THURSDAY September 14, 2023
Immorality
After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth.
Acts 18:1
Paul had left Athens and arrived in Corinth. The city of Corinth was very prominent in the first century. It is located in Greece on an isthmus between the Aegean and Ionian Seas. The city had great significance both commercially and militarily. Corinth was the capital of the Roman province Achaia.
About 90,000 people lived in Corinth. They were well known for their love of pleasure. Idolatry and wickedness were commonplace. The city had a poor reputation, so much so that a new Greek word was used to describe someone living there: korinthiazomai which meant “to live immorally like a Corinthian.” This ancient city was extremely worldly, just like liberal Hollywood or Las Vegas––sin city.
I had the opportunity to go to Corinth, and one of the most amazing sights I saw was the Corinth Canal. It connects the Greek mainland to the Peloponnese––the southern Peninsula of Greece. Historically, it was the ambition of many Roman emperors to create the canal, but it was started by Nero with a group of 6,000 slaves, thought to have been Jewish prisoners of war. However, it was not completed until 1893.
The Corinth canal is about 4 miles long, and 26 feet deep. When viewed from the air, its steep, beautiful, limestone walls reaching 300 feet from water level can be seen. At times the canal has been closed due to rock falls. The deep blue waters carried ships through this narrow canal and saved them from traveling about 300 nautical miles.
In Corinth, I have also seen the ancient Bema Seat, a place used to reward athletes and pronounce judgments. The Greek word bema is used by Paul, for the Judgment Seat of Christ––where He will judge all believers for all the things they have done in life––whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:9-11).
It is at the Bema Seat that Paul stood to give the Gospel to the Corinthians. Paul was so faithful to the call of God on his life.
If I walk with the world, I can’t walk with God.
~D.L. Moody~
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