Corinth was an important city in ancient Greece notorious for it's immorality. Greek plays of the day normally depicted Corinthians as drunk and unruly. There was even a Greek word for their behavior- korinthiazomai or "acting like a Corinthian." High above the city stood the temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Thousand of priestesses, who acted as sacred prostitutes, came down every night and plied their trade in the streets of Corinth.
At the time Paul writes this letter, the church at Corinth was in serious trouble. Paul had just received disturbing letters from two members. The first was a report from the household of Chloe that detailed the divisions and immorality in the young church. The second was a set of questions raised by a group that included Stephanas, Fortunatus and Archaicus about things like marriage and Christian liberty. Paul attempts to answer both of these letters and to provide additional Christian instruction.
Paul had left the Corinthian church under the leadership of Aquila and Priscilla in the spring of 53 A.D. It seems that the young Corinthian church had failed to protect itself from the decadent culture of the city, and that the immaturity of the Corinthians had given way to sectarian divisions. Members were dragging into court to sue each other rather than settling their disputes within the church.
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