SEV Biblia, Chapter 18:1
¶ Pasadas estas cosas, Pablo sali de Atenas, y vino a Corinto.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 18:1
Verse 1. Paul departed from Athens] How long he stayed here, we cannot tell; it is probable it could not be less than three months; but, finding that the Gospel made little progress among the Athenians, he resolved to go to Corinth. CORINTH was situated on the isthmus that connects Peloponnesus to Attica; and was the capital of all Achaia, or Peloponnesus. It was most advantageously situated for trade; for, by its two ports, the Lecheum and Cenchreae, it commanded the commerce both of the Ionian and AEgean Sea. It was destroyed by the Romans under Mummius, about one hundred and forty-six years before Christ, in their wars with Attica; but was rebuilt by Julius Caesar, and became one of the most considerable cities of Greece.
Like other kingdoms and states, it has undergone a variety of revolutions: from the oppressive and destructive government of the Turks it has been lately restored to that of the Greeks; but it is greatly reduced, its whole population amounting only to between thirteen and fourteen thousand souls. It is about 46 miles east of Athens, and 342 S.W. of Constantinople.
Its public buildings were very superb; and there the order called the Corinthian Order, in architecture, took its rise.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. After these things , etc.] The Arabic version renders it, after these words, or discourses; after the apostles disputation with the philosophers, and his sermon in the Areopagus, the effects of which are before related: Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth ; the metropolis of Achaia, or Peloponnesus. The city was formerly called Ephyra, from Ephyra f904 , the daughter of Oceanus, and had its name of Corinth from Corinthus, the son of Maratho, who repaired it when destroyed; or, as others say, from Corinthus the son of Pelops, others of Orestes, and others of Jupiter: though more probably it was so called from the multitudes of whores in this place, as if it was korai enya , corai entha, here are girls, or whores; for in the temple of Venus there were no less than a thousand whores provided, to be prostituted to all comers thither; (see Gill on Corinthians 12:21). It was situated between two great seas, the Aegean and Ionean; hence Horace calls it Bimaris: it had a very strong tower, built on a high mount, called Acrocorinthus, from whence these two seas might be seen, and where was the fountain Pirene, sacred to the Muses: the city was about sixty furlongs, or seven miles and a half, from the shore f906 : it was a city that abounded in riches and luxury. Florus calls it the head of Achaia, and the glory of Greece; and Cicero f908 , the light of all Greece: it was in time so much enlarged, and became so famous, that it was little inferior to Rome itself, on which account it grew proud and haughty; and using the Roman ambassadors with some degree of insolence, who were sent into Greece, on some certain occasion, first Metellus, and then Mummius, were sent against it, which latter took it, and burnt it; and the city then abounding with images and statues of gold, silver, and brass, were melted down together in the fire, and made what was afterwards called the Corinthian brass, which became so famous, and is often spoken of in history f909 : but Julius Caesar, moved with the commodious situation of the place, rebuilt it f910 , and it became a colony of the Romans, as Pliny and Mela both call it: and so it was at this time when the apostle was there.
After this it came into the hands of the Venetians, from whom it was taken by Mahomet, the second son of Amurath, in the year 1458 f913 ; but is now again in the hands of the Venetians; and that and the country about it are called the Morea. And as the Gospel was to be preached to the worst of sinners, among whom Gods chosen ones lay, the apostle was directed to come hither; and it appears by the sequel, that God had much people here, even more than at Athens, among the wise and learned.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - Though Paul was entitled to support from the churches he planted, an from the people to whom he preached, yet he worked at his calling. A honest trade, by which a man may get his bread, is not to be looke upon with contempt by any. It was the custom of the Jews to bring u their children to some trade, though they gave them learning of estates. Paul was careful to prevent prejudices, even the mos unreasonable. The love of Christ is the best bond of the saints; an the communings of the saints with each other, sweeten labour, contempt and even persecution. Most of the Jews persisted in contradicting the gospel of Christ, and blasphemed. They would not believe themselves and did all they could to keep others from believing. Paul hereupo left them. He did not give over his work; for though Israel be no gathered, Christ and his gospel shall be glorious. The Jews could no complain, for they had the first offer. When some oppose the gospel, we must turn to others. Grief that many persist in unbelief should no prevent gratitude for the conversion of some to Christ.
Greek Textus Receptus
μετα 3326 PREP δε 1161 CONJ ταυτα 5023 D-APN χωρισθεις 5563 5685 V-APP-NSM-M ο 3588 T-NSM παυλος 3972 N-NSM εκ 1537 PREP των 3588 T-GPN αθηνων 116 N-GPF ηλθεν 2064 5627 V-2AAI-3S εις 1519 PREP κορινθον 2882 N-ASF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. Found. "A Jewish guild always keeps together, whether in street or synagogue. In Alexandria the different trades sat in the synagogue arranged into guilds; and St. Paul could have no difficulty in meeting, in the bazaar of his trade, with the like-minded Aquila and Priscilla" (Edersheim, "Jewish Social Life").
Robertson's NT Word Studies
18:1 {To Corinth} (eis korinqon). Mummius had captured and destroyed Corinth B.C. 146. It was restored by Julius Caesar B.C. 46 as a boom town and made a colony. It was now the capital of the province of Achaia and the chief commercial city of Greece with a cosmopolitan population. It was only fifty miles from Athens. The summit of Acrocorinthus was 1,800 feet high and the ports of Cenchreae and Lechaeum and the Isthmus across which ships were hauled gave it command of the trade routes between Asia and Rome. The temple of Aphrodite on the Acrocorinthus had a thousand consecrated prostitutes and the very name to Corinthianize meant immorality. Not the Parthenon with Athene faced Paul in Corinth, but a worse situation. Naturally many Jews were in such a mart of trade. Philippi, Thessalonica, Beroea, Athens, all had brought anxiety to Paul. What could he expect in lascivious Corinth?
