Communion And Jesus.

Jesus and Communion.

1Corr. 11:17-34

An understanding of historical background is essential in the interpretation of any document, biblical or otherwise. Consequently, this factor plays a larger role in the interpretation of many books of the New Testament .

Romans is one of those books where an understanding of historical background is essential. In Romans Paul is writing to a church which he did not establish and which he had not visited at the time of writing. As a result, the teaching here is the closest thing that Paul ever wrote as a summary of Christian doctrine, and there is less reference to local problems.

However, Paul was intimately involved with the church in Corinth. He had led in its establishment, had kept in close touch with it, and was now writing in the face of pressing needs. A thorough knowledge of the problems of the church is essential to the interpretation of this epistle.

The City of Corinth

Ancient Corinth was completely destroyed in 146 B.C. A century passed before it was rebuilt. The city lay on a narrow strip of land between the Corinthian Gulf and the Saronic Gulf, and this strategic location insured the commercial prosperity of the city. Merchant seamen preferred to send their cargoes across the isthmus ( the narrow strip of land) to making the long and perilous journey around the tip of Greece. Smaller ships were taken across the isthmus “by means of a ship tramway with wooden rails.” The larger vessels which could not be handled in this manner were unloaded, and the merchandise was transferred to other ships across the isthmus.

The new city was a Roman colony; and its inhabitants were mainly Romans, both veterans and freedmen. The international port and commercial prosperity that came with it had also attracted many to the city and it was truly cosmopolitan. Enough Jews were present to justify a synagogue The exact population cannot be determined; estimates run from 100,000 to 600,000. It was a teeming city made up of residents of many nationalities; in addition there were always present large numbers of sailors and merchants from all over the Roman Empire.

Corinth never became the intellectual center that Athens was, but it had distinguishing characteristics of its own. Just outside the city the Isthmian Games were conducted every two years. Athletes from distant parts were attracted to these games, which were conducted even during the century that the city lay in ruins.

Corinth was strategically located. It was a hub whose spokes radiated in every direction. Any movement which gained a footing here could be assured of a hearing in surrounding districts.

The Atmosphere in Which the Church Existed

A church will inevitably reflect to some extent the society in which it exists. The international port and the cosmopolitan population and also the influx of sailors and merchants made the city of Corinth a grossly sinful one and this atmosphere reflected in life of the church. Many of the problems of the church found their basis in the life of the city.

Perhaps the most significant of the factors which comprised the atmosphere of Corinth was immorality. Both the old city and the Roman colony were known far and wide for their sexual looseness. The focal point was the Acrocorinth, a sharp projection which rose to a height of 1,800 feet. On the summit of this steep mountain stood the temple of Aphrodite, a symbol of the lust which pervaded the mind of the city. The worship of this goddess was imported from the Phoenician cult of Astarte. In old Corinth the temple maintained a thousand priestesses who amounted to no more than common prostitutes. It is not certain that the thousand priestesses were maintained in the temple of rebuilt Corinth; nevertheless, the gross immorality continued as before. The attitude of the city toward immorality involved no condemnation whatever on those who were participants ; on the contrary, it was considered to be a normal part of life. The same loose attitude was often reflected in the church. The case of incest in chapter 5, immoral behaviour in chapter 6: 12-20 and the question about the Christian view of marriage in chapter 7 and the other matters mention in the epistle had their roots in the immoral mind of the city. Most of the members of the church were Gentiles, and the strict morality characteristic of the Jews was foreign to them. They found it difficult to understand that what they once considered virtue was now sin.

Idolatry is another feature of the city which was closely linked to its immorality. In addition to the temple of Aphrodite, there were numerous others, and the worship in these temples was popular among the residents. These idol temples played a significant role in both economic and social life. The economic factor arose from the practice of sacrificing animals to the idols. Some of the meat sacrificed was consumed in the sacrifice, some of it was eaten by the priests, and some of it was sold in the markets of the city. Accurate identification of this meat was often impossible, and a customer would have no way of knowing whether his meat had come from the altar of some pagan temple. Also when a citizen went to dine with a friend, there was no way of knowing whether the meat served him had come from the worship of an idol. The church in Corinth had a great problem at this point; some felt that there was no harm whatever in eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols while others felt that they were participating in idolatry when they did so. On the more distinctly social side, there was the problem of whether to attend feasts given in the idol temples. These feasts were outstanding social events, and many of the converted Gentiles continued to receive invitations. Could they in good faith attend on the assurance that an idol was nothing and that they were simply maintaining normal social intercourse? These problems were acute for the Corinthian converts, and Paul’s answers continue to be helpful today for the Christian who is struggling with similar questionable practices.