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LBTS Faculty Publications and Presentations

Summer 1997

Corinth's Moral Climate

R. Wayne Stacy Liberty University, [email protected]

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Recommended Citation Stacy, R. Wayne, "Corinth's Moral Climate" (1997). LBTS Faculty Publications and Presentations. 376. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/lts_fac_pubs/376

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Crossing. It has been accepted for inclusion in LBTS Faculty Publications and Presentations by an authorized administrator of Scholars Crossing. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AUL REMINDED . THE "no association with immoral people"; and Corinth was a city that had lived two CORINTHIAN Christians that the Corinthians in turn had responded to lives. Greek Corinth rose to prominence Ptheir lives prior to their becoming Paul's instructions by asking how this in the seventh century B.C. By the end of Christians had been characterized could be accomplished in a place like the fifth century, Corinth had developed by promiscuous and immoral behavior Corinth! Paul's reply is telling: I did not into a prosperous city-state with a reputa- (see 1 Cor. 6: 11). The litany ofimmorality mean that you were not to associate with that precedes this indictment makes immoral persons of this world, since to do Paul's allegation that "such were some of that you would have to go out of this world you" all the more striking (see 1 Cor. 6:9- altogether (1 Cor. 5:10, italics mine). The 10, NASB). Paul invoked a similar list ear­ exchange indicates how thoroughly lierin the same letter (see 1 Cor. 5:9-10). pagan Corinth was in Paul's time. Apparently, Paul had written the What made Corinth the an- Corinthians, laying down the cient world's "sin city"? What moral principle, factors produced a moral ethos in which promiscuity could take root so deep and take hold so hard? geography, demographics, economics, politics, and religion all played a part.

34 BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR SUMMER 1997 tion for wealth unrivaled in its day.1 The colonies and provinces on the city was destroyed, however, in 146 Mediterranean. B.C. by the Romans and lay desolate The overland route between the two for nearly a century until Julius harbors made Corinth the fulcrum of the Caesar granted colonial status to it Mediterranean. The vigorous shipping in­ in 46 B. C. and set about rebuilding dustry generated by the diolkos support­ Corinth as a Roman city. Roman ed a large service industry of sailors, Corinth was much more multicul­ longshoremen, haulers, dock workers, tural than was Greek Corinth. The and shipbuilders, in addition to support colonial settlers were recruited pri- services such as hotel keepers, cooks, i marily among freed slaves, military grooms, and saloon keepers, and prosti­ veterans, and the poorer classes. tutes. The overall effect of Corinth's new, Corinth was also an emerging j more diverse population was to "growth center" in the ancient world, make the city more culturally and bringing to the city artisans, craftsmen, morally diverse than it had been as a stonemasons, foundry workers, and oth- Greek city-state. Old ILLUSTRATOR PHOTQSOB SCHATZ/ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM IN ISTI-lMIA(11/9/18) moral restraints no longer pre­ vailed among Corinth's Roman population. Geography also contributed to Corinth's in­ famous moral reputation. The city was strategically located on the narrow isthmus that separated upper Greece from the Peloponnesian Peninsula. As such, Corinth had two harbors, a western harbor on the Adriatic and an eastern harbor on the Aegean joined by a path called the diolkos. Corinth was a natural funnel for traffic to and from Roman

