Titius Justus, marked by his name as a Roman citizen of the colonia, who could offer a secure and honourable refuge. The seceders included the Synagogue-chief Crispus and his family, with some other persons of importance. A vision in the following night assured Paul of success and personal safety at Corinth; accor- dingly ‘‘he sat down,”! resolved to make full proof of his ministry (Acts xviii. 9-11, cf. 2 Cor. i. 18 f.) and staying at least eighteen months in the city—a period much longer than he had spent in any place since first setting out from Antioch. The assault of the Jews miscarried through the firmness and impartiality of the proconsul Gallio. The Apostle found in the Roman Government “the re- strainer” of the lawless violence which would have crushed his infant Churches (2 Thess. ii. 6 f.). At Corinth popular feeling ran against the Jews, and their futile attack favourably advertised Paul’s work. The murderous plot formed against him some years later (Acts xx. 3) shows how fiercely he was hated by his compatriots in Corinth. He tells us that his success in Macedonia had excited public attention in many quarters, and prepared for his message an interested hearing (1 Thess. i. 8 f.). Outside of Corinth the Gos- pel was preached with effect throughout Achaia (2 Cor. i. 1); in Cenchree, ¢.g., a regularly constituted Church was formed (Rom. xvi. 1). At his departure (Acts xviii. 18) the Apostle left behind him in this province a Christian community comparatively strong in num- bers and conspicuous in the talent and activity of its members (1 Cor. i. 4-8, xiv. 26 ff.), consisting mainly of Gentiles, but with a considerable Jewish infusion (1. 12, vii. 18, xii, 19).
This city, the capital of Roman Greece and the fourth perhaps in size in the empire, was a focus of pagan civilisation, a mirror of the life and society of the age. The centre of a vast commerce, Corinth attracted a crowd of foreigners from East and West, who mingled with the native Greeks and adopted their language and manners. Though not a University town like Athens, Corinth nevertheless prided herself on her culture, and offered a mart to the vendors of all kinds of wisdom. ‘‘ Not many wise, not many mighty, not many high-born” joined the disciples of the Crucified; but some of Paul’s converts came under this description. There were marked social differencessand contrasts of wealth and poverty in the Church (1 Cor. vii. 20-24, xi. 21 f., 2 Cor. viii. 12 ff., ix. 6 ff.). Along with slaves, a crowd of artisans and nondescript people, engaged in the petty handicrafts of a great emporium, entered the new society ;
1 ἐκάθισεν (Acts xviii. 11): the expression indicates that Paul had been up to this point unsettled, and made up his mind to remain; ¢. Luke xxiv. 49.