What kind of city was Corinth when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians?
The city was wicked, immoral, pagan, and idolatrous. The congregation there had many problems, so the apostle wrote to correct them rather than commend them. He addressed weak, carnal, fleshly believers living amid paganism, immorality, and idolatry. Paul’s letter therefore confronts their sins, divisions, and worldly conduct.
Les explains that before teaching a book he likes to give the background, because very few people know the circumstances surrounding a particular book or letter, and knowing that background makes all the difference in understanding. He says the Apostle Paul is writing to the congregation in Corinth, which he describes as a wicked, immoral, pagan, idolatrous city. Paul writes not so much to commend them but to correct them, since they had so many problems. The whole theme of 1 Corinthians, therefore, is to correct problems; he does not commend them. In chapter 3, verse 1, Paul says he has to write unto them as carnal, as babes, not ready for the meat of the word. So the letter must be read in that light, as written to a congregation of weak, carnal, fleshly believers—yet still believers. Among their problems were that they had picked personalities: one said he followed Peter, another Apollos, and others even said they would not go by what Paul says but by what Jesus said. Paul also had to correct them because they were going to pagan courts and suing each other there.