Participants: Tony Moore
Series Code: IFP
Program Code: IFP000012
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01:37 Paul had had limited success in Athens.
01:39 He had been witnessing in the synagogue of the Jews and 01:43 also in the marketplace and was asked to come before 01:46 the Areopagus, the Supreme Court of Athens. 01:50 That prestigious 30 member council. 01:54 He shared his belief in the indivisible God and his 01:58 believe in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. 02:01 According to Acts 17, he had limited success and yet the 02:06 Gospel pierced the very council of the Areopagus. 02:10 Dionysius was converted and became a believer in Jesus. 02:15 As a woman named Damaris. 02:18 Luke tells us in Acts 18:1, that Paul left Athens 02:23 and went to Corinth. 02:25 This is the ancient port of Cenchraea Paul would have 02:29 sailed to this harbor when he left Athens. 02:33 There is not much left of the ancient harbor town today. 02:37 Most of the city is now under water. 02:40 A few ruins are exposed including some fabulous marble 02:45 columns and pieces of marble facing a public building 02:49 or a temple. 02:50 The harbor can be seen here off on the side. 02:53 This horseshoe harbor would have permitted boats safe 02:57 anchorage in Paul's day. 02:58 As Paul got out from the boat and began the 6 mile journey 03:03 to the city of Corinth, he would've been impressed as we 03:07 are today with massive Acrocorinth jutting some 1866 03:15 feet from the plains surrounding it. 03:18 The steep natural walls of the mountain on three sides, 03:23 reinforced with the man-made construction on the top, 03:28 made this practically an impregnable fortress. 03:32 In the Upper Pyrenees spring provided a constant supply 03:36 of water during times of siege. 03:39 This made this an ideal location for your city. 03:43 You can have your modern civic city down at the bottom, 03:47 what a tremendous place of refuge and safety during 03:51 times of siege on the top. 03:54 Acrocorinth dominated the plains and can be seen for 03:58 miles and miles away. 04:01 Corinth was important to Rome because of its unique 04:05 geography, you see Corinth guarded the Isthmus between 04:10 central Greece in the north and Peloponnese to the south. 04:15 This Isthmus was only 4 miles wide, but it separated the 04:20 Aegean Sea from the Adriatic Sea. 04:23 Corinth was known as the twin harbor city because it 04:27 maintained two harbors, or two ports. 04:30 To the north it maintained the port of Lechaion and to 04:35 the east it maintained the harbor Cenchraea. 04:39 The port of Lechaion was on the Gulf of Corinth and part 04:43 of the Adriatic Sea. 04:45 The port of Cenchraea was to the east and part 04:51 of the Aegean Sea. 04:53 In ancient times Mariners were very fearful about 04:56 sailing around the southern Cape of Greece. 04:59 Storms were very frequent and it was a very dangerous 05:03 route, so a system was developed of sailing from the east 05:08 you will come to the port of Cenchraea where your goods 05:12 would be unloaded and transported over the Isthmus 05:16 where they would be reloaded onto a ship that will continue 05:20 sailing to the West. 05:22 If you are sailing from the West, 05:24 the process would be reversed. 05:26 Your goods would be unloaded at Lechaion and transported 05:30 by land over to the port of Cenchraea. 05:33 This paved slip way was built in ancient times to permit 05:41 the transport of goods from one harbor to the other. 05:47 If the ship was a small vessel, the ship itself would be 05:52 transported over this road. 05:55 The Isthmus was really an obstacle to shipping. 05:58 Alexander the great, Julius Caesar, Caligula, all wanted 06:04 a canal dug to prevent sailing around the southern Cape, 06:09 or having to unload the ships and transport the goods. 06:13 The engineers of Nero began work on the canal, but it 06:16 would not be till the end of the 19th century when this 06:19 canal would be finished. 06:21 Only smaller vessels can pass through the canal, for it 06:24 is only 75 feet wide. 06:27 It is a tremendous spectacle to see the ships going 06:31 through this canal. 