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Corinth was located near the southern tip of the country of Greece. Paul had established the Church there while on his Second Missionary Journey when the Lord called Him to go over into Macedonia. The city was the "Sodom and Gomorrah" of the Grecian area. It had been established as a "free city" of Rome in 46 BC. It was a trade city of great importance.
Paul and Aquila and Priscilla lived there for a while in the trade section of the city where they made tents. Lidia probably made her fortune in Corinth as it was the center of the Purple Textile Industry and Lidia was a seller of purple.
Corinth was a very cosmopolitan city populated by Greeks, Jews and Romans. Tradesmen from all over the world visited this city to transact business by day, and visit the clubs by night. The "red light" district in Corinth was known the world over and included some 33 establishments. They were all under one roof like a shopping center and it was believed to be the largest building in Corinth at that time.
It was into this sinful and evil community that Paul went and established a Christian Church. The city presented a tremendous challenge to the Gospel, but Paul believed that the message of the cross had the power to reach and transform the lives of men and women even in a city like this. Paul's ministry, of some 18 months, was richly blessed by the Lord and a large congregation resulted. But it was not long until serious errors in doctrine and practice arose within the church. It was to the correction of these errors that this letter was mainly devoted. These errors plus problems in social behavior were splitting the church down the middle.
Many liberal leaders today do not believe that this letter has any real application to our current problems, but I believe that the "basic truths" expounded by Paul in this letter is as relative today as they were 2,000 years ago. Remember, Paul established the church at Corinth and remained there and pastured it for some 18 months but a man by the name of Appolis came after Paul left to continue the work that Paul had started there and many of the problems that developed were the result of the different characteristics of the two men.
There is no doubt as to the author of this letter. Paul wrote it about 55 AD at the age of 42, from the town of Ephesus, during his third mission Journey.
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