The Books of

The Setting of I-II Corinthians

The Books of

Located 200 feet above sea level on a rocky hill, the city had natural advantages for defensive purposes.

Behind the city was an 1800 feet rock formation known as Citadel of Corinth.

There was an elaborate system for saving ships - the 200 mile journey around cape Malea. It was a 5-6 mile road called the Diolcus that moved ships from the gulf of Corinth to the gulf of Saronic across on dry land.

As a sea port and a land bridge, there would have been much activity in this city. In New Testament times, Corinth was estimated to have as many as 500,000 people.

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Corinth was religiously much like Athens which was located about 50 miles to the north.Corinth had its “Acrocorinth” (the acropolis of Corinth) where many Temples were erected to the idol gods.

Greek mythology claims her as the daughter of Zeus and Dione. Worship involved the priestesses of aphrodite given to open prostitution. It has been suggested that as many as 1,000 preistesses served at the Temple.

“Aphrodite” (Roman - Venus) was the goddess of love, beauty, fertility, and a protector of sailors.

In New Testament times the phrase “live like a Corinthian” meant to live a life of immorality. Consider I Corinthians 6:9-11.

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It was in this city of Corinth that Paul established a congregation (local church) during the second missionary journey in about 53 AD, (Acts 18:1-18).

Paul was with the church at Corinth for some period of time: “…he continued there a year and six months,…” Acts 18:11, “…Paul after this tarried there yet a good while,…” Acts 18:18.

The evidence points to the book of I Corinthians being written in Ephesus (55-56 AD), “But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost.” I Corinthians 16:8.

II Corinthians is thought to be written somewhere in Macedonia a few months later.

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The Setting of I-II Corinthians

The Survey of I Corinthians

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I Corinthians 2:1-5 - And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

I Corinthians 5:1-6 - It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles--that a man has his father's wife!2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you.3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed.4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

I Corinthians 7:1-3 - Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.

I Corinthians 8:1-4 - Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one.

I Corinthians 12:1-6 - Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led.3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.

I Corinthians 15:1-8 - Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain.3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

I Corinthians 16:1-4 - Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also:2 On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.3 And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem.4 But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me.

The Books of

The Setting of I-II Corinthians

The Survey of I Corinthians

The Survey of II Corinthians

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II Corinthians 1:1-5 - Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.

II Corinthians 5:6-10 - So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

II Corinthians 6:14-18 - Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.“17 Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.“18 "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty."

II Corinthians 8:1-5 - Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing,4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.5 And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.

II Corinthians 11:23-28 - Are they ministers of Christ? --I speak as a fool--I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.

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