06:38 it connects the Aegean Sea to the Adriatic Sea. 06:42 Because of its unique geography, Corinth maintained 06:48 the trade routes between East and West, and West and East. 06:52 As a result, the commerce of this city 06:56 grew and developed. 06:59 Julius Caesar settled the new city with Roman colonist 07:03 with Greeks, with Jews, with Orientals, and of course 07:08 a great number of slaves. 07:10 To transport the ships and their goods required a 07:14 tremendous amount of brute strength. 07:18 So the population has swollen to between 500 and 750,000 07:24 people in the time of Paul. 07:26 I'm walking on the Lechaion way here in the city of 07:30 Corinth, this was one of the two main 07:34 entrances into the city. 07:36 This road stretched from the area of the forum all the 07:41 way down to the harbor of Lechaion. 07:44 On the Gulf of Corinth and the Adriatic Sea. 07:47 This paved the road, 2 miles long, was paved with marble 07:53 and had colonnades on each side. 07:56 It would have been an impressive site, coming from Rome, 08:00 entering the harbor of Lechaion and walking up this 08:03 marble paved road into the city of Corinth. 08:07 Yes, Corinth was a fabulous city, decorated in a 08:11 splendid way by Rome. 08:14 It was the city of fountains and theater's, the Odeon, 08:18 a tremendous city of provincial splendor. 08:22 Luke describes how Paul came to this city, not only 08:28 was it decorated with beautiful public buildings, but here 08:32 where I am sitting, on the top of Acrocorinth, was a fairly 08:35 unique temple, it was the temple to Aphrodite's. 08:40 It is only about 16 m x 20 meters but it was here on the 08:45 top of Acrocorinth that could be seen all the way to the 08:49 Adriatic and Aegean Sea, to the ports of Lechaion, 08:53 and the port of Cenchraea. 08:55 This Acrocorinth could be seen the temple of Aphrodite's, 09:00 where 1000 slaves were maintained as the priestesses of 09:04 the religion, and in the evening they would go down and 09:08 offer their bodies as part of the immoral worship, 09:12 Corinth was a wicked city. 09:15 Strabo describes how Corinth sponsored these Isthmus 09:20 games down on the coast of the Aegean. 09:23 These games were part of the Pan-Hellenic festivals that 09:27 were held here every two years. 09:30 They attracted both athletes and gamblers betting on the 09:33 games, he went on to describe this temple of Aphrodite's 09:37 that stood on the site of Acrocorinth. 09:40 1000 women that were maintained as priestesses of the 09:44 religion, how the religion was really a religion of 09:47 immorality, every evening they would go down into the 09:51 city to ply their trade and there was a ready supply 09:54 of men to spend their money upon these women. 09:58 Corinth attracted a tremendous cross section of people. 10:04 It was a multicultural city from the rich aristocracy of 10:09 the Roman colonist to the dispossessed homeless, poor, 10:14 who as some describe it had to follow around the bread 10:20 sellers and pick up the crumbs in the city. 10:23 Paul walking the road from Cenchraea would have been 10:28 praying about his future ministry here. 10:31 He was alone, Timothy and Silas were still up in 10:36 Macedonia and had not yet joined him. 10:38 He enters into the suburban known as The Cranium, as they 10:44 passed through that suburb of The Cranium he must have 10:49 thought of Golgotha, that hill in Jerusalem where his 10:53 Lord Jesus was crucified, the Place of the skull. 10:58 As he entered into the gate of the city to the Cenchraea 11:02 gate, he said I determined to know nothing among the 11:07 Corinthians except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 11:12 Paul came to plant the gospel in this city. 11:15 The gospel to deep root and Paul would minister here for 11:20 18 months, one of the longest places in ministry in his 11:25 entire career, 18 months. 11:29 People's lives would be touched, 11:31 people's lives would be changed. 11:34 He would visit the city on three different occasions and 11:38 write two letters to it. 11:40 Let's read about his tremendous ministry in 11:44 Acts 18:2-4. 