The preceding paragrajihs show that we are justified in attaching great importance to St. Paul's stay in C, as constituting an epoch in his preaching, in his plans, and in his conscious attitude towards the Rom. government, and also as resulting in the formation of a new Church in the track of ready communication alike with the East and with Italy. As to the constitution of this new Church, it is evident that a verj' consider- able congregation had been formed in C. within a few years after St. Paul first entered it, and some of the converts were men of position ; on the whole, however, he declares that there were among them not many that were deeply educatetl in philosophy, not many possessing official dignity and i>ower, not many of aristocratic birth (1 Co 1-*); the bulk of the Church was humble, but these words (-not many') may fairly be taken as imply- ing that there were in it some few members of higher position.
St. Paul seems to have departed from C. for the purpose of celebrating the fea-st at Jems. (Ac IS-^, where RV omits the words intimating his intention — but probably they are original); we cannot doubt that this w;is the Passover, which fixes his departure to early spring, and his arrival in C. to
CORINTH
I. CORINTHIANS
4S3
autumn, ace. to our view Sept. 61-March u3 (o2- 64 many .siiiolars, 48-aO Harnack). Perhap.s his vow, in accordance with whicli he cut his hair in Cenchreaj, when on tlie point of going on board the ship, was completed and discharged at the Passover in Jerusalem. Doubtless, he performed the voyage on a ship whose special purpose was to carry pilgrims to Jerus. for the feast fioin Achaia and Asia. In 20" he probably again thought of performing the voy;ige on sucli a ship, and found that the Jews were too incensed against him to make the voyage .safe.
The subsequent history of the Corinthian Cliurcli is lightly passed over by St. Luke. Apollos was sent over from Kphesus with a letter of recom- mendation to the brethren in Achaia (Ac 18-', 2 Co 3'),* and his intiuen(;e in C was powerful (Ac 182'- •■", 1 Co 1'-). It is generally admitted that St. Paul, during the early part of his stay in Ephesus, sent to C. a letter which has not been preserved (1 Co 5') ; and it may be regarded as highly prob- able that this is not the only one of his letters that has perished. The view has also been strongly maintained that St. Paul paid a short visit to C. from Kphesus, and returned to lOphesus (2 Co 12" i:?!) ; but, more probibly, such a short visit was paid later from Macedonia (.see Drescher in .S'A', 18!)", pp. 50 ff."). In the latter part of St. Paul's stay in Ephesus, however, the report that was brought to him from C. by envoys (1 Co 1(517. 18^ drew from him the letter which has been preserved, and is commonly cited as 1 Co. It seems probable that this letter was sent by the hands of Titus : at least it is certain that he was sent by St. Paul on a mi.ssion to C. about this time (2 Co7''^- "■); and St. I'aul several times refers to the strong interest which Titus took in the Corinthians (2 Co T"" 8'''). 'I'imothy also was sent on a mission to C. from Ephesus (1 Co 4'"). When St. Paul left Ephesus and came to Macedonia, he met there Titus on his return from C. (probably at Philippi), after having been disappointed in the hope fif finding him at Troas. Evidently, Titus returned from C. by the land route or by a coiist- iiig vessel by way of Macedonia and Troas. On this report the second letter to C. was now dis- patched ; and Titus went on a second mission, accompanied this time by ' the brother whose praise in the gospel is spread through all the Churches' (identified by an early tradition, which may i)robably be correct, as St. Luke). Timothy also returned by the land route from C, and met St. Paul in Macedonia (2 Co l'). After .spending some months in Macedonia, apparently in several cities (Ac 20-, 1 Co 10^, Ko lo''j, St. Paul entered Greece, where he spent three months, chiefly, no doubt, at C, during the winter of 5(5-67 (or 57-58 ace. to Lightfoot and many others). IJuring the years 56-56 St. Paul bad been much occui)ied with a scheme for a general contribution from his new Churches in the four provinces Achaia, Macedonia, (jalatia, and Asia,t which w,as to be devoted to the benefit of the poor ('hristians in Jerusalem. To this scheme St. Paul attached the utmost importance, as marking the solidarity of the new foundations with the original Church ; and he pays a high compliment to the (Corinthians for the readiness with which they h,ad begun to respmid to the call (2 Co SI'--'). No envoy from C. is named among the delegates sent In charge of
♦ In the pQssiitfe of 2 Co 8, probably other .Tow« who camo with letters of reeominendatlon IVum .lerus. are referred to, as \%ell an AniiHo.s with hlH Kpheslan recointnetulation.
+ 8t, Paul iiH'Dtlon!^ the cimtrlhiitlon of Macedonia and Ai-hala In Itn l.V". 2 I'o s»- " ;i>, of (iaiatia and Corinth. I Co Hi'. lie has no occnHiiMi to iilhiile to that of .\sia ; and lie alludes to that of (Jalatia only perha[>s as beln^r the first and suiipivln^ the model, 'i'ho Asian contribution is in)[itled in Ac 20*. where the euvoya wlio carried it to .lerus, are mentioned (cf. Ac 24").