Lesson Reference: EBS: 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, 9-13; 6:9-11 ers associated with the construction in­ pounding their latest philosophy to pher, Strabo, over a thousand sacred dustry. This growth was due in large part whomever would listen, and pickpockets prostitutes and courtesans reputedly to Corinth's being a political center in the and hucksters trying to profit from the ''worked'' the temple of Aphrodite, Roman world. Corinth was both a Roman unsuspecting mass of humanity. though some accuse Strabo of hyper­ imperial colony and a senatorial provin­ Strange as it may sound to us, reli­ bole.3 However, Dio Chrysostom seems cial capital. Numerous new buildings gion also helped create the licentious am­ to corroborate Strabo's portrait because were constructed to support the indus­ biance of first-century Corinth. Being he spoke of large numbers of prostitutes tries generated by government business. multicultural and "consumer-oriented," gathered at Corinth on account of the har­ Archaeologists have found evidence of Corinth tried to satisfy even the most dis­ bor, the courtesans, and because the city significant construction in Corinth, espe­ criminating pagan's desires. Gods and was situated at the crossroads of Greece.4 cially during the reigns of Tiberi us (AD. goddesses worshiped at Corinth included All of these factors coalesced to make 14-37) and Claudius (AD. 41-54). Paul the traditional gods/goddesses of the Corinth a missionary setting that pre­ was in Corinth during the latter part of Greek pantheon (Zeus, Hera, Athena, and sented Paul both an unexcelled challenge the reign of Claudius and would have wit­ Hermes); the Greek goddess of good and an unparalleled opportunity. Here nessed the expansive restorations and luck, Tyche (Fortuna was her Roman Paul had taken the gospel into the very new construction projects being under­ name); Apollo, who seems to have had his teeth of pagandom. If Christianity could taken. Indeed, this may account for his own temple in Corinth; Poseidon (Roman take root here, it could take root any­ frequent use of "construction language" Neptune); Asclepius; and Aphrodite, the where. The Corinthian congregation was in 1 Corinthians (for example, 3:10). Greek goddess of fer­ for Paul a "mission impossible." He be­ Doubtlessly, these construction workers tility lieved that Christianity could survive and also supported the brothels, saloons, even thrive without resorting to the co­ and other "recreational industries" that ercive moral restraints inherent within contributed to Corinth's reputation as Jewish legalism. If Paul could birth a con- the "Las Vegas of the Ancient World." So gregation of former pagans who live notorious were these "recreational in­ morally upright lives without first re­ dustries" that the Greeks actually coined quiring them to become Jews, then he the term corinthiazesthai-literally, "to would have forever silenced his critics live the 'Corinthian life' "-as a synonym who claimed that without obedience for immorality. As evidence that this rep­ utation was well deserved, archaeologists and love have uncovered some 33 wine shops or (Roman "liquor lockers," some of which even had Venus), the patron underground cisterns for cooling drinks.2 goddess of the city. Additionally, pilgrims frequented Prominently situated on Corinth, sampling its "services." Some summit of the Acrocorinth, the temple of Christians, "and such journeyed to the city for the purpose of Aphrodite dominated Corinth's landscape were some of you" visiting Corinth's famous Asklepieion, a in Paul's day. Associated with the worship demonstrates just how dif­ shrine dedicated to the Greek god of heal­ of Aphrodite was the practice of sacred ficult a mission this was. That he could go ing, Asclepius. Pilgrims stayed in Corinth, prostitution. Since the time of Solon on to say, however, "But you were frequently with their family members, (sixth century B.C.), Greek cities openly washed, but you were sanctified, but you sometimes for a period of weeks or even sanctioned brothels, regarding them as were justified in the name of the Lord months while the sick person sought "supportive offamily life." Consequently, Jesus Christ" demonstrates that, those treatment at the Asklepieion. burgeoning populations of courtesans, difficulties notwithstanding, Paul had suc­ Others came to Corinth to attend the known as "ethereals," plied their trade in ceeded in that mission. Isthmian Games, held biennially a few Corinth, often commanding large prices lSee Strabo, Geography 8. 6. 20, 23. miles from the city, including the summer for their services. 2])an P. Cole, "Corinth & Ephesus," Bible Review, of AD. 51 when Paul was there. The But the practice of sacred prostitu­ December 1988, 25. 3Compare Hans Conzelmann, 1 Corinthians, trans. James games were dedicated to the Greek god tion, that is, prostitution associated with W. Leitch (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1975), 12, and of the sea, Poseidon. These games at­ the worship of a god or goddess, has baf­ Jerome Murphy·O'Connor, St. Paul's Corinth: Texts and Archaeology, Good News Studies 6 (Wilmington, DE: tracted athletes from allover the Greco­ fled scholars in that it does not appear to Michael Glazier, Inc. 1983), 125. Roman world. Typical of the Greek style, have been associated with the promotion 4Dio Chrysostom, Discourses, 8:381. the athletes competed nude. Raucous of fertility per se (common to many pagan crowds of spectators were interspersed religions), but seems rather to have cele­ Wayne Stacy is Professor of Religious with merchants hawking their wares, itin­ brated sex as such. According to a fa­ Studies, Gardner-Webb University, erant teachers/preachers/writers ex- mous passage from the Roman geogra- Boiling Springs, North Carolina.

36 BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR SUMMER 1997