12:13 The largest Jewish community in Greece was here in 12:16 Corinth, it is estimated that there were over 20,000 12:19 Jews living in this metropolis. 12:22 There are several evidences of the Jewish community that 12:25 have been found in the excavations. 12:28 This lentil was discovered that stood above a doorway 12:33 and it says very clearly, synagogue of a Hebrew, or a 12:38 synagogue of the Jews and in addition this wonderful 12:42 piece was discovered with three menorahs, or the seven 12:47 branch candlestick carved into it. 12:50 Again evidence of the Jewish community here in Corinth. 12:54 Now we do not know where the Jewish synagogue was, but we 12:58 do know it was here in the city as we can tell from the 13:02 evidence of these archaeological discoveries. 13:06 Paul met Aquila and Priscilla, two Jews from Pontius who 13:10 have been expelled from Rome and came to live in Corinth. 13:15 Aquila and Priscilla were tent makers as was Paul. 13:20 So Paul joined Aquila and Priscilla making tents through 13:24 the week and going to the synagogue and reasoning with 13:27 the Jews every Sabbath. 13:30 This had been Paul's motif over and over again. 13:34 This time he has great success in a synagogue. 13:38 We read on in verse 5. 13:51 Timothy and Silas joined Paul, and when they joined him 13:55 he no longer works in his trade as tent making but 13:58 devotes himself to full time teaching. 14:02 Primarily teaching among the large Jewish community city, 14:06 and of course teaching that God fears that were here. 14:24 As it had happened in the cities of Salonika, Berea, 14:29 Iconium, and Derbe it happens again. 14:33 Again the Jews rise up in opposition to what Paul is 14:37 teaching, he is teaching that Jesus is the Christ, 14:41 or Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah. 14:43 Messiah of Bible prophecy. 14:47 Opposition rises against Paul, he is no longer welcomed 14:50 at the synagogue and so he shakes off his clothes in 14:54 protest and says, now your blood be upon you. 14:56 I have come here to witness and you have rejected it and 15:00 from now on I will go to the Gentiles. 15:17 What a tremendous story! 15:20 Paul moves next door to the synagogue, to the house of a 15:23 believer, a God fearer by the name of Titius Justus. 15:27 He teaches there and Crispus, the very synagogue ruler, 15:31 that is the pastor of the synagogue, 15:33 the leader of the Jewish community becomes a 15:36 believer in Jesus as the Messiah. 15:39 This is a wonderful development for 15:41 the church in Corinth. 15:44 Luke notes that many people believed and were baptized. 15:50 While there was limited success in Athens, only a few 15:53 believers, there was not a church established 15:56 here in Corinth. 15:58 A number of Corinthians believed including the 16:01 leader of the synagogue. 16:04 Paul's concern however, about the opposition that is mounting. 16:07 He sees a storm looming on the horizon, he remembers 16:12 what happened in Iconium. 16:15 He remembers what happened in Derbe and Lystra. 16:19 He remembers what happened in Salonika and Berea. 16:23 Paul is concerned, perhaps the brothers came around and 16:27 said Paul it's time to move on. 16:29 Paul, it is time to go to a new place and plant the gospel. 16:33 But there was such great success happening in the city. 16:36 How could he leave now? Paul was concerned. 16:39 He was perplexed. He was praying. 17:00 What a tremendous assurance of God's presence with Paul. 17:05 Paul don't be afraid, I have many people in this city, 17:09 keep on teaching, Paul don't leave under the cover of 17:13 darkness like you did from Salonika. 17:15 Don't depart like you did from Berea Paul, stay here I 17:19 have many people in this city and no one is going to lay 17:22 his hand on you to touch you. 17:24 With this assurance of God's presence Paul continues to 17:28 teach mightily here in the city of Corinth. 17:31 He was teaching in the marketplace, he was teaching at 17:34 the house of Titius Justus, he was teaching and sharing 17:37 that Jesus was the Messiah. 