral cult of the Phoenician deities.
In a Roman colony like Corinth, the official language was Latin, and the vast majority
of the public inscriptions found by the archaeologists use the language
of the empire. However, Greek endured as the language of the people, and it was in the
popular dialect (non-literary) of this language that Paul wrote his letters to the
Church of Corinth.
The main deity was Aphrodite, the goddess of love in its most immoral form and of the
unrestrained passion, so it is not difficult to imagine the effect of this
deification of sensuality. The temple of Apollo was built on the slope
north of Acrocorinth. A thousand beautiful young women acted as public prostitutes before
the altar of the goddess of love. They were mostly supported by foreigners, and the
city, as a product of its immorality, obtained a secure income.
The life of the city revolved around the squares and the buildings dedicated to the
Functions of the government and the practice of religion. The archaeological excavations.
they have uncovered numerous blocks of commercial premises and workshops
artisan shops around the central square, the Agora. With the exception of the
small elite, who had large houses, the Corinthians lived in narrow places
which served at the same time as housing, workshop, and store. According to Acts 18:2-3, Paul
he settled in Corinth as a craftsman and practiced his trade of making
tents or tents sharing the premises of Aquila and Priscila.
The First Epistle to the Corinthians was written in Ephesus (1 Cor. 16: 8). This city
it was the stage of Paul's missionary activity for "three years" (Acts 20:
31), and the main center of his work during his third missionary journey (Acts 19;
The letter was written when he was about to depart for Greece and Macedonia,
but I expected to stay in Ephesus "until Pentecost" (1 Cor. 16: 5-8); without
embargo, circumstances hastened his departure (Acts 19: 21 to 20: 3). The
evidence allows us to place the letter in the first part of the year 57 A.D.
the church of Corinth was established during Paul's second missionary journey. The
the apostle had spent at least 18 months in that place. His work had been
hard and successful, and a prosperous church was established (Acts 18:1-11).
When one understands what the religion of Corinth was like, the wonderful becomes evident.
grace of God who defeated the forces of evil and established a church of saints
regenerated in that city of such a bad reputation. For its wealth, luxury, trade and
cosmopolitan population, Corinth truly earned the title given to it by Barnes: 'Paris of
antiquity
The task faced by the messenger of the Gospel in the ancient city of
Corinth presents itself very well in these words: 'If the Gospel could triumph in
Corinth can overcome whatever the circumstances may be (W.D.
Chamberlain).

HISTORICAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS

The city of Corinth was not a port in the strict sense, as it was not located
on neither of the two coasts of the isthmus. The port on the Adriatic Sea, to the west
from Corinth, was Lechaeum, and the Aegean Sea to the east was Cenchrea. The transshipment of
loading, even of small boats, on the isthmus was carried out at its highest point
narrow, where a marble path (still existing) allowed sliding of bundles and
boats from one side to the other.
With the expansion and dominance of the Roman Empire during the 1st century, a lot of traffic
commercial, political, and military passed through the Isthmus of Corinth, connection point
between Italy and the eastern part of the empire
The city of Corinth became greatly important as a center of trade and
international transportation, with transshipment or merchandise sales business, thus
such as the collection of fees and taxes. Sporting events of this magnitude
the biennial Isthmian Games attracted a large number of spectators to Corinth, and
this sports tourism generated significant income for the merchants and
artisans of the region.
Large number of merchants and businessmen (plus a few women)
business) often traveled between Corinth and the other major cities of
empire. The land traffic between Peloponnese and Attica passed through Corinth. Its
strategic location between the Saronic Gulf, with Athens and Piraeus to the east, and the
Gulf of Corinth to the west of the isthmus, turned it into a trading center of a
a large part of the trade that flowed from Asia to Europe and vice versa.
Several members of the church of Corinth participated in this commercial activity,
be like leaders of a house-business (Stephanas, 1 Cor 16:15–18), be like
humble representatives, perhaps slaves or freedmen, like "those of Chloe" (1
Co 1.11 )
Refounded as a Roman colony by Emperor Julius Caesar in the year 44 AD,
Corinth rose again as a center of art and culture, renowned for its imposing
Public buildings, statues, and marble temples. It flourished again in the city.
manufacture of high-quality bronze articles. Pablo must have heard about
like the "metal that resonates, or the cymbal that clangs" (1 Cor 13:1).
As was customary, the conquered cities were incorporated into the Empire.
Romania was allowed to have its own government in Corinth, but it operated under
the surveillance of a governor (the 'proconsul' of Acts 18:12) sent from Rome.
There were two local rulers, responsible for promoting the interests of Rome.
and maintain the flow of tributes and taxes into the imperial treasury. Satisfied
these demands for political and economic hegemony, the empire imposed peace and
the stability in the region.
Under these conditions, a small layer of entrepreneurs in Corinth developed.
a notable prosperity, while the great majority of the population lived in the
poverty. This socio-economic stratification is reflected in the formation of the
church of Corinth (1 Co 1.26–28).
The exact number of inhabitants of Corinth has not been established.
1st century; the estimated figures range from one hundred thousand to half a million. Half or more.
of the population were slaves.
On the southern side of the Agora stands an imposing tribunal that could be the
which is mentioned in Acts 18:12, before whom Paul had to appear. Furthermore
of the temples located in the heart of the city, the temple of Aphrodite
He dominated the entire region of Corinth from the top of Acrocorinth, a steep
mountain that rises about 500 m above the level of the city.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
VINE Dictionary Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, St. Paul’s Corinth: Texts and
Archaeology, Glazier, Wilmington, DE, 1983, p. 192.

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