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Sermon Outline

First and Second Corinthians

Paul’s Ministry in Corinth

Lesson #1 for July 4, 2026

Scriptures:1 Corinthians 1:1; 5:9-11; 2 Corinthians 2:4; Acts 17:16-34; 18:4-10; Galatians 1:1.

  1. Where is Corinth? Why was Paul in Corinth? What was his ministry there?

[From the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide=BSG:] The great English missionary William Carey used to say that he cobbled shoes to pay his expenses, but his real business was winning souls.

Likewise, Paul worked as a tentmaker for a living (Acts 18:1–3), but his real business was, of course, winning people to Christ….

Paul faces challenges in Corinth but does so with the message of the Cross (1 Cor. 2:2). Faithfulness to this message is also the way to face the challenges that we have today. As we will see …, the message of 1 and 2 Corinthians applies to our lives, as well.—BSG* for Sabbath, June 27.‡§

From Berea to Athens; Then, to Corinth

  1. ReadActs 17:16-34, especiallyActs 17:13-15. Paul had not planned to visit Athens; however, he fled to Athens after opposition leaders from Thessalonica traveled to Berea where Paul was preaching and caused trouble. Then, his friends escorted him to Athens to protect him from the murderous crowd in Berea.

[BSG:] Those who went with Paul to Athens returned to Berea with a command for Timothy and Silas to join him as soon as possible (Acts 17:15).Acts 17:16–34 is about what Paul does while waiting for them. He speaks about Jesus in the synagogue, the marketplace, and the Areopagus. He really couldn’t stop talking about Jesus and took advantage of every opportunity to do it.—BSG* Monday, June 29.‡§

  1. While in Athens, Paul discovered that they were worshiping so many gods that they even worshiped an “unknown god.” When he began to speak to the crowds and raised interesting questions about that unknown god, he was called to talk at the Areopagus.
  2. The Areopagus, or “Ares’ Rock” (Mars Hill), is a rocky hill northwest of and adjacent to the Acropolis in Athens. It served as the meeting place for the city’s earliest and most prestigious aristocratic council and governing body. It functioned as a meeting place.
  3. In Paul’s preaching on Mars Hill, he tried to reach the elite of Athens by saying:

Acts 17:28: “As someone has said,

‘In him we live and move and exist.’

It is as some of your poets have said,

‘We too are his children.’”—American Bible Society. (©1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation®* [GNT] (Today’s English Version) [TEV], Second Edition (Acts 17:28). Philadelphia: American Bible Society [abbreviated as Good News Bible-TEV* or GNB-TEV*].*†‡ [See Article onActs 17:28 in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, saying Paul quoted from Epimenides.]‡

  1. However, Paul felt that his efforts in Athens did not reach many people or have much of an effect. So, he decided to move his evangelistic efforts to Corinth. His ministry in Corinth is described in Acts 18.
  2. We need to get many of the details of Paul’s journeys from the book of Acts which was written by Luke. Luke tells us that Paul went to Corinth during his second missionary journey, and he stayed there one and one-half years. As usual, Paul began by going to the synagogue, preaching to the Jews. (Acts 18:4-6; 17:1-2; Romans 1:16; Acts 13:46)

Acts 18:1-3: 1After this, Paul left Athens and went on to Corinth. 2There he met a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, for Emperor Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3and stayed and worked with them, because he earned his living by making tents, just as they did.—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

[From the Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide=T-BSG:] Paul’s ministry in Corinth followed a familiar pattern. He was hosted in the city by Aquila and Priscilla, two Jewish Christian converts who had been forced out of Rome by a decree from Claudius, banning all Jews from the city (Acts 18:2)…. Strategically, Paul visited first the synagogue on Sabbath (Acts 18:4) and focused his teaching—when invited to read the weekly readings from the Torah [sic]—on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus (Acts 18:5).—T-BSG* 15.‡§

  1. When preaching in the synagogue, Paul obviously had a powerful influence because he was not only a former member of the Sanhedrin, but also he had, no doubt, memorized large portions of the Hebrew Scriptures. He could speak about Scriptures—what we call the Old Testament—with authority.

