Its favorable geographical situation contributed to this, for it was located on the isthmus connecting northern Greece with the Peloponnesus, and it boasted two harbors, Lechaeum to the west and Cenchreae to the east. Read and share it with colleagues to better understand why Martin calls Corinth “the ‘Vanity Fair’ of the Roman Empire.” Then add his important commentary to your library to better connect Corinth’s world to your peoples’ world.įirst-century Corinth was the leading commercial center of southern Greece. Martin’s travelogue covers Corinth’s various facets, including commercial, political, and ecclesial.
In our excerpt today we travel to the city itself and the church Paul planted there. In his generous introduction he provides a birds-eye view of the historical context and conditions that drove Paul to write his letter, some of which we covered on Tuesday. Ralph Martin expertly and diligently bridges that gap in his newly revised 2 Corinthians (Word Biblical Commentary). This disadvantage is compounded for preachers and teachers who are tasked with connecting that world and their problems to our world and our problems. One of the disadvantages we have as 21st century Christians is how removed we are from the original context of Scripture. For Students Pursue a deeper knowledge of God through self-paced college- and seminary-level online courses in Old and New Testament studies, theology, biblical Greek, and more.For Instructors and School Administrators Enhance your school’s traditional and online education programs by easily integrating online courses developed from the scholars and textbooks you trust.