“Corinth, The City”

 

By Benjamin D. Bailey

 

 

It does not take a genius to recognize that a man will usually adapt to and become a part of the socio-enviromental atmosphere that surrounds his everyday life.  For example: If a firm, ripe apple is picked from a tree and placed in a basket of rotten apples, the good apple will become bad in a minute period of time.  This same theory applied to the Corinthians in the 1st century.  Due to a debauch society, the Corinthians had at one time been a part of ungodliness and corrupt worldliness.  But Paul, hoping to spare their spirit from spiritual rottenness, presented them with the sin-blasting dynamite of God’s word (Rom 1:16; Acts 20:32) so that they might be able to spend the rest of their days upon this vale of soul making bearing fruit to God (Rom 7:4).

Corinth’s Location

The city of Corinth was one of Greece’s most prosperous, prominent cities.  Corinth was located due south of a small isthmus connecting the center region of Greece with the Peloponessus.  Surrounding Corinth was a mass of many different bodies of water.  To the south of Corinth was the Mediterranean Sea.  Due west/northwest of the city was the Adriatic Sea.  Directly west and northwest of Corinth the Aegean Sea settled.  Also, further northwestwardly, across the Aegean Sea, lay the Black Sea. 

Since Corinth is located near an isthmus (a small, narrow tissue of land between two large bodies of water) about five to seven miles wide with the Adriatic Sea to the west and the Aegean Sea to the East, it is only natural that it would be a booming town due to the sea industry.  And, as common sense would guide any good captain to unload his cargo or carry his ship across the five mile isthmus rather than charting a course 100-150 miles out of the way, Corinth became the Holiday Inn to many a sailor.

Corinth’s History

The city of Corinth dates all the way back to the seventh/eighth century as a hot spot for mining bronze and pottery.  Later, in 146 B. C., Lucius Mummius destroyed the ancient city of Corinth.  But, in 46, B. C. Julius Caesar recognized the opportunities ancient Corinth possessed, and he rebuilt the city.  In 1858, an earthquake destroyed the 1st century Corinth.  Later, a new Corinth was built about three and a half miles from the old site.1

The life style of Corinth as seen in I & II Corinthians

As was previously noted, Corinth was a terribly ungodly, debase city, which in turn infected the congregation at Corinth in many ways.  Speaking on the licentious nature of Corinth Jim McGuiggin has noted, “So far had this gone that the Apostle wrote two whole chapters for an antiseptic to the sewage which had oozed from the temple of Venus into the church of Christ.”  2  While this statement is accurate, to this author it seems more precise to say that Paul wrote two whole books as an antiseptic and immunization against the diseased nature of Corinth which had become a host upon the church of the Lord. 

In the rest of this paper, the design of intent will be to recognize the problems that the city of Corinth infiltrated into the church, identify how America has infiltrated those same problems into the church today, and let the Bible tell us the cure and preventive maintenance against these problems overwhelming the church.

Singularity, not Sectarianism

The city of Corinth was infused with the thinking and teaching of the greatest minds of that era, such as; Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, Epicurus, and others.  David Lipscomb has noted that in Corinth “there were intellectual interest both in art and philosophy.  Her citizens were proud of their mental acuteness…They loved disputation…They dabbled in philosophy…Indeed, the artificiality and flowing rhetoric of the sophist were quite satisfying.”3 It has been noted that among the city of Corinth there were small schools were rhetoric, philosophy, and debate were studied daily and practiced actively.  Among the students of these schools would inevitably come sectarianism for a certain philosopher.  For example, one student of philosophy might claim, “I am of Aristotle.”, or another, “I am of Plato.”, and yet another might claim, “I am of Socrates.” 

This kind of philosophical exaltation of professors of philosophy may have been a direct outgrowth of Christians exalting preachers instead of the Christ.  In I Corinthians 1:12-13 Paul deals with this problem by saying, “Now I say this, that each of you says, "I am of Paul," or "I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ."

Is Christ divided?  Was Paul crucified for you?  Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”  It may have been the case that certain Christians were exalting their favorite preacher for his ability and talents they liked.  For example, someone might exalt the Apostle Paul for his great logic and keen background into Judaism.  Or, another might exalt Apollos for his eloquent speaking ability (Acts 18:24).  Yet another Christian may have been following Peter because of his privilege of opening the kingdom with the first gospel sermon (Acts 2).  Whatever the case may have been, the Corinthians had a serious problem with sectarianism and division.

Sadly, much of the religious world today is divided over the same mundane exaltation of men instead of Jesus Christ.  For instance, if you were to ask someone off the street what religious affiliation they belonged to they might say, “I am a Lutheran.”, or “I am a Methodist.”, or “I am a Calvinist.”  The church of the Lord has the same problem today as our brethren in Corinth did in the 1st century.  Instead of following the Lamb wherever He goes, many today have chosen the path of division leading to destruction (Rev 14:4; Matt 12:30).  However, in I Corinthians chapter 1 Paul gives us a twofold antidote to solve the problem of division.

First, by implication in I Cor 1:13, we learn the qualifications a person must meet to have followers “of” him:  (1) To have followers a person must have been crucified as a sinless sacrifice for mankind (Lev 4:1ff; 2 Cor 5:21; I Pet 1:19, 2:24).  (2) His followers must be baptized into his name. 

Since it is the case that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23), then no one except Christ can have people “of” Him.  Therefore, it is no wonder that the 1st century brethren chose to be called Christians first (Acts 11:26).

