Ancient Corinth…Yeah, From the Bible

Bema of Ancient Corinth

I mentioned that I wasn’t too fond of Athens. So, I was looking forward to renting my car and heading west to the Peloponnese peninsula.

One of the firsts stops I was planning was Corinth. Paul visited Corinth and later wrote two letters to the church of this city. 1st and 2nd Corinthians.

As I have been in Greece, I’ve been reading through Corinthians. And many things struck me on this reading.

Divisions.

The church of Corinth had some issues. Various issues that needed to be addressed. Yet, 2000 years later, this book is just as important because we still have divisions within the Church.

I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

1 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We have people following this leader. Or that leader. Vocalizing their thoughts why one leader isn’t truly good for the Church. Just lots of negativity of the Church.

Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.” Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not!

1 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It seems we are a society that loves to stir division for the sake of restoration. But are there better ways?

So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.

1 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The first stop of our trip through Corinth was an old port. The Ancient Port of Kechries. Or Cenchrea.

Ancient Port of Kechries

Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that, then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters and went to nearby Cenchrea. There he shaved his head according to Jewish custom, marking the end of a vow. Then he set sail for Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him.

Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭18‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. Welcome her in the Lord as one who is worthy of honor among God’s people. Help her in whatever she needs, for she has been helpful to many, and especially to me. Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. In fact, they once risked their lives for me. I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches.

Romans‬ ‭16‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Next we headed to Ancient Corinth.

Temple of Apollo in Ancient Corinth

We walked through the ruins of this old town, looking at the idol temples, supposed homes and meeting places back in the day.

But mostly, we were looking for something that mentioned Paul.

And behold, we found it.

”But when Gallio became governor of Achaia, some Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him before the governor for judgment. They accused Paul of “persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to our law.” But just as Paul started to make his defense, Gallio turned to Paul’s accusers and said, “Listen, you Jews, if this were a case involving some wrongdoing or a serious crime, I would have a reason to accept your case. But since it is merely a question of words and names and your Jewish law, take care of it yourselves. I refuse to judge such matters.” And he threw them out of the courtroom. The crowd then grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him right there in the courtroom. But Gallio paid no attention.”

Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭18‬:‭12‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Bema, or the first picture, is where this was supposed taken place. It was the town center, so disputes were usually handled there. Including this interaction between Paul and Gallio.

So, I stood in the place Paul supposedly stood. He was preaching and teaching, defending the Gospel. And all I was doing was standing silent.

It seems like I live a quiet life. I don’t share my faith openly on the streets like a Paul or Silas. I don’t go to the large gatherings in hopes of sharing the Good News. I don’t live my life loud.

I wonder would the world be a better place if more quiet people grew a little louder. But instead of talk of divisions and negativity, the world hears more peace and unity.

I’m hopeful.

Peace

What is Your Plan for Life?

I’ve had multiple conversations in the last month about plans and goals in life.

A couple were strictly a business plan. If our company is at Point A right now where do we want to be in two years?

Sometimes people do not like to set lofty goals for fear of not reaching them. The failure complex. Hearing that not being good enough inner voice. Wave the white flag syndrome and admit defeat.

But just because you don’t reach your goals, that doesn’t mean you are a failure. Who says these goals had to have a timeline?

If in two years you are farther along than you are now, you may be able to still count that as a success.

The beauty of goals is charting the course and mapping out your desired path. There may be detours, but without a goal or endpoint in mind, you could be wandering in circles without realizing you passed the same spot sixteen times.

I was speaking with a friend when his wife spoke up and said, “without a plan you could end up somewhere you don’t want to be.”

Yes. You may think you are striving and moving forward, but what if you’re not. It’s like sailing. In the middle of the ocean you cannot see land. But if you use navigational tools you can figure out where to sail to hit land. You could be sailing blindly south in the Pacific thinking you are making some great strides, but if your destination is California in the East you may be greatly disappointed when you hit Antartica a week later.

So, making a plan and forming a path to your outcome is essential.

Paul writes,

Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly

1 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭26‬a NIV

Are you running aimlessly?

Have you ever been lost and needed to be somewhere in 5 minutes? GPS wasn’t working. No map. Nothing but wandering down an unknown street hoping something will jump out telling you you are here.

That is a bad feeling.

Sadly, many people are going through life aimlessly. They may not be running, but they are going through the same ol’ motions of ten years ago without any idea of where they are going.

They may not have a bad feeling, but most likely, they don’t have any feelings. They are just numb to the unknown state of their existence.

In my heart, I think that may be a worse feeling than being lost. Just the lukewarmness of feeling nothing. The dull emotional state of nothing good or bad.

I’ve been told that Hell may not be fire and brimstone. It may just be a state of existence without God.

I wonder if Hell is like a never ending treadmill of going nowhere. Just walking with no place to go. Nothing to see. Nothing to do. Just a state of moving because that is all you know. You’ve been walking on the treadmill with no questions asked for a decade and you’ll be walking for another decade.

We were made to be more than treadmill walkers with no excitement in our lives. We were created to dream, to go, to move, to inspire, to tell, to do, to share, to live.

If you feel like you’re stuck, you may be.

It’s time to quit living your life in a hamster wheel. It’s time to run with purpose and determination.

It’s time to aim where you are running.

If you need help, I’m here. You don’t have to run alone.

Peace