The God of Corinth

In the seventh century B.C. Corinth stood as a backwater town between Athens and Sparta. Yet as these two cities warred Corinth steadily grew as a politico-economic rival. By the time of classical Greece (5th and 4th century B.C.) it began to flex its muscles as a major Greek polis. Its growth was largely due to its geographic location. It was primarily a port city that bridged the Ionian sea and the Agean sea. Normally, ships carrying their cargo would need to take the several day or week long travel around the Peloponnesian peninsula. However, Corinth offered a unique service to the sailors who docked in their city – an ancient “land ferry.” At the most narrow place of the isthmus the Corinthian docking companies would actually roll the cargo ships over land using slaves and animals over a period of a week. This service saved the sailors countless days and they could avoid the temper of sailing the fierce winds of the Mediterranean sea.

Corinth grew to be a cosmopolitan city rivaling even Athens for economic might and sensual exploration. This is how Corinth got its licentious reputation. Indeed, one of the Greek verbs for fornicate was korinthiazomai, a word derived from the city’s name. Apparently this estimation was based on Strabo’s report of 1,000 sacred prostitutes in the temple of Aphrodite on the Acrocorinth, an 1886-foot hill that rises above the city to the south (see below). It was here that Paul came to reside a few times in his journeys to build and encourage the Macedonian and Greek churches. Here Paul would have argued and preached in the “agora” or market place. As you can see below. Our team was able to walk through what would have been this ancient agora rebuilt by the Romans. By the time Paul came to this city it was 5 times the size of Athens! You could imagine the strategic significance this city church was to the mission of Greece, the Mediterranean, and even great Europe.

Above you can see Carter enjoying his first swim in the ocean. It would have been the same Ioninan port Paul would have left Corinth from to depart to his home church in Antioch (Asia Minor). Cenchreae was the port where Paul got a hair cut before leaving this mission trip. Christi, Carter, and our team were able to enjoy this incredible place and filled with awe that this is where Jesus used the great apostle to reach the gentile world of Europe through Corinth.

Above is the ancient Temple of Apollo – the son of Zeus who wielded the power of health and healing or plague and death. Unlike the God of Paul, of whom there is no darkness, no evil, and is not the author of sickness or death. This certainly would have been good news to many Corinthians who tired of the vice and cruel demands placed upon them by their gods and religious bartering system. Jesus was Lord and He gives grace!

Here is our team kneeling down before the location most scholars think Paul was tried before the pro-consul in Corinth. Luke’s account of Paul’s stay in Corinth is found in Acts 18:1-18. According to the story, after some initial success in the synagogue, but with considerable conflict, he decides to concentrate on the non-Jews, apparently with significant success. He settles in and stays for 18 months, working as a tentmaker and living with fellow tentmakers, Aquila and his wife Pricilla (Prisca in his letters), two of the Jews expelled from Rome by Emperor Claudius in a general expulsion. His success may have led to his being dragged before Gallio, the Roman proconsul, by the local Jews for heresy. Gallio dismisses the charge as a purely intra-Jewish affair. Soon afterwards Paul leaves, accompanied by Aquila and Pricilla, bound for Antioch, but on the way they stop over in Ephesus.

As we traveled down from Corinth we could see the beautiful shades of turquoise that made up the Ionian sea. What jewel of a city this must have been! I recalled standing in the shade of the ancient temple of Apollo; it is in ruins. Yet the church of Corinth still worships Jesus as Lord.

Jaimeson (Mission Greece)