![]() ![]() ![]() While there he supported himself by working in tentmaking-or perhaps leather working (Acts 18:2), the trade he had learned as a boy-in the workshop of Aquila and Priscilla (see 1 Cor. ![]() Paul arrived in Corinth in the winter of AD 49/50 and lived there for a year and a half. The Church in Corinth and Paul’s Letters (1 Corinthians) This contributed to the unique ethos of Corinth, which viewed itself as prosperous and self-sufficient, a city whose core value was “entrepreneurial pragmatism in the pursuit of success.” Many cities in today’s world aspire to this very ethos. Though what we might now call “upward mobility” was elusive in the ancient world, Corinth was one place where it might be possible, with a few good breaks and a lot of hard work, to establish oneself and enjoy a reasonably good life. The city had something of a boomtown atmosphere during the middle of the first century as freed slaves, veterans, merchants, and tradesmen streamed into the city. Strabo, an older contemporary of Paul, noted that “Corinth is called ‘wealthy’ because of its commerce, since it is situated on the Isthmus and is master of two harbors, of which the one leads straight to Asia, and the other to Italy and it makes easy the exchange of merchandise from both countries that are so far distant from each other.” Almost all of it passed through Corinth, making it one of the empire’s great commercial centers. Merchants wanted to avoid the difficult, dangerous sea journey around the fingers of the Peloponnese, so a great deal of the goods flowing between Rome and the western empire and the rich ports of the eastern Mediterranean were hauled across this isthmus. Sitting astride the isthmus that joins the Peloponnesian Peninsula to mainland Greece, Corinth controlled both the Saronic Gulf to the east and the Gulf of Corinth to the north. In Paul’s time, Corinth was the most important city in Greece. It provides Paul’s instruction to Christians grappling with real-life issues, including conflicts of loyalty, class differences, conflicts between personal freedom and the common good, and the difficulty of leading a diverse group of people to accomplish a shared mission. The Apostle Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, which he founded on his second missionary journey (AD 48–51), is a treasure trove of practical theology for Christians facing everyday challenges. Love is the purpose, means, motivation, gift, and glory behind all work done in Christ. The unifying perspective on all these topics is love. Topics such as career and calling, the lasting value of work, overcoming individual limitations, leadership and service, the development of skills and abilities (or “gifts”), fair wages, environmental stewardship, and the use of money and possessions are prominent in the letter. No other letter in the New Testament gives us a more practical picture of applying the Christian faith to the day-to-day issues of life and work than 1 Corinthians. Introduction to 1 Corinthians Back to Table of Contents Back to Table of Contents Learning From the Psalms How to Pray Through Your Work.Beyond Rank and Power: What Philemon Tells Us About Leadership.Evangelism - Sharing the Gospel at Work.10 Key Points About Work in the Bible Every Christian Should Know. ![]()
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