[T-BSG:] By showing the true interpretation of well-known Messianic texts, Paul was able to engage the Jewish members of the community on familiar ground. Paul’s interpretation and preaching, however, often created conflict and tension during his missionary journeys, which led him, in Corinth, to refocus his attention on the “God-fearers.” The God-fearers were Gentiles who often resonated with Jewish teachings but who were not proselytes (seeMatt. 23:15). [They did not follow all of the Jewish ritual teachings, and they were not circumcised.]—T-BSG* 15.†‡§

  1. Paul supported himself by making tents. When Silas and Timothy joined Paul in Corinth, he stopped working as a tentmaker and dedicated himself to the preaching of the gospel.
  2. Paul’s efforts in Corinth among the Jews were accepted by Crispus and his family and certain others of the Jews; but, he was opposed by many of the Jews.
  3. In trying to put together the sequence of events in Corinth, we realize that, at first, Paul was discouraged because of the condition of the people and also being somewhat rebuked by the Jews themselves at the synagogue.
  4. Paul announced later inActs 18:4-6 that he would leave the synagogue and preach to the Gentiles. He moved into the house of a Gentile convert name Titius Justice and continued his ministry in Corinth, working with the Gentiles.
  5. ReadActs 18:4-6.

[BSG:] The work of Paul among the Jews at Corinth was not as fruitful as he wanted it to be. He had to face some hostility and hatred. The Bible says that “they opposed him and blasphemed” (Acts 18:6, NKJV). When the object of the Greek verb blasphēmeō (“to blaspheme”) is a human being, it means “to revile” or “to defame.” In other words, they intended to stain Paul’s reputation and to prevent him from succeeding in his missionary endeavors.

Fortunately, the work of Paul in the Corinthian synagogue was not in vain. After all, God was in charge of this mission. He promised, “[My word] shall not return to me empty” (Isa. 55:11, ESV). Some Jews did not expect that Crispus, the synagogue’s ruler, and his entire household would accept Jesus as the Messiah and get baptized (Acts 18:8). In addition, “many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized” (Acts 18:8, NKJV), very likely also because of the influence of Crispus.—BSG* for Wednesday, July 1.†‡Ω§

  1. How do you understand1 Corinthians 2:2? Was this why most of the Jews rejected Paul?

1 Corinthians 2:2: For while I was with you, I made up my mind to forget everything except Jesus Christ and especially his death on the cross.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

  1. Clearly, Paul talked about more than the crucifixion of Christ, as that was a form of torture reserved for traitors to the Roman government! What else do you think he focused on or talked about? Talking about crucifixion itself would not have been popular among the Corinthians! Did Paul explain why Jesus died and how His death answered the questions in the great controversy over the character and government of God?
  2. ReadActs 18:7-8.
  3. Soon, Paul began to feel that he was wasting his time in Corinth. However, God had a very different message for him!

Acts 18:9-10: 9One night Paul had a vision in which the Lord said to him, “Do not be afraid, but keep on speaking and do not give up, 10for I am with you. No one will be able to harm you, for many in this city are my people.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*† [CompareIsaiah 41:10.]‡

[From the writings of Ellen G. White=EGW:] Though Paul had a measure of success, yet he became very weary of the sight of his eyes and the hearing of his ears in the corrupt city of Corinth, He [sic] doubted the wisdom of building up a church from the material he found there. He considered Corinth a very questionable field of labor, and determined to leave it. The depravity which he witnessed among the Gentiles, and the contempt and insult which he received from the Jews, caused him great anguish of spirit.

As he was contemplating leaving the city for a more promising field, and feeling very anxious to understand his duty in the case, the Lord appeared to him in a vision of the night, and said, “Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace; for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee; for I have much people in this city.” Paul understood this to be a command to remain in Corinth, and a guarantee that the Lord would give increase to the seed sown. Strengthened and encouraged, he continued to labor there with great zeal and perseverance for one year and six months. A large church was enrolled under the banner of Jesus Christ. Some came from among the most dissipated [decadent] of the Gentiles; and many of this class were true converts, and became monuments of God’s mercy and the efficacy of the blood of Christ to cleanse from sin.—Ellen G. White, Sketches from the Life of Paul* 106.3-107.1.†‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p101.456&index=0]‡

  1. Paul entered Corinth as he had entered Athens, recognizing that in these big cities, there were challenges. What should we learn from Paul’s missionary activity in those two cities? Why is it often so difficult to preach the gospel in a similar context? Or, in any context?

