The Corinthian epistles are unique and insightful. For instance, 1 Corinthians is the only epistle in which Paul deals with tongues and water baptism. And although Paul labels as Saints those in the church at Corinth, there were many living carnal lifestyles. All of Paul’s epistles have been applicable to the church, the Body of Christ since they were written, and the Corinthian letters are no different; many believers since have lived similar to the Corinthians. During Paul’s time, Corinth was populous, thriving and the chief city of the Roman province of Achaia (the southern area of Greece). Goods were hauled overland on the Isthmus of Corinth from the sea harbors on both sides, so Corinth was the crossroads of east and west travel and commerce by people from different lands, cultures and languages. Paul ministered in Corinth for 1 ½ years, Acts 18:11, during his second Apostolic Journey as recorded in Acts 18:1 – 18, estimated to be sometime between 51 and 53 or 54 AD. He returned on his third journey, estimated to be around 56 BC, Acts 20:1 – 5. * Unlike most missionaries today who are supported by donors, Paul and those with him, including a Jewish couple named Aquilla and Pricilla, supported themselves making tents while Paul preached and taught, Acts 18:2 – 3; 1 Thessalonians 2:9.
What message did Paul teach in Corinth in particular and during his missionary journeys in general?
Some believe he taught the Kingdom message to the Jews in their Synagogues during his missionary journeys, apparently because after he was first saved he preached in the Damascus Synagogues that Christ was the Son of God, Acts 9:20; his practice of visiting Jewish Synagogues when he first arrived in each town during his missionary journeys and he once took a Jewish Vow in the Temple in Jerusalem, Acts 18:18; Acts 21:26. Some also believe Paul should have replaced Judas as one of the 12, or if not, then the Apostle James when he was beheaded, Acts 12:2. All this is error, pure and simple. The Kingdom message is what Peter and the 12 taught after Christ ascended into heaven. It was to and for the Nation of Israel; requiring belief that Jesus was Israel’s Messiah, repentance for their sin and submitting to circumcision and water baptism, Acts 2:38 – 41. They adhered to the Law of Moses, the Temple in Jerusalem being the center of the Kingdom message centered on Jesus Christ, Acts 2:46; Acts 3:1; Acts 5:21; Acts 5:25; Acts 5:42. Here, it’s also important to understand that, not only did those Jews who rejected Jesus as Messiah ostensibly follow the law, but those who did believe the Kingdom message also did so, Acts 21:20; the former in self-righteousness, the later sincerely, understanding the purpose thereof. Furthermore, those believing Jews and the Gentile proselytes who joined them, understood that the Tribulation was the next thing to occur according to prophesy, Matthew 24:15 – 28 after which Christ would return to earth to rule on earth from Jerusalem, Matthew 24:29 – 31.
The desire/hope of the believing Jews in Jerusalem was for Christ’s return to establish His Kingdom on earth. When they asked Him when He would do so, Acts 1:6, “And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:7 – 8. The Holy Spirit did come upon them, but they never got out of Jerusalem and Samaria because Israel’s leaders and the majority of the Jews did not believe, so Israel was set aside for a while, as will be shown later. “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:9 – 11. He will in the future return in like manner to the Mount of Olives and establish His Kingdom on earth. However, the Church, the Body of Christ of this age, will be raptured to heaven before that, i.e., Christ will meet those who have died in Him along with those believers living at the time, in the air and be caught up to heaven.
Unlike the Kingdom message being preached by Peter and the 12 at the time, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Saul (later Paul) on the road to Damascus and saved him; Saul had not sought the Lord out, in fact he was on his way to persecute the Kingdom saints living in Damascus. The Lord Jesus Christ unilaterally saved Saul in spite of his sin/s and subsequently informed him he was to bear the Lord Jesus Christ’s name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel, Acts 9:16. Paul’s message is called the Gospel of the Grace of God, Acts 20:24, which was not, like the Kingdom message, based on repentance for crucifying the Lord, circumcision, water baptism and following the law, it was: “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:” Romans 3:21 – 22; 1 Corinthians 15:1 – 4. Again, whereas the Jews who believed the Kingdom Gospel preached by Peter and the 12 were waiting for the Tribulation and Christ’s return to rule over Israel on earth, those believing Paul’s Gospel of God’s Grace await the Rapture, which will occur prior to the Tribulation.
As to Paul’s preaching in the Synagogues, it is obvious and logical that when he did so he would first point out the Old Testament (OT) Scriptures that prophesied the Messiah and then argue that Jesus fulfilled those prophesies. I recommend you read the epistle to Hebrews and picture Paul teaching the contents thereof to Jews in the Synagogues. Being knowledgeable of the OT, Hebrews clearly teaches Jesus Christ fulfilling the OT prophesies.
Paul was commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ from Heaven to take His name to Gentiles, Kings and the children of Israel, Acts 9:15 and evidence is clear that Paul did just that throughout the Acts period; that being the secret revealed to him by the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, Romans 16:25 – 26; Ephesians 3:2 – 7; the Gospel of the Grace of God, Acts 20:24. And the Gospel Paul taught is as valid today as it was when he taught it during his lifetime; it being that individual Jews and Gentiles who recognize their sin, Romans 3:23, and believe Christ died for their sin and rose again for their justification are saved to eternal life 1 Corinthians 15:1 – 4; Romans 3:21 – 22.
Before examining Paul’s time in Corinth, consider Paul and Barnabas’ experience during their first missionary journey when they came to Antioch, Pisidia in Galatia, Acts 13:14 – 52. Paul went first to the Synagogue and after the rulers read the law and the prophets, they asked Paul to say a word. Paul reviewed briefly Israel’s history up to John the Baptist, and then pointed out that even though there was no cause to kill Jesus, the Jewish rulers asked Pilot to do so. And just as God had promised in the OT prophets, He raised Him from the dead: “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, (the Jews and Gentiles listening) that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” Acts 13:38 – 39. (Christ’s death and resurrection is key to both the Kingdom message and the unique Gospel of Grace revealed to Paul for us.) Paul told the Jews listening to beware that what the prophets foretold would happen to them because they would not believe what they heard him teaching, Acts 13:40 – 41. After the Jews left the Synagogue, the Gentiles who heard Paul, asked him for an encore the following Saturday. Paul urged many of the Jews and worshiping proselytes who heard him to continue in the Grace of God, Acts 13:43, that is, the Gospel of God’s Grace that Paul had been sent to preach. The next Sabbath almost everyone in the city showed up to hear the Word of God, which made the unbelieving Jews envious to the point they contradicted and blasphemed the Word spoken by Paul. At this, Paul and Barnabas said it had been necessary to preach the Word of God to them but since they judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life, (their unbelief of that Word) they were going to the Gentiles and the Gentiles were glad and glorified the Word of the Lord and as many as were ordained unto eternal life believed, Acts 13:44 – 48.
Additional evidence that Paul did not teach the Kingdom message in Antioch, Pisidia, Galatia is Paul’s epistle to the Galatians, believed to be the first one he wrote, in which he corrected the believers there because they had corrupted the doctrine of justification, having been misled by Judaizes teaching they should follow the law after having been saved by Grace, Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:1; Galatians 3:11; Galatians 3:24; Galatians 5:1 – 5.
Our next study will examine the miraculous sign gifts such as the gift of tongues and the practice of water baptism during Paul’s missionary journeys.
* Approximate dates and chronological order of events taken from notes and appendices (180 & 192) in the Companion Bible as well as from “The Timeline of Paul’s Ministry” pamphlet by Pastor Kevin Sadler, President of the Berean Bible Society.
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