17:40 That is that Jesus was the Christ. 17:42 Many people were responding, the church was growing and 17:46 touching people from various stations of life. 17:49 They were coming to believe in Jesus. 17:51 Paul stayed for a year and a half, ministering this city 17:56 of Corinth and God blessed them directly. 17:59 Verse 12 says. 18:17 Luke describes how the Jews of the city came together 18:19 against the apostle Paul. 18:22 They charged him with doing things that were contrary to 18:26 the law, they brought him before the proconsul, Galileo, 18:30 who held court here in The Bema. 18:33 Galileo was a very wise man, the brother of Seneca the 18:39 Roman philosopher. 18:40 He listened to the charges and recognize they were not 18:44 major charges, or even misdemeanors. 18:46 Before Paul could even make a defense, Galileo dismissed 18:51 the charges and released Paul. 18:54 Luke provides a very interesting comment that the people 19:00 in the Agora, Philip Sosthenes, the synagogue ruler who 19:04 had taken the place of Crispus, and was the main accuser 19:09 and beat him and Galileo did nothing to intervene. 19:14 Amazing how the tables were turned on the wily old devil 19:18 here by The Bema in ancient Corinth. 19:22 A fascinating footnote is, a church would be built here 19:27 on the site of The Bema where Paul was judged and 19:30 declared innocent by the proconsul Galileo. 19:35 Paul labored for 18 months establishing a thriving church 19:40 in this city, but he had upon his heart the desire to go 19:45 to Jerusalem, Acts 18:18. 20:03 Paul had a tremendous desire to go to Jerusalem, and so 20:08 Luke describes how after establishing a thriving church 20:13 here in Corinth, he returned to the port of Cenchraea 20:18 and cut off his hair and boarded a ship headed for Syria. 20:23 Paul had taken a vow, a vow to go to the Jewish Temple. 20:28 There he would have his hair burned as part of that vow. 20:32 Paul was Jewish through and through. 20:36 Paul would return to this metropolis on two additional 20:41 occasions, he was here at least three times. 20:44 He would write two letters, Pastoral in nature to this 20:48 city that had been filled with wickedness. 20:51 The very word Corinth was a synonym for immorality, and yet 20:56 the gospel had penetrated the darkness of this port city. 21:01 Notice what he writes in 1 Corinthians chapter 6. 21:26 After cataloging the immorality of Corinth, Paul adds this 21:32 wonderful footnote, verse 11. 21:42 And that is what some of you were! 21:44 Yes, you were in darkness, you were caught up in 21:48 immorality and Paul writes a letter of Pastoral concern 21:51 to the church filled with so many problems in this great 21:55 pagan city, but then he says, that is what some 22:00 of you were. 22:10 What a tremendous testimony about the 22:13 church in this city. 22:14 They had come from all kinds of backgrounds, immoral 22:19 backgrounds, sailors, farmers, people working the docks, 22:24 public officials, the gospel had penetrated into the 22:28 darkness of the city and of such were some of you. 22:33 But you have been claimed, you have been redeemed by the 22:35 blood of the Lamb. 22:37 Paul rejoiced in an as he wrote back to them from Ephesus 22:40 assuring them of God's love for them in this city. 22:46 I am standing here in the theater of ancient Corinth. 22:50 2 very interesting inscriptions were discovered here. 22:54 One inscription said, for the girls. 22:59 Since women of culture and social standing would not 23:03 attend the theater, doubtless this inscription refers 23:07 to the girls that lived up at Acrocorinth. 23:11 To the priestesses of Aphrodite's who would come down 23:15 into the city and make themselves available to both 23:19 the residents and visitors. 23:22 For the girls, the Temple prostitutes. 23:26 There was another inscription that was discovered here 23:29 on this plaza that confirms a member of the New Testament 23:33 church at Corinth. 23:35 This inscription here on the northern section of the 23:39 plaza of the theater says, Erastus in return for his 23:43 Idolship, laid this pavement at his own expense. 