The City of Corinth

  1. ReadActs 18:1-3 (See Item #7 above.) again. What can we infer about Corinth’s economy, morality, and religious life?

[T-BSG:] The ancient city of Corinth had been destroyed by the Romans in 146 b.c. and was rebuilt in 44 b.c. by Julius Caesar as a Roman colony. It soon became a significant political and economic center that was strategically located in the eastern part of the Roman Empire. Its two ports, Cenchreae in the east and Lechaeum in the west, offered a safe land connection between the Aegean and Ionian seas. Corinth’s control of the two harbors and of the road crossing the 6-kilometer-wide isthmus enabled the city to levy taxes on both north-south and east-west trade (compare with Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, “Corinth,” in The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, ed. K. Doob Sakenfeld [Nashville,TN: Abingdon Press, 2006], vol. 1, pp. 732–735).

The city offered great economic possibilities, and the opportunities for upward social mobility attracted many nationalities. Because it was a relatively young city, Corinth also was less controlled by ancient traditions and more open to new ideas. Rome designated the city as the capital of the province of Achaea, thus underlining its political importance. Paul’s strategic decision to invest more than 18 months of his life in ministry in Corinth offers us a good example of his intentional mission planning.—T-BSG* 14-15.‡Ω§

[BSG:] Corinth was an important center of the ancient world, renowned for its prosperous commerce…. It is this Roman Corinth that appears in the New Testament. In the time of Paul, Corinth was one of Athens’ rivals and had even surpassed it in various aspects. Corinth had two important harbors that made the exchange of merchandise and the development of its commerce easy.

Indeed, Paul chose Corinth because of its importance and advantaged geographic location. [Then, Ellen White is quoted; more of what she wrote is quoted below.]—BSG* for Tuesday, June 30.‡

[EGW:] This large mercantile city was in direct communication with Rome, while Thessalonica, Ephesus, Alexandria, and Antioch were all easy of access, either by land or water. An opportunity was thus presented for the spread of the gospel. Once established at Corinth, it would be readily communicated to all parts of the world.—Ellen G. White, Sketches from the Life of Paul,* 98.3.†‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p101.418&index=0]‡

[BSG:] The flourishing commerce of Corinth would make it easier for Paul to support himself by producing and selling tents while proclaiming the gospel in that city (Acts 18:2, 3). [The Roman army used a lot of tents.] Obviously, missionary work in a large and wealthy city is not free of challenges. Corinth was marked by a blatant religious pluralism (1 Cor. 8:5), as evident by its numerous shrines built in homage to such deities as Apollo [sic], Athena [sic], and Aphrodite [sic], among others, and even the worship of such Egyptian gods as Serapis [sic] and Isis [sic].—BSG* for Tuesday, June 30.†‡§

1 Corinthians 8:5-6: 5Even if there are so-called “gods,” whether in heaven or on earth, and even though there are many of these “gods” and “lords,” 6yet there is for us only one God.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

  1. Do you think Paul began his ministry in Corinth by telling the people that all their so-called gods were worth nothing?

[BSG:] In addition to this religious confusion, Corinth was also known for its sexual licentiousness. Strabo, a Greek geographer and historian, mentions that there were 1,000 sacred prostitutes devoted to the worship of Aphrodite [sic] in her temple at Corinth…. Idolatry and immorality were part of daily life, and this sad reality explains much of the content of 1 and 2 Corinthians.

In his missionary activity in Corinth, Paul faced the challenge of an idolatrous and licentious society. What challenges in today’s culture can make it hard to preach the gospel? How can we overcome them? How much difference, if any, is there between Corinth and our cities today?—BSG* for Tuesday, June 30.†‡

[T-BSG:]Acts 18:7 reports that Paul preached in the house of Titius Justus, a non-Jewish neighbor of the synagogue in Corinth. Among those who were convinced of Paul’s preaching was Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, along with his entire house, together with many others (Acts 18:8).—T-BSG* 15.‡§

  1. ReadActs 18:7-8.

Paul’s Letters Back to the Corinthians (After Spending 18 Months with Them)

  1. In order to speak with authority, one must: (1) Prove his/her identity, and (2) Prove on what basis s/he is able to speak with authority.

