The celebrated city of Corinth, or "ornament" on the Greek peninsula, and with the isthmus, joined the peninsula to the Grecian mainland. Corinth had three good harbors, and thus commanded the traffic of both the eastern and the western seas.

The Phoenicians, who settled here very early, left many traces of their civilization in the industrial arts, such as dyeing and weaving, as well as in their religion and mythology. The small Phoenician vessels were taken from one sea to the other by means of a ship tramway with wooden rails.

The Corinthian cults of Aphrodite, and of Athena are of Phoenician origin. Poseidon, and other Greek sea deities were held in high esteem in this commercial city between two great bodies of water.

Various arts were cultivated and the Corinthians, even in the earliest times, were famous for their cleverness, inventiveness and artistic sense, and they prided themselves on surpassing the other city-states in embellishing their city, and in the adornment of their temples.

There were many famous painters in Corinth, and the city became famous for its architecture, which surprisingly, though held in high esteem by the Romans, was used very little by the Greeks themselves. It was here, too, that the hymn to Dionysus was first arranged artistically to be sung by a chorus. The Isthmian games, held every two years, were celebrated just outside the city on the isthmus near the Saronic Gulf. There are no Corinthian heroes of literature. There were statesmen, however, in abundance such as: Periander, Phidon, Timoleon.

Harbors are few on the Corinthian Gulf. Hence, no other city could compete with Corinth. Thanks to Thucydides we know that the first war ships were built here in 664 BC. In those early days Corinth held a leading position among the Greek cities. Unfortunately, she would not risk all her great material prosperity as Athens did for esoteric principles, for she had too much to lose to jeopardize her material interests, and she soon sank into a second class city.

When Athens, Thebes, and Sparta fell away, Corinth came to the front again as the wealthlest and most important city in Greece; and when it was destroyed by Mummius in 146 BC, the treasures of art carried to Rome were as great as those of Athens. Directly South of the city is the high rock (over 1,800 ft.) Acrocorinthus, which formed an impregnable fortress.

Julius Caesar restored Corinth a century later (46 BC), and it grew so rapidly that the Roman colony soon became again one of the most prominent centers in Greece.

Traces of the old ship canal across the isthmus (attempted by Nero in 66-67 AD) were seen before excavations were begun for the present canal. At this time the city was thoroughly Roman. Hence, the many Latin names in the NT: Lucius, Tertius, Gaius, Erastus, Quartus (Rom 16:21-23), Crispus, Titus Justus (Acts 18:7-8), Fortunatus, Achaicus (1 Cor 16:17). According to the testimony of Dio Chrysostomus, Corinth had become in the 2nd century the richest city in Greece.

On a rocky terrace overlooking the western side of the agora stood a temple of Apollo. Built during the sixth century B.C., it measured 174 feet long by 69 feet wide, and the 38 of its columns stood almost 24 feet in height. These were especially impressive because they consisted of single shafts of stone instead of being built up with drums, as was the usual practice.

When Paul visited Corinth, he found it to be a great metropolis. Jews flocked to this center of trade (Acts 18:1-18; Rom 16:21 ff; 1 Cor 9:20), the natural site for such a great economic center. Under the lavish hand of the Caesars, Corinth grew mighty, and this is one reason why Paul remained there so long (Acts 18:11) instead of visiting the old seats of aristocracy, such as Argos, Sparta and Athens.

He found a strong Jewish nucleus to begin with; and it was in direct communication with Ephesus. Earthquake, malaria, and the harsh Turkish rule finally swept everything away except seven columns of one old Doric temple, the only object above ground left today to mark the site of the ancient city of wealth and luxury and immorality - the city of vice and excellence in the Roman world.

The church in Corinth consisted principally of non-Jews (1 Cor 12:2). Paul had no intention at first of making the city a base of operations (Acts 18:1; 16:9-10); for he wished to return to Thessalonica (1 Thess 2:17-18). His plans were changed by a revelation (Acts 18:9-10). The Lord commanded him to speak boldly, and he did so, remaining in the city eighteen months.

Finding strong opposition in the synagogue he left the Jews and went to the Gentiles (Acts 18:6). Nevertheless, Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue and his household were believers and baptisms were numerous (Acts 18:8); but no Corinthians were baptized by Paul himself except Crispus, Gaius and some of the household of Stephanas (1 Cor 1:14,16) "the firstfruits of Achaia" (1 Cor 16:15).

One of these, Gaius, was Paul's host the next time he visited the city (Rom 16:23). Silas and Timothy, who had been left at Berea, came to Corinth about 45 days after Paul's arrival. It was at this time that Paul wrote his first Epistle to the Thessalonians (3:6). During Gallio's administration the Jews accused Paul, but the proconsul refused to allow the case to be brought to trial. This decision must have been looked upon with favor by a large majority of the Corinthians, who had a great dislike for the Jews (Acts 18:17).

Paul became friends with Priscilla and Aquila (18:18,26; Rom 16:3; 2 Tim 4:19), and later they accompanied him to Ephesus. Within a few years after Paul's first visit to Corinth the Christians had increased so rapidly that they made quite a large congregation, but it was composed mainly of the lower classes: they were neither 'learned, influential, nor of noble birth' (1 Cor 1:26).

Paul left Corinth to attend the celebration of the feast at Jerusalem (Acts 18:21). Little is known of the history of the church in Corinth after his departure. Apollos came from Ephesus with a letter of recommendation to the brethren in Achaia (Acts 18:27; 2 Cor 3:1); and he exercised a powerful influence (Acts 18:27-28; 1 Cor 1:12); and Paul came down later from Macedonia. His first letter to the Corinthians was written from Ephesus. Both Titus and Timothy were sent to Corinth from Ephesus (2 Cor 7:13,15; 1 Cor 4:17), and Timothy returned by land, meeting Paul in Macedonia (2 Cor 1:1), who visited Greece again in 56-57 or 57-58.