23:47 Isn't that amazing? Erastus, we can see the letters 23:54 ERASTUS, what's unusual is in Romans chapter 16:23, 24:00 Paul is writing from this city to the church of Rome. 24:05 He says Erastus, the city treasurer, the director of 24:09 public works sends his greetings to the church of Rome. 24:14 The man who laid this pavement accepted Jesus as his 24:18 Messiah and his life was changed. 24:22 Yes the gospel reach for the lowest levels of the Temple 24:27 prostitutes, and people who were involved in all kinds of 24:31 immorality and drunkenness, to the highest levels of Roman 24:35 society with Erastus. 24:38 Changed, powerfully changed by the power of Jesus Christ. 24:44 The gospel touched people who were in public life, 24:49 who had positions of responsibilities as well as it 24:54 reached all the way down to the slaves who were 24:58 here in this city. 24:59 There was one unusual place, the city of Corinth where 25:04 both the rich and the poor, the slaves and the free, 25:10 men and women could come together and be equal as one. 25:15 That was in the church, it is an amazing thing that as 25:20 people from various walks of life come together in Jesus. 25:25 That there is no higher ground. 25:28 Erastus was not any higher than a slave in this city who 25:33 would become a believer in Jesus. 25:36 They were all one and they would share the one common 25:40 meal, the earliest tradition we have of the Lord's supper 25:44 comes from here in Corinth. 25:46 The church would come together and share the Agape meal 25:49 here in the city of Corinth. 25:51 People from a high stations, and people who were slaves. 25:55 People who were Greeks and people who were barbarians. 25:59 People were Jews and people who were Gentiles had all 26:02 been made one in Jesus Christ. 26:06 People who had a life of immorality and people who had 26:09 a good life, they all came together. 26:11 They have been washed in the blood of the Lamb, they had 26:15 been sanctified by the blood of Jesus, they had been 26:19 made one in Christ. 26:21 The church in Corinth is powerful testimony to God's 26:25 grace reaching into the darkness cultures of the time. 26:29 There were fabulous public buildings that we have seen, 26:33 while there was a spectacular fountain in the city. 26:37 Why the Lechaion way, came up from the harbor with 26:40 its marble and colonnaded sides. 26:43 While there was a tremendous Bema and Temple of Apollo. 26:46 Yet it was an immoral city, but these people had been touched 26:51 by the power of God's grace. 26:53 They had forever been changed. 26:55 The gospel was planted here and Christianity continue 27:00 to prosper, Paul encouraged this community to believe in 27:06 Jesus, to know that they would have life eternal. 27:09 Their lives were changed and your life and my life can 27:14 be changed by the power of the gospel as well. 27:19 Jesus sent assuring words to Paul when he was concerned, 27:24 don't be afraid, and Jesus says the same words to you 27:28 today, where ever you might be. 27:31 Don't be afraid for I am with you. 27:34 Let's pray together. 27:36 Father what a tremendous joy it has been to walk the 27:39 sites here in ancient Corinth. 27:43 To go out to Acrocorinth, to think about Paul coming here 27:47 from great distances of Athens and bring in the gospel 27:51 and planting it deeply here in this city. 27:53 We thank you for the power of the gospel and we thank you 27:55 for those words, as such were some of you. 27:58 Indeed we thank you for the sanctified presence of the 28:01 Holy Spirit, and we thank you for the justifying blood 28:05 of Jesus and we pray You will wash us as well and make 28:08 us whole and complete in You. 28:10 Enable us to live for You by the power of Your grace both 28:15 this day in always we pray in Jesus name Amen! 28:19 Luke tells us that Paul left the city and went down to 28:24 Port of Cenchraea to catch a boat to go to Syria. 28:29 He goes on to say that boat went to Ephesus and that is where 28:34 we will be going in the next chapter of this series. |
Revised 2014-12-17