[T-BSG:] Paul’s identity is rooted in three things: (1) the experience of his calling in which he saw the risen Lord (1 Cor. 15:8, 9;Gal. 1:15, 16); (2) his commissioning by God to proclaim the gospel (Gal. 1:1; compare withActs 9:15); and (3) the fruits of his apostolic ministry, represented by converts and new churches (1 Cor. 9:2).—T-BSG* 16.‡§

1 Corinthians 15:8-9: 8Last of all he [Jesus] appeared also to me—even though I am like someone whose birth was abnormal. 9For I am the least of all the apostles—I do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted God’s church.—Good News Bible-TEV.*†‡

Galatians 1:15-16: 15But God in his grace chose me even before I was born, and called me to serve him. And when he decided 16to reveal his Son to me, so that I might preach the Good News about him to the Gentiles, I did not go to anyone for advice.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

  1. Read alsoGalatians 1:1;Acts 9:15; and1 Corinthians 9:2.

[T-BSG:] Acts offers a number of Paul’s testimonies that retell his calling, his commissioning, and his fruit, underlining the importance of these elements for his ministry. While he acknowledges his excellent education at the feet of famous scholars [Gamaliel] and his membership in the strict sect of the Pharisees, [and a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest political body among the Jews] his identity is not based on prestige and accomplishments but on his encounter with Jesus Christ.—T-BSG* 16.†‡

Problems in the Church at Corinth

[BSG:] We will get a glimpse of Paul’s ministry to the church in the city of Corinth. The church, as we will see, was full of problems, many that were not unlike what our churches face today, almost two thousand years later…. Have you ever found a Christian group that doesn’t have any problems? The answer is, of course, obvious.—BSG* for Sabbath Afternoon, June 27.‡

[T-BSG:] Identity seems also to be an important issue in the newly established Corinthian church. Paul reacts strongly to the news that there is division in the congregation in which people now align themselves strongly with several different Christian leaders. Paul reminds his audience that first and foremost, they are followers of Christ, not followers of Paul, Apollos, or Peter (1 Cor. 1:10–12). His argument for unity is based on the undividable Christ, His sacrifice, and His saving grace (1 Cor. 1:13). We will return to the issue of identity in the Corinthian church in a future lesson, focusing on it in more detail.—T-BSG* 16.†‡§

1 Corinthians 1:10-13: 10By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ I appeal to all of you, my friends, to agree in what you say, so that there will be no divisions among you. Be completely united, with only one thought and one purpose. 11For some people from Chloe’s family have told me quite plainly, my friends, that there are quarrels among you. 12Let me put it this way: each one of you says something different. One says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Peter”; and another, “I follow Christ.” 13Christ has been divided into groups! Was it Paul who died on the cross for you? Were you baptized as Paul’s disciples?—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

[BSG:] Read1 Corinthians 1:11–13;1 Corinthians 4:14; 1 Corinthians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 7:1; and1 Corinthians 14:37, 40. Also read2 Corinthians 1:12, [sic]2 Corinthians 2:9, [sic]2 Corinthians 11:3, [sic] and2 Corinthians 13:10. How do these passages help us understand why Paul wrote letters to the Corinthians?...

Paul was in Ephesus when he wrote 1 Corinthians (1 Cor. 16:5–9). The family of Chloe went to him with the report that things were not going too well back in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:11). In 1 Corinthians 1–6, Paul addresses the issues brought by Chloe’s household. The problems include factionalism, sexual immorality, lawsuits, and prostitution. Paul also received a letter with specific questions (1 Cor. 7:1). His response fills the space from chapter 7 onward. The questions were related to marriage, divorce, celibacy, food sacrificed to idols, conduct in worship, the use of spiritual gifts, and incorrect understanding of the resurrection. The church of Corinth was very problematic and immature. Perhaps your local church has many problems. Yet the church at Corinth was probably worse.—BSG* for Thursday, July 2.†‡§

1 Corinthians 7:1: Now, to deal with the matters you wrote about.

A man does well not to marry.—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

Paul, A “God-Called Apostle” of Jesus, and Paul’s Writings

[BSG:] Paul begins his letter to the Corinthians by identifying himself as an apostle of Jesus, called “through the will of God” (1 Cor. 1:1; compare with2 Cor. 1:1). His conviction regarding who he is in relation to Jesus is so firm that, with a few exceptions, this is the way he opens all his letters.—BSG* for Sunday, June 28.‡§

  1. Read1 Corinthians 1:1; Romans 1:1; andGalatians 1:1. What two elements of Paul’s ministry are emphasized in these passages?
  2. What did Paul mean by saying that he was a servant of Jesus Christ? Didn’t Paul know that Jesus told His disciples that He wanted to call them friends? (SeeJohn 15:15.) Maybe Paul, who regarded himself as the least of all the apostles, did not think of himself as a “friend” of Jesus!

