What kind of city was Corinth like when Paul wrote to the Corinthians?
Corinth was a city saturated in paganism, steeped in the things of the world, and marked by gross immorality. The believers Paul addressed had just recently come out of that pagan background, forming a small congregation of probably a few dozen at most, not a megachurch.
Les explains that Corinth was just saturated in paganism, and with the paganism came gross immorality. The people were so steeped in the things of the world that even after Paul garnered a little group of believers, they had just recently come out of that pagan background. Les notes they could not all of a sudden become spiritual giants; they had many problems. The congregation was small, probably a few dozen at most, not like today's megachurches. Paul was across the Aegean Sea at Ephesus when he wrote, answering questions the Corinthians had sent him.