Secondly, to cure sectarianism Paul tells us in I Corinthians 1:18-26 that we should not dabble in human wisdom, but let the wisdom of God be our pattern for spiritual matters (2 Tim 1:13, 3:16-17).  Let us all from this point onward not put our trust in man’s wisdom, but in the verbally, inerant, inspired word of God (Jer. 1:9; John 8:32, 17:17; 2 Pet 1:20-21).

Not Sensuality, But Spirituality

Most people who have been converted from the world to the church will agree that it is hard not to desire to go back to the world with its self-gratifying pleasures.  The Corinthians were a case example of how challenging it can be to be “in” the world, but not “of” the world.

The city of Corinth was well known for being a city of profound worldliness, and carnality.  This city consisted of everything from back street bars to street corner prostitution.  One of the main reasons why Corinth was so carnal was because it had a lack of stability in occupants.  Because of its sea and land trade, many people with many ideas and habits rubbed off on Corinth constantly.  Likewise, the Corinthians Christians were worldly-minded people by nature.  In I Corinthians 3:1-2 the Holy Spirit said this concerning the Corinthians carnality, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.  I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able.”  It is evident from this scathing admonition that these Christians needed to leave the world and all its lust behind and move on to perfection (Heb 5:12ff).

However, many Christians today are in the same position and condemnation as the Corinthian Christians in the 1st century were.  One of the number one problems with Christians today is excelled worldliness.  Instead of trying to come out from among them and be separate (2 Cor 6:17-18), some Christians today are trying to have one foot in the world, and one foot in the kingdom of Christ.  Too many Christians want to be “of the world, and “in” the world at the same time.

The cure for carnality then and now is twofold.  First, we must “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 3:18). Instead of desiring to be part of the world, we must “desire the pure milk of the word that we may grow thereby” (I Pet 2:2).  Sadly, we have way too many grown babies in the church of Christ.  By this time they ought to be teachers, but they have need again for someone to reteach the fundamental principles of Christianity to them (Heb 5;12ff).  Spiritual growth is essentially necessary to avoid carnality and worldliness (2 Tim 2:15).

Secondly, to avoid sensuality, one must recognize the penalty for being carnally minded.  In Romans 8:6-7 Paul says this concerning the wages of carnality, “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.”  Christians must recognize that trying to be a friend with the world make us God’s enemy (James 4:4).  And, therefore, let us always remain unstained from the world and all its sensual desires of the flesh.  “For our God is a consuming fire,” and “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb 12:29, 10:31).

 

Not Fornication, But Fidelity

 

Of Corinth it has often been said that fornication, and adultery were as common as the act of breathing.  Licentiousness was a definite part of the Corinthian culture.  In Jim McGuiggin’s commentary on I Corinthians, he quotes William Barclay saying this about the city of Corinth,

 

“Corinth was a by-word for evil and immoral living.  The very word ‘korinthiazesthai’ to live like a Corinthian has become a part of the Greek language, and it meant to live with drunken, immoral debauchery… Above the isthmus, there towered the hill of the Acropolis; and on it, there stood the great temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love.  To that temple were attached one thousand priestesses who were sacred prostitutes, and at evening time they descended from the Acropolis and plied their trade upon the streets of Corinth, until it become a Greek proverb, ‘It is not everyman who can afford a journey to Corinth.”  4

 

With the overflow of testosterone filled sailors, Corinth was a hub for sex, and venereal diseases, much like many parts of America today.

But how did this affect the church in Corinth?  This problem in Corinth gave the church a lax mindset toward sexual sins and their toleration of them (I Cor 5).  In I Corinthians 5:1 there was actually a man in the congregation who was committing fornication with his stepmother.  But, that is not he worst part of the situation at Corinth.  The worst part of this situation is that the Corinthians were so used to an environment that tolerated sexual sins, that they thought they could tolerate such a sin as this in the church of the Lord.

Many congregations of God’s people today feel the same way towards sin in the camp.  Because we live in a society that accepts fornication, divorce, adultery, and most unscriptural sexual activity, we sometimes think that God changes with the society.  However, that is foreign to Bible theology (Malachi 3:6).

The solution for the problems now and the problem then is simple; abstain from sexual sins and discipline those who will not.  In I Corinthians 5:5,11 Paul tells the Lord’s people that immorality can not be tolerated in the Lord’s church, and therefore, the guilty brethren must be disfellowshiped from in hopes that it will eventually save their soul.  Today, there are way too many congregations of God’s people who are putting up with Christians in unscriptural relationships, instead of putting them out of fellowship.  Instead of tolerating immorality in the church, we must terminate its very existence.

It is evident from the historical and biblical evidence that the Corinthian Church of Christ underwent many persecutions from within and without due to a debauch society of people.  But the main thing to remember is that they were still trying to live as God wanted.  We too, must never give up living the Christian life, no matter how bad the world around us may seem to be.

 

 

ENDNOTES


1                    Merril F. Unger, Unger’s Bible Dictionary, (Chicago, Ill., Moody Press, 1957), p.220

 

2           Jim McGuiggin, A Commentary on I Corinthians, (Lubbock, Tx, Montex Publishing Co.,1984), p.9

 

3              David Lipscomb, A Commentary on I Corinthians, (Nashville, Tn, Gospel Advocate Company, 1955), p. xi

 

4        McGuiggin, p. 6