[BSG:] Paul speaks of his calling and apostleship as fulfilling God’s will. He is convinced that his calling is not from men but from God (Gal. 1:1). Paul was called by God from his mother’s womb like Jeremiah (Jer. 1:5) as an act of God’s grace (Gal. 1:15 [See Item #22 above.]), and it happened so that he would proclaim the gospel of Christ among the Gentiles.—BSG* for Sunday, June 28.‡§

  1. Can you imagine the fiery, young Pharisee, Saul of Tarsus, who had been breathing death to Christians while rigorously avoiding Gentiles, saying those words!

[BSG:] In1 Corinthians 15:8, Paul includes himself among those to whom Christ appeared after the Resurrection (1 Cor. 15:5–7). A few verses later, he implies that his calling to be an apostle resulted from that encounter with Jesus (1 Cor. 15:9–11).—BSG* for Sunday, June 28.†‡§

1 Corinthians 15:3-11 [Repeating the portion in verses 8&9]: 3I passed on to you what I received, which is of the greatest importance: that Christ died for our sins, as written in the Scriptures; 4that he was buried and that he was raised to life three days later, as written in the Scriptures; 5that he appeared to Peter and then to all twelve apostles. 6Then he appeared to more than five hundred of his followers at once, most of whom are still alive, although some have died. 7Then he appeared to James, and afterwards to all the apostles. [What Scriptures? Only what we call the “Old Testament” had been written at that time.]

8Last of all he appeared also to me—even though I am like someone whose birth was abnormal. 9For I am the least of all the apostles—I do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted God’s church. 10But by God’s grace I am what I am, and the grace that he gave me was not without effect. On the contrary, I have worked harder than any of the other apostles, although it was not really my own doing, but God’s grace working with me. 11So then, whether it came from me or from them, this is what we all preach, and this is what you believe.—Good News Bible-TEV.*†‡ [Underlining of text is added for emphasis.]‡

  1. By calling himself an apostle, Paul was primarily suggesting that he had been sent by Jesus Christ. However, because of the fact that he had persecuted Christians in the past, he called himself the least of all the apostles. Perhaps, that is why he called himself a servant. We learn from other passages that he preached, taught, and healed; but, Christ was always foremost in his presentations.

[BSG:] Jesus is not only the center of Paul’s apostleship; He is the center of Paul’s life. Paul’s thoughts and feelings were filled with the presence of Jesus. Evidence of this fact is that he refers to Jesus repeatedly in the opening and in the thanksgiving section of 1 Corinthians (nine times in nine verses). Paul loved Jesus so much that he couldn’t stop thinking and talking about Him. He wanted to share Jesus with those under his care so that their lives would be Christ-centered, too. While he was called to be an apostle, they were called to be faithful followers of Jesus in whatever capacity to which the Lord called them. [How did Paul learn about Jesus before being imprisoned at Caesarea Maritima? Did he have significant time with any of the disciples?]

Paul was called to be an apostle. What is your calling, and how do you know that it is your calling? If you don’t think you have one, why not go right now and ask Him to show you the work He chose you to do?—BSG* for Sunday, June 28.†‡

  1. Read1 Corinthians 5:9-11 and1 Corinthians 8:4. In those passages, Paul mentioned a letter that he had previously written to the Corinthians. Where is that letter?
  2. Paul probably wrote four different letters to the Corinthians. The first one is mentioned in1 Corinthians 5:9; it has apparently been lost. The second letter is what we call 1 Corinthians. The third letter may have been lost as well. But, many suspect that that third letter is what we read in 2 Corinthians 10-13.

[T-BSG:] The correspondence between Paul and the young congregation in Corinth has been a matter of scholarly discussion. First Corinthians seems to be an answer to some questions that were sent by mail to Paul (see, for example,1 Corinthians 7:1)—perhaps in response to an earlier letter the apostle had sent that doesn’t exist anymore, possibly referenced in1 Corinthians 5:9. It is possible that there were more exchanges between Paul and the Christian community in Corinth, following that first letter, which are not available to us now.—T-BSG* 14.‡§

[BSG:] [First] Corinthians is very relevant to our time, as well. After all, don’t we, to some degree, face some of the same issues in many of our churches today? This letter has much to say to us. It is: [Then, Ellen G. White is quoted; more of what she wrote is quoted below.]—BSG* for Thursday, July 2.‡

[EGW:] As this picture was presented before him, Paul saw that his worst fears were more than realized. But he did not because of this give way to the thought that his work had been a failure. With “anguish of heart” and with “many tears” he sought counsel from God. Gladly would he have visited Corinth at once, had this been the wisest course to pursue. But he knew that in their present condition the believers would not profit by his labors, and therefore he sent Titus to prepare the way for a visit from himself later on. Then, putting aside all personal feelings over the course of those whose conduct revealed such strange perverseness, and keeping his soul stayed upon God, the apostle wrote to the church at Corinth one of the richest, most instructive, most powerful of all his letters.—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles* 300.4.†‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p127.1331&index=0]‡

  1. Paul heard about the fact that they had not accepted his letter and were not being transformed. In2 Corinthians 13:1, we read that Paul was ready to make his third visit to Corinth. (When was the second visit?) By reading carefully through 2 Corinthians, it is clear that Paul made a painful visit to Corinth in which they were not nice to him at all. While we do not know the details of that visit, it is likely that he traveled by ship from Ephesus, interrupting his ministry in Ephesus, and going to Corinth. That was a fairly easy trip, probably only three or four days. After they spoke to him so roughly, he sailed back to Ephesus and wrote what we probably have in 2 Corinthians 10-13. Notice that he said this is now the third time I am writing. Finally, the fourth letter he wrote to them is most of the rest of 2 Corinthians.

[T-BSG:] Background: First Corinthians…. [It] is a pastoral letter to a recently established church that faces significant ethical, theological, and interpersonal issues. Paul clearly identifies himself as the author of 1 Corinthians (1 Cor. 1:1), and in1 Corinthians 16:21, he includes a reference to his signature by his own hand. Second Corinthians…. [It] describes comprehensively the apostle’s understanding of his apostolic ministry. Some have used the Latin phrase apologia pro vita sua, “defense of his life,” as an appropriate designation of the content and focus of 2 Corinthians (see Leland Ryken and Philip Graham Ryken, “2 Corinthians: Introduction,” in The Literary Study Bible: ESV [Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2007], p. 1715). In this letter, Paul defends his apostolic ministry to some detractors in the Corinthian church and offers an example of how Christian life and ministry should be lived.—T-BSG* 14.‡Ω§

  1. Paul used an amanuensis or secretary to “pen” his letters.

1 Corinthians 16:21: With my own hand I write this: Greetings from Paul.—Good News Bible-TEV.*† [Paul was the author of the letter; but, the letter actually had been “penned” by an amanuensis or secretary.]‡

  1. It is obvious from 2 Corinthians that the church in Corinth had been severely influenced by the culture in which they lived. Paul wanted them to see a very different culture: The “Jesus Christ culture.”
  2. If you have an opportunity, read the chapter by Ellen G. White entitled “Corinth” in The Acts of the Apostles page 243-254.

[EGW:] It is recorded that Paul labored a year and six months in Corinth. His efforts, however, were not exclusively confined to that city, but he availed himself of the easy communication by land and water with adjacent cities, and labored among them both by letter and personal effort. He made Corinth his headquarters, and his long tarry and successful ministry there gave him influence abroad as well as at home. Several churches were thus raised up under the efforts of the apostle and his co-laborers. The absence of Paul from the churches of his care was partially supplied by communications weighty and powerful, which were received generally as the word of God to them through his obedient servant. These epistles were read in the churches.—Ellen G. White, Sketches from the Life of Paul* 109.1.†‡ [https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p101.468&index=0]‡

  1. It should be clear to us that Paul was fully convinced that he had been called by Jesus Christ to be an apostle to the Gentiles. What a change in his mission from his younger days. In his early days in Corinth, Paul became discouraged and almost left the city. But, Jesus gave him that nighttime vision which encouraged him to stay.
  2. What have you learned from this lesson that encourages you to keep witnessing even though times and places might be difficult?

©2026, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged. *Electronic version. †Bold type is added. ‡Brackets and content in brackets are added. ΩBrackets and the content in brackets within the paragraph are in the Bible study guide or source. §Italic type is in the source.      

Last Modified: June 21, 2026                                                                                            Email: [email protected]