3rd Missionary Trip - Lorin

1. Initial Ministry
Essential point: established the church on the second missionary journey
Date: AD 50-51
Sources: Acts 18:1-17; 1 Thess. 3:6-13; 1 Cor. 2:1-5; 1:13-17; 2 Thess. 3:1-5; 1 Cor. 3:5-10; 11:2, 23,
15:1; 2 Cor. 11:7-9
As discussed in length in chapter six, the establishment of the church in Corinth during Paul’s lengthy
ministry in the city was a positive period of ministry relatively free of hostility until the end of the stay. Paul arrived
in Corinth after his preaching of the Gospel in Athens. His two associates, Silas and Timothy, were in Macedonia
on assignment but rejoined him in the city after a period of time. Here he joined up with Aquila and Priscilla to
begin working together for Christ in the city, but they would labor together in other cities over the passing of time
as well. A lifelong friendship with this Christian couple was established on this initial trip to Corinth. The trade
which they had in common further cemented the bonds of friendship. When Silas and Timothy arrived, Paul
was enabled -- probably by financial support gathered in Macedonia by these two associates -- to devote much
greater time and effort in preaching the Gospel in the Jewish synagogue. This soon created hostility that forced
him to move to a home next door, that of the convert Titius Justus. The leader of the Jewish synagogue, Crispus,
became a believer as did many Jews and non-Jews. This ministry lasted over eighteen months in 50-51 AD. The
Jewish opposition resorted to legal measures in order to rid themselves of Paul. But the charges they brought
against Paul before the Roman proconsul Gallio backfired on them as this Roman governor saw the squabble
as an internal Jewish disagreement and thus had no interest in wasting his time with legal procedures. Thus the
new synagogue leader Sosthenes ended up getting a beating in the court room, rather than the Christians.
Later to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 2:1-5) Paul characterized his preaching ministry in the city not in terms
of eloquence and rhetoric but in the simple power and presence of God’s Spirit. Therefore the Corinthians were
pointed to God rather than to a persuasive preacher. The later tendency of the Corinthians to divide into quarreling
groups centered around their favorite preacher was not something Paul encouraged in his ministry at all (1
Cor. 1:13-17). Instead, Paul had faithfully delivered the apostolic Gospel to them and they needed to follow it (1
Cor. 11:2, 23; 15:1). This preacher orientation of the Corinthians seemed to be generated by wanting a charismatic
style preacher who lived rather luxuriously, but Paul had been the opposite (2 Cor. 11:7-11) to the dislike of
some in the Corinthian church. Rather he came to them in simplicity and under the presence of God through His
Spirit. Thus, he genuinely loved them and sacrificed himself for them, only to be rebuffed by some in the church.
But there were true believers in the church who had a deep love and appreciation for the apostle and welcomed
him into their city, as did both Aquila and Priscilla, along with Titius Justus who all hosted Paul and his associates
in their home during his time there.
2. Prior Letter
Essential point: written before 1 Corinthians, now lost; may be partially contained in 2 Cor. 6:14-71
Date: AD 52 (?)
Source: 1 Cor. 5:9
The next several points of contact of Paul with the Corinthian church will take place on the third missionary
journey after Paul arrived in Ephesus for the nearly three year stay in Ephesus.
When the apostle was writing his First Corinthians letter to the church sometime in 54-55 AD, he makes
reference to an earlier letter written to them previously:
Page 442
182
9 Ἔγραψα ὑμῖν ἐν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ μὴ συναναμίγνυσθαι πόρνοις, 10 οὐ πάντως τοῖς πόρνοις τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἢ
τοῖς πλεονέκταις καὶ ἅρπαξιν ἢ εἰδωλολάτραις, ἐπεὶ ὠφείλετε ἄρα ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελθεῖν. 11 νῦν δὲ ἔγραψα ὑμῖν. .
. .
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral persons— 10 not at all meaning the immoral
of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since you would then need to go out of the world. 11 But now
I am writing to you. . . .
Views by some scholars contend that part of this letter was later incorporated into 2 Corinthians at 6:14-7:1.
14 Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawless-
182 “The view that this verse makes it certain that Paul wrote ‘a previous letter’ goes back to the early Latin commentator
Ambrosiaster, and is endorsed by Calvin, Beza, Estius, Grotius, Bengel, and virtually all modern commentators. 145 Hurd reconstructs
the series of events which relate to the previous letter, but many remain justifiably guarded about the notion that the Corinthians could
“misunderstand” Paul as seriously as Hurd’s later reconstruction supposes. 146 On the other hand, some may maliciously have applied a
reductio ad absurdum of which Paul now shows himself fully aware. 147 ” [Anthony C. Thiselton, The First Epistle to the Corinthians:
A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 2000), 409.]