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Paul. Texts read "he".
departed. See Act_1:1, Act_1:4.
to. Greek. eis. App-104. Probably in spring of A.D. 52. See App-180.
Corinth. At this time the political capital of Greece and seat of the Roman proconsul (Act_18:12), as Athens was its literary centre. Its situation on an isthmus, with harbours on two seas, Lechaeum and Cenchreae, made it of great commercial importance, goods being transhipped and carried across the isthmus from one harbour to another, as was the case at Suez before the canal was made. Strabo says it was the chief emporium between Asia and Italy. The worship of Aphrodite (Latin Venus), the same as Ashtoreth (Jdg_2:13), was carried on here, with all the Oriental licentiousness, probably introduced by the Phoenicians (1Ki_11:33). Attached to the temple of Venus were one thousand courtesans. The word korinthiazomai, to act the Corinthian, was infamous in classical literature. These facts underlie and explain much in the Epistles to the Corinthians, e.g. 1Co_5:6. 1Co_7:9, 1Co_7:27; as also the fact that the renowned Isthmian games were held in the Stadium attached to the temple of Poseidon (Neptune), a short distance from the city. These games, as well as the temples of Athens, Corinth, and elsewhere, supplied Paul with many of the metaphors with which his writings abound.