The lesson this week opens in Paul’s seed church at Corinth, possibly described better as the cold shoulder 1st church of the Frigidaire. The Corinthian church sat in a rich, influential Roman province colony; very well-known and very opinionated, toxic, and its members in great suspicion of each other.
What’s the history here? You see, in 146 BCE, Corinth was the trade center, a Greek controlled city that had just became a Roman controlled city. Just 100 years later, Rome decided it needed to be repopulated as a Roman Colony. Uproot everything: Rome wants a change! Are you a local? Are you a foreigner? Did you buy your way in? You’re different, I don’t trust you! Remember this Rome repopulation thing? Rome keeps taking more. Who adds value to whom?
A big seaport of trade, Corinth had become so very well known for immorality that the Greek word for harlotry starts with Corinth- “korinthi-azimai”. Sadly, the literal translation is simply “I am Corinthian” or “you Corinthian”, which at that time was used as Greek slang for either a great insult or a prostitution calling card.
The people at Corinth, by the time the letter of 1st Corinthians was written, had mixed and muddled the Greek, Roman, Phoenician, and Egyptian gods and goddesses to an “anything goes” society with a god for everything “sin city.” It was a sin city in which, Paul planted a house church for the One True God.
The list of named persons in Paul’s letter, and their backgrounds, set the stage for the highlights of who values what in each personality of the church body. Paul’s letter to the Corinthian Church is intended to address the church attitudes, and to stop the toxic, manipulative, jealous, judgmental behaviors preventing Godly unity. The Church of Corinth knew the Godly principals, but they were really hung up on who was better than whom. Was Peter better than Apollo, or Paul better than Stephanas? I can only imagine that this might have been the first precursor of denomination splits in the making. Was the Corinthian first church of the Frigidaire going to split into the second, third, or reformed church of the Whirlpool? The Corinthians were fighting over who baptized them and what order of deacons or deaconesses could be acceptable. Whose culture is best or accepted, who has the best hair, whose home is better, whose _____ is in competition and how is that stopping unity.
All these and more will be looked at in what Paul is addressing in 1 Corinthians.
Scriptures Wednesday will be from: Acts 18 and 1 Corinthians.
Hope to see you there!
Michelle Bowen
For those in the Clarksville area, we will meet for this study at 5 p.m. at the former Clarksville Cinema on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. All are welcome to attend.