"As the largest central market and capital of Achaia, the intellectual and cultural heartland of Greece, Corinth had an immense cultural as well as economic influence on both the surrounding territories and the Greek-speaking provinces of the eastern part of the Roman Empire. Paul's establishment of Christianity there offered opportunities for diffusion of the gospel no other city could provide."
In Acts 18, Paul travels alone from Athens to Corinth. He meets a Christian couple from Rome, who had left under the edict of Claudius in and around 50 ce. that expelled Christian Jews from that city. Paul is a tentmaker. He contributes to the local economy and lives self-sufficiently as such. It may also be that he found it culturally more acceptable to participate in the local business economy, rather than to accept the hospitality of believers for sustainability. he will not remain a tentmaker for the entire mission in Corinth. Once he is rejoined by Timothy and Silas and has established a bonified house church of both Jews and Gentiles, Paul devotes himself to gospel proclamation. He is there for 18 months.
During his time in Athens, he creates a dispute in the synagogue over Jesus' Messiahship. He leaves the synagogue and continues a Gentile-focused mission. He will be accused of breaking the law. The proconsul Gallio (Mayor of Corinth?) will hear the charges and dismiss Paul. He doesn't find him innocent, so much as Gallio chooses to remain impartial and indifferent on the religious matters in dispute. Paul is not afforded the protections of Roman citizenship here as he was in Philippi. It seems that the Empire has chosen to remain neutral with respect to the emerging dispute between the established Jews and the emerging Christians.
What we learn as ecclesia:
1. Cultural context dictates the way we engage in evangelical mission. Location is important. Exegeting the cultural context is critical. Paul was an outstanding cultural exegete. he could both retain his distinctive identity as an apostle of the Lord Jesus and live visibily and respectably as a member of the local, majority culture. In some ways, embracing the culture builds bridges, creating points of contact and access that won't happen in a "Christian bubble". Perhaps the reason why the Jerusalem community fails to thrive is that they were wedded to a particular cultured way of being Christian, mainly a Jewish way of being Christian, that would not allow for the Gentilization of Christianity. Paul allowed for the gentilization of Christianity, so that it could become viral, diffuse, and global. What cultural adaptations are necessary today for the church to maintain contact? Music? Technology? It seems that, at least, the web is a frontier for communication we must use to the best of our ability. We must be adept in the language of this internet culture.
2. I also wonder: How soon in post-Christendom will bivocational living be required of apostolic evangelists? Now? At present, traditional congregational life creates a kind of bivocation for some missional pastors. We serve congregations who pay our salaries and afford us opportunity to exercise apostolic gifts. Hence, I spend a lot of time connecting to folks outside of the congregation. Even though I am preaching every Sunday in church and continue to stay connected to members, I also have opportunity to share ths gospel beyond the pastor's study, pew, and pulpit. I do see, however, that bivocational ministry affords the opportunity to connect with people outside of church through one's "tentmaking". And a Christian community can actually emerge out of one's contact with others through work. And yet, Paul will return to dedicated ministry once a church is established.
3. Post-Christendom does not afford us the kind of authority, protection, and respect from the Empire that we once enjoyed under Constantinianism. When the Empire is a democracy, this change in our place is seen most obviously in the loss of authority over public matters of dispute. The church's "opinion" is just that; one opinion among many valued opinions. It may be that the church's opinion is even discredited in the eyes of many people as a result of the abuses of power associated with the Constantinian church. And since the church does not speak in unity of opinion, our collective voices are even more easily dismissed. Since everyone has a vote and an opinion that is equally valid, even the church itself is subject to the non-spiritual whims of less mature religious folk. If a congregation votes not to celebrate weekly Eucharist, aren't they being ruled by a democratic process rather than a prayerful discernment of Jesus' way?
Where are we? What is our culture telling us? What does this context seek, long to hear, need, hope for, require, demand, and expect? How do we listen as ecclesia in order to respond?
Corinth is the New Orleans of the ancient world. Sea-faring town. Trade route. Multicultural center. Diverse population. Rebuilt. Known for its wild side and its licentiousness. When 37,000 Lutherans descend on NOLA in July will we be able to exegete the culture and live missionally within it there?
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