When we read Paul’s first Letter to the Corinthians, it can sometimes feel a bit like reading someone else’s letter – full of instructions, rebukes, and advice for a community far removed from our own. Yet understanding a little about the city of Corinth itself helps reveal how relevant Paul’s letter still is to us today.
At that time there was a well-known statement made about Corinth, much like the ones we historically had about London – ‘whose streets were paved with gold’, or Coventry, where you might be deliberately ostracised or ignored (coming from the Civil War era and the treatment of Royalist prisoners by the Parliamentarian stronghold). The phrase about Corinth was this – ‘the journey to Corinth is not for every man’.
It highlighted the morally corrupt and challenging nature of ancient Corinth – a city notorious for its wealth, luxury, and rampant immorality. Not all individuals were equipped to handle the temptations that could be found in Corinth. It is into this city that Paul plants a new Christian community with whom he communicates on (we think) four occasions, of which we have two surviving letters (1 & 2 Corinthians).
Corinth was no ordinary city for two reasons. Geographically, it was a bustling, vibrant metropolis strategically located on a narrow strip of land (the Isthmus of Corinth) connecting mainland Greece to the Peloponnese. This meant it controlled a vital land bridge and had two major seaports. As a result, Corinth was a melting pot of cultures, ideas, and trade – a true crossroads of the ancient world. People from every corner of the Roman Empire passed through, bringing with them diverse customs, philosophies, and even gods. This rich diversity, while exciting, also brought challenges: temptations, an ‘anything goes’ attitude, and a tendency for people to cling to their own backgrounds or groups within the church.
All this influenced Paul’s message. When he talks about the church as ‘one body with many members’ (1 Corinthians 12), with ‘Jews or Greeks, slaves or free’ all baptised into one Spirit, he wasn’t just speaking in abstract or theoretical terms. He was addressing a church where people were struggling to overcome real-world divisions based on national identity, social status, and competing philosophical schools. His call for unity in Christ, where every individual gift is valued and needed, was a counter-cultural message to a society that often celebrated individual power or group identity above all else.
Secondly, Corinth was home to the Isthmian Games, one of the four pan-Hellenic games, second only to the Olympics in prestige. Every two years, athletes from across the Greek world would flock to Corinth to compete for glory, fame, and a crown – it started off being one made of celery but evolved over time to be a laurel wreath! Corinth’s culture was obsessed with athletic prowess, competition, and individual triumph.
Paul, aware of this background, weaves athletic metaphors into his letter. In 1 Corinthians 9, he writes, ‘Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize… I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.’ He uses the discipline, focus, and self-control of an athlete to illustrate the spiritual discipline required in the Christian life.
But he directly challenges the Corinthian obsession with individual glory. The Isthmian Games celebrated the single victor, the prominent hero. In contrast, Paul consistently brings the focus back to the community. He highlights that spiritual gifts are given for the common good, not for individual boasting (1 Corinthians 12:7). And then, most powerfully, he places love above all else (1 Corinthians 13). Love, which is ‘patient’ and ‘kind,’ and ‘does not boast,’ stands in stark contrast to the fleeting fame of an athlete. Love is the ultimate prize, the enduring quality that truly builds up the body of Christ.
At St Mary’s, it’s our last Breakfast Church until September, and we’ll use our time together to explore some aspects of what it means to be the body of Christ. It will involve some craft for all of us to do; some things for children, an adult reflection on the Vitruvian Man painting by Leonardo da Vinci (1490) and our wonderful Breakfast Church communion. It starts with a simple breakfast in church at 9.40am.
At St Swithun’s John Sweeting and Lis Chase will be sharing in Order Two Holy Communion gathering around Luke 8 where Jesus performs a miracle and destroys the local economy so much so that the residents urgently plead with him to leave! Both will be great services – please plan to be with us and be blessed at whichever one you choose to attend.
Revd Paul