Read Any Good Letters Lately?

Often we read the letters of the New Testament without adequate preparation. What I mean by this is that it’s easy to forget that we are dealing with actual letters written to actual people about actual issues.

The problem is not that we don’t read the letters but we should think about doing some background homework before we attempt to get a hold of the letter in its entirety. We need to ask ourselves: what cultural and historical issues were these ‘actual people’ experiencing at the time of receiving these letters?

The letters to the Corinthians are a good example. What do we know about Corinth, the city? Does it help us to understand these letters better?

Corinth was a city situated on a narrow isthmus between the Corinthian Gulf and the Saronic Gulf. Therefore it was a commercially prosperous city because merchants and sailors preferred sending their goods across the isthmus as the voyage around the rocky coastline was potentially dangerous.

Other factors influencing its prosperity were firstly, that is was a stopping place on the route from Rome to the East; secondly, a number of trade routes met at Corinth and thirdly, it was a Roman colony having been rebuilt in 46 B.C. by Caesar. Augustus made Corinth the capital of the Roman province of Achaia.

The city contained, naturally, mostly Romans but existing among the cities populace were Greeks, Jews, Syrians, Asiatics, Egyptians and other Eastern races.

It enjoyed great prestige. It was large, prosperous, important, cosmopolitan and intellectually alert but morally corrupt. Corinth had a reputation for vice in many forms. Being the centre for the worship of the goddess Aphrodite – it was bound to be so.

This evil of vice could have been a reason why Paul preached there. Certainly this was a factor but its geographical position seems to be more important. Corinth was a city in which the gospel could be disseminated. Also, many different people of different races and towns were attracted to the city. The potential was obvious. Also, it had a large floating population. Merchants and travellers could be potential vehicles of the gospel of Christ.

The Corinthian letters are very significant because they deal with such a large number of practical issues which are so important to the church today. Issues such as division, unity, sexual impurity, a Christians’ relation to the courts in suits against brothers, marriage, Christian freedom, orderly worship, Lord’s Supper, spiritual gifts, love, the resurrection, dealing with a sinful member (and subsequent restoration to fellowship after church discipline), effective preaching, the New Covenant in relation to the Old Covenant, life after death, value of total commitment to Christ, judgement, value of sickness (and suffering), the Holy Spirit’s ministry, the poor, generosity, relationships to non-believers and pastoral care are all issues which affect the church now – all the issues Paul deals with are extremely relevant.

All these issues are dealt with within a cultural and historical context. For example, what’s the big deal about eating meat that had been offered to idols (1 Cor. 8)? Why did some Christians enjoy their steaks whilst other Christians avoided this meat totally?

Are there any modern day examples we have to deal with that are very similar to the ‘meat offered to idols controversy’?

The letters also give us a valuable insight into the difficulties in Paul’s ministry; the opposition he received from not only non-believers and Judaisers but from within the Corinthian church itself. 2 Corinthians, especially, enables us to see the pain within a true pastor’s heart.

However, I believe the greatest significance of these letters is to value the relevance of doctrine in maintaining unity within the local church. Why? Because of the inevitable (and serious) problems that follow a departure from sound doctrinal practice. In other words, as a local church, these letters allow us to see what we need to avoid at all costs – for Him, in love. After all, it’s Jesus’ church, not ours.

As in the churches (though not all) in the book of Revelation, these letters show us the potentiality of how a Christian church can sink into depravity. However, Paul, by the Holy Spirit, shows us the futility of doing so and shows us a better way – the lordship of Jesus.