Why was the church in Corinth so different from other churches Paul dealt with?
The Corinthian church was unique because its believers had just been converted out of a city steeped in paganism, idolatry, and gross immorality. Corinth was a bustling commercial center between two seaports, drawing people, money, and culture from across the known world, creating a congregation unlike anything Paul otherwise experienced.
Les explains that the background of 1 Corinthians must be emphasized: this was a unique situation—a unique congregation of believers, unlike anything else Paul experienced. Corinth was a bustling commercial city located between two seaports, so people came from all over the then-known world, with a tremendous exchange of money, wealth, and culture. More importantly, the city was steeped in paganism, idolatrous worship of Greek gods and goddesses, and gross immorality. The Corinthian believers had just recently been converted out of that lifestyle, which explains why Paul addresses them as he does, beginning in verse 9 with the warning that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God and “Be not deceived.”