Theme Number 43 Acts 18 Paul arrives in Corinth

Paul'sSecond Missionary Journey

Corinth on the Isthmus at the Gulf of Corinth

The Corinth Canal now.

Corinth

kor´inth (Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, “ornament”): A celebrated city of the Peloponnesus, capital of Corinthia, which lay North of Argolis, and with the 1sthmus joined the peninsula to the mainland. Corinth had three good harbors (Lechaeum, on the Corinthian, and Cenchrea and Schoenus on the Saronic Gulf), and Thus commanded the traffic of both the eastern and the western seas. The larger ships could not be hauled across the isthmus (Act_27:6, Act_27:37); smaller vessels were taken over by means of a ship tramway with wooden rails. 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 Corinthian cult of Aphrodite, of Melikertes (Melkart) and of Athene Phoenike are of Phoenician origin. Poseidon, too, and other sea deities were held in high esteem in the commercial city. 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 Greeks in the embellishment of their city and in the adornment of their temples. There were many celebrated painters in Corinth, and the city became famous for the Corinthian order of architecture: an order, which, by the way, though held in high esteem by the Romans, was very little used by the Greeks themselves. It was here, too, that the dithyramb (hymn to Dionysus) was first arranged artistically to be sung by a chorus; and the 1sthmian games, held every two years, were celebrated just outside the city on the 1sthmus near the Saronic Gulf. But the commercial and materialistic spirit prevailed later. Not a single Corinthian distinguished himself in literature. Statesmen, however, there were in abundance: Periander, Phidon, Timoleon.

Harbors are few on the Corinthian Gulf. Hence, no other city could wrest the commerce of these waters from Corinth. I.S.B.E.

Act 18:1  After this he left Athens and came to Corinth. 

Act 18:2  Here he found a Jew, a native of Pontus, of the name of Aquila. He and his wife Priscilla had recently come from Italy because of Claudius's edict expelling all the Jews from Rome. So Paul paid them a visit; 

Act 18:3  and because he was of the same trade--that of tent-maker--he lodged with them and worked with them. 

Act 18:4  But, Sabbath after Sabbath, he preached in the synagogue and tried to win over both Jews and Greeks.