other. (See the descriptions in Stanley’s Epp. to the Cor., p. 4, also article “Corinth” in Hastings’ Bib. Dict. ; and more at large, Leake’s Morea, iii., 229-304, Curtius’ Peloponnesus, Π., 514 f.; and for the antiquities, Pausanias, II., i.,2; Strabo, VIII., vi., 20-24; Dio Chrys., Orat., 37; fElius Arist., dd Poseid.) The western port, Lechzeum, 14 mile distant, was linked by double walls to the city; Cenchree lay 84 miles eastwards; and a shipway, running north of Corinth, connected the two harbours.
The presiding deities of this maritime city were the sea-god Poseidon, under whose patronage the famous Isthmian games were held (see ix. 24 ff. and notes), and Aphrodité, whose temple crowned the Acrocorinthus. The cultus of Aphrodité (worshipped in her debasing form as Aphr. Pandemos) dates back, it is supposed, to prehistoric Phoenician times; its features were more Oriental than Greek—especially the institution of the ἱερόδουλοι, or priestess-cour- tesans, of whom more than a thousand were attached to the shrine of the goddess. Temples of Serapis and Isis were also conspicuous at Corinth, representing the powerful leaven of Egyptian supersti- tion that helped to demoralise the empire. The luxury and refine- ment of the elder Corinth were associated with its vice ; so notorious was its debauchery that κορινθιάζεσθαι was a euphemism for whore- dom ; in our own literature ‘“‘a Corinthian”’ still means a polished rake. By all accounts, the new Corinth more than rivalled the old in wickedness. Here the Apostle drew, from life, the lurid portraiture of Gentile sin that darkens the first page of his Epistle to the Romans. Within this stronghold of paganism and focus of Greek corruption Paul planted the cross of his Redeemer, rising out of his weakness and fear to a boundless courage. He confronted the world’s glory and infamy with the sight of “Jesus Christ and Him crucified,”’ confident that in the word of the cross which he preached there lay a spell to subdue the pride and cleanse the foulness of Corinthian life, a force which would prove to Gentile society in this place of its utter corruption the wisdom and power of God urto salvation. In “the Church of God in Corinth,” with all its defects and follies, this redeeming power was lodged.
CHAPTER II. ' PAUL’S COMMUNICATIONS WITH CORINTH.
AssuMING 49 Α.Ρ. as the date of the conference in Jerusalem (Acts xv.), 57 as that of Paul’s last voyage to the Holy City,! we calculate that he arrived at Corinth first in the latter part of the year 50, closing his mission in 52. He was engaged in the interval, until the spring of 56, mainly in the evangelisation of the province of Asia (Acts xix. 10, 22, xx. 1 Π.). When he writes this letter the Apostle is still at Ephesus, intending to remain until Pentecost, and with Passover approaching (xvi. 8 f., v. 7 f.: see notes). Paul’s departure from Ephesus was hastened by the riot (Acts xix. 23-xx. 1); and we may take it that this Epistle was despatched in the early spring of 56, very shortly before Paul left Ephesus for Troas in the course of his third missionary journey.
The Apostle had previously sent Timothy and Erastus forward to Corinth, by way of Macedonia, to prepare for his arrival, in pursu- ance of the plan now sketched in his mind for completing his work in these regions with a view to advancing upon Rome and the further west (Acts xix. 21 {., cf Rom. xv. 16-25). Timothy is likely to arrive soon after this letter, and will be able to enforce its prescrip- tions (iv. 17; see also xvi. 10 f., and notes). Apollos, who had migrated to Corinth fresh from the instructions of Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus and had “watered” there what Paul had ‘‘planted”’ (1. 6, Acts xviii. 27 f.), is back again at Ephesus in the Apostle’s company (xvi. 12); he is clear of complicity in the party quarrels with which his name was associated in Corinth (1. 12, iti. 4-8, iv. 6). Quite recently “the people of Chloé”’ have brought an alarming report of these ‘‘strifes” (i. 11); and the Apostle learns from general rumour of the case of incest polluting the Church’