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Corinth

Illustration of Corinth

Corinth was a prominent and prosperous port city in ancient Greece, renowned for its commercial activity and notorious for its moral corruption influenced by pagan worship. During his second missionary journey, the apostle Paul spent approximately eighteen months there, preaching the gospel and founding a Christian church amid significant opposition. Later, from Ephesus, Paul authored the two epistles to the Corinthians to address various problems within the congregation, including divisions, sexual immorality, and disputes over spiritual gifts. These letters hold lasting significance in Scripture for their profound teachings on unity, love, church discipline, and the resurrection of Christ.

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Details

Region
Greece/Rome
Modern Location
Near modern Corinth, Greece
Strongest connections in Scripture

Journey Paths

Apollos's Journey

Ephesus โ†’ Corinth

Paul's Journey

Damascus โ†’ Tarsus โ†’ Antioch โ†’ Corinth โ†’ Rome โ†’ Ephesus โ†’ Malta

Priscilla and Aquila's Journey

Corinth โ†’ Ephesus โ†’ Rome

Priscilla's Journey

Corinth โ†’ Ephesus

Aquila's Journey

Corinth โ†’ Ephesus โ†’ Rome

Key Passages

Paul in Corinth

Acts 18:1-11

Paul spends eighteen months in this notoriously immoral city - God assures him 'I have many people in this city,' and a thriving church emerges from unlikely soil.

A1fter these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;

2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. 3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. 5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. 6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. 7 And he departed thence, and entered into a certain manโ€™s house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. 8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. 9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: 10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. 11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Love Chapter

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Paul writes his famous hymn to love from Corinth - addressing a church torn by division with the truth that love surpasses all spiritual gifts.

T1hough I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Did You Know?

1

Corinth was so immoral that 'to Corinthianize' became a Greek verb meaning to be sexually immoral.

2

The city had two harbors, making it one of the wealthiest trade centers in the ancient world.

3

Paul worked as a tentmaker in Corinth to support himself while planting the church.