Constant Coulibaly

Just as is with some of his other epistles, the two letters the apostle Paul wrote the Corinthians have their background in the book of Acts. First and 2 Corinthians are rooted in the account recorded in Acts 18. The historian Luke relates that during his second mission trip, Paul went down to the city of Corinth and there he preached the gospel for the first time. The result of the apostle's preaching was remarkable: “many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.” (vs. 8) Upon hearing the gospel of salvation in Christ, these people turned to Christ in obedience to His command to be baptized and be saved (cf. Mark 16:16).

A 3.9-mile-wide land bridge connecting the Peloponnese peninsula to mainland Greece, Corinth was in gentile territory. After being destroyed in 146 BC by Roman general Lucius Mummius due to a rebellion against Rome, the city was rebuilt in 44 BC by Julius Caesar. It then flourished economically and developed into an important commercial hub. And as was the case with many prosperous trading cities in the ancient world, Corinth soon became morally corrupt. By the time Paul arrived there, it had become a vile city where idolatry, immorality and ungodliness were intertwined. In this city stood the temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Prostitution was part of the rituals associated with the worship of the goddess. The pursuit of sensual pleasures was characteristic of the Corinthian lifestyle. In fact, to say of any person in the 1st century world that they "lived like a Corinthian" was a reflection on their character and morality.

Some of the new Christians in Corinth had previously lived a depraved life. This is evident in the excerpt from 1 Corinthians, chapter 9, where Paul writes, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” (vs. 9-10) Paul then goes on to say, “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

Preaching, the apostle must have reached the hearts of the Corinthians with the good news of God's love for them. He certainly preached Christ's perfect sacrifice for sin, which guaranteed that their own sins would not be held against them (2 Corinthians 5:19). Paul likely explained that the degrading life the Corinthians had been trapped in was not without remedy. They could be freed from the power of sin and look forward to an abundant life with the hope of living with God forever in heaven (John 10:10; Titus 1:2).

Through Paul’s preaching, God demonstrated His power in turning these once ungodly people into saints. The conversion of the Corinthians is a showcase of the wonderful transforming power of the gospel (Romans 1:16). God had made them holy, setting them apart to serve Him (such is the biblical meaning of holiness as it pertains to men). In the Christian era today, just as God separated the Israelites from all pagan nations, He has set His people apart from the sinful world (Leviticus 20:24; John 17:14-16, James 4:4). We have become holy in Christ.

But it is one thing to become holy, it is another to be holy. Being holy means living a holy life, doing what is right in the sight of God, after one has been made holy by Him through the blood of Christ. For us to be motivated to remain holy, we need to understand that our coming to God through submission to Christ in baptism marks the beginning of a life of service to God. Serving God requires that we no longer serve sin; this means we leave our former sinful life behind (Romans 6:6). There is no Christian able to faithfully serve God who does not renounce serving sin. The Lord Jesus affirmed the principle of this truth when He said, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24)

A Christian cannot serve God and the ways of the world at the same time. Allegiance to God demands a complete break from sinful living. Paul makes this point with a rhetorical question in 2 Corinthians 6:14 where he asks, “... what communion hath light with darkness?” He then concludes his thought on this point by saying, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” (2 Corinthians 6:17)

The Corinthians saints struggled to serve God faithfully. Their failure to maintain holiness through steadfast service to Christ and God led to a series of problems that later troubled the church. We see these issues exposed throughout the book of 1 Corinthians from beginning to end.

Again, the apostle had to work tirelessly to hold the church together as it was now in danger of falling into apostasy under the influence of Satan. Paul corrected their evil ways, and he did that with gentleness and love. The account in the book of 2 Corinthians shows he was successful in correcting them.