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Acts 18 describes how Christianity came to Corinth. After a difficult\nsojourn in Athens, Paul arrived in Corinth alone. Soon he met a Jew\nnamed Aquilla and his wife Priscilla, with whom he shared the same\ntrade, and began persuading Jews and Greeks in the synagogues to\nfollow Christ. The Scriptures account that the Jews quickly "opposed and reviled\u201d both Paul and his ministry (v 5-6). In response, he "shook out his garments and said to them, 'Your blood be upon your heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles'"\n(v 6).

\n\nAfter\ndeparting from the synagogue, he began a highly contentious form of\nevangelization to the Gentiles and God-fearers, establishing his base\nin the house "next door" to the synagogue (v 7). God\nprotected Paul's oft-threatened ministry in Corinth, saying to him in\na night vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be\nsilent; for I am with you, and no man shall attack you to harm you;\nfor I have many people in this city" (v 9-11). After Gallio\nbecame proconsul of Achaia (roughly modern Greece), the Jews unite to\naccuse Paul of spreading an illicit religion (cf v 12-13). Gallio\nrefuses to be the judge of such debate, forcibly ejecting the Jews\nfrom his court (cf v 14-15). Tension between Jews and Gentiles is\nexcruciatingly high in Corinth, as expressed by the small riot that\nensues (cf v 16-17).

\n\nPaul\nlater wrote an epistle to \u201cthe church of God which is at Corinth,"\n(1 Cor 1:1-2). Here he stresses the presence of a universal (i.e.,\ncatholic) Church with local manifestations. In the Greek, "the\nchurch of God which is at Corinth" does not refer to a local\nassembly, but rather to a universal church which is represented in\nCorinth. It is important to note that Christians derive the term for\nchurch, ecclesia, from the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament), where\nthe entire Hebrew people is called the ecclesia of Israel, an\nassembly of millions. Ecclesia never refers to just a local community\nin the Septuagint.

\n\nEarly\nin the epistle, Paul links Jesus Christ to the grace which the Corinthians have received\n(cf v 4). In spite of having received the sacraments of Baptism,\nConfirmation and other spiritual gifts, however, Paul indicts them\nfor misusing these gifts to further theological causes in a\nmean-spirited manner (cf v 5). The task of a Christian is to grow in\nholiness, to love one another and to evangelize, never to be\ncontentious or self-seeking.

\n\nMusic: Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15, performed by the Skidmore College Orchestra. www.musopen.com