CORINTO

Corinth was considered one of the most important Greek cities. Commerce, culture, religion and immorality were the reasons that build up the fame ofthis cosmopolitan city. This is Corinth, a community full of divine gifts, but at the same time immature and without a deep spirituality. This is the community to which Paul wrote the letters.

Thepurpose of Paul in writing the letter was to instruct and address the community weaknesses and solve the internal problems. Although Paul was not in Corinth, he was informed about some differencesamong the community; but what were those problems or divisions?

Divisions