Paul’s+influences+on+Corinth

toc

=Paul’s influences on Corinth=

Beginning a full time ministry (Acts 18:5- 11)
Paul experiences Christian companionship in a common trade when he finds Aquila and Priscilla. Aquila and his wife have recently arrived from Rome, having been expelled with all the Jews by Claudius (A.D. 49). Working with Aquila and Priscilla enabled him to be a bivocational missionary, or self supporting missionary, thus working and serving. Paul came to Corinth in the early months of 50 AD (Acts 18:11), and in the fall of 51 AD he sailed for Ephesus with Priscilla and Aquila, who stayed in Ephesus while Paul returned to Antioch[|[i]][|[ii]]. While in Ephesus, Aquila and Priscilla met and trained Apollos, sending him back to Corinth to minister in Paul’s absence[|[iii]]. When Silas and Timothy arrived, Paul stopped working and began his work as a full time missionary, continuing his previous exhorting and reasoning in the synagogues, but adding much more effort to testifying to the Jews the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At the Jewish resistance, he ended his labors with them, telling them that their guilt would lie on them and not on him, and he deserted the Jews in favor of the gentiles. Here begins his real ministry in Corinth. In pursuing gentiles primarily instead of Jews as before, Paul demonstrates the real effort of the new covenant. Instead of targeting the Jews who had rejected Christ and the saving gospel, the new covenant reaches out to gentiles.

The record of Corinthian/Pauline Correspondence
A year later, in the summer/fall of 52 CE, Paul returned to Ephesus (after passing through the Phrygian-Galatian region) on his third missionary journey, and ministered there almost three years (Acts 20:31). Probably in the first year of his ministry in Ephesus, Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthians—a letter which is now lost[|[iv]] [|[v]]. When Paul learned of other problems from Chloe (1 Cor 1:11) and the delegation of Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus[|[vi]], he wrote 1 Corinthians. This was probably in the second year of his ministry at Ephesus, in the spring of 54 AD. He then visited the Corinthians in the summer/fall of 54, as he had indicated he would[|[vii]], but he was not able to spend the winter with them. Most likely, he was forewarned from Timothy that the Corinthians had not fully appreciated even his second letter[|[viii]]. Hence, what was originally planned as a positive time ended up being Paul’s “painful visit”[|[ix]]. It was painful because of a particular man who was acting immorally[|[x]] —and was, indeed, creating doubts among the congregation about Paul’s apostolic authority. It was also painful because it was done in haste (he went directly to Corinth, bypassing Macedonia) and was much shorter than planned. After the painful visit, Paul returned to Ephesus (fall, 54). Because of his humiliation at Corinth, Paul wrote a “severe letter”[|[xi]], which was apparently carried by Titus[|[xii]]. We tentatively suggest a date of spring 55 for this severe letter. If Paul arrived back in Ephesus in the fall, it would perhaps be too late for convenient travel if he were to dispatch Titus just before winter. Although the Mediterranean climate is quite mild, in the least it was not Paul’s practice to travel (especially by sea) during the winter months, nor, most likely, to send others on missions during this time. Paul left Ephesus in the spring of 55 CE for Macedonia, probably Philippi[|[xiii]]. On the way he stopped at Troas, intending to meet Titus there on his way back from Corinth. But he could not find Titus and sailed for Macedonia without him[|[xiv]], hoping to meet him there. Paul met Titus in Macedonia, learned from him that the Corinthians are getting straightened out[|[xv]], and while in Macedonia he writes 2 Corinthians. Most likely, it was written in the fall of 55 CE. Finally, in the winter of 55-56 CE Paul again visits the Corinthians[|[xvi]]. It was during this winter stay in Corinth that Paul wrote Romans, most likely during the end of the stay after things had settled down in Corinth and Paul could resolve to move westward with the gospel.

Paul's Trial before Gallileo (Acts 18:12-17 )
The Jews are furious, and mount an attack on Paul, bringing him to the court of Gallio, the procouncil. The Jews charge is ambiguous at best. Who is Paul targeting to persuade? The Jews or the Gentiles? Or better yet, are they Roman Citizens? Does the Roman law allow proselytizing citizens for “foreign cults?” The Jews are asking for Paul to be silenced, claiming he is attacking their faith. As Paul's teaching of the word of God is seen by them to be contrary to Jewish law, the Jews claim it is not right to allow him to attempt to win them over. Gallio does not render a verdict. As God allows it, Gallio evaluates the jurisdiction of the charges. If there had been some legal misdemeanor or fault of Roman law, Gallio would take action. But for or against concepts and ideas related to their Jewish law, Gallio would not arbitrate. Gallio showed Paul was not guilty of a crime, that Christianity was no crime. Gallio also declared by this that religious questions do not fall within the competence of secular state powers. However, with this admission, Gallio still does nothing to prevent the Jews from beating a Christian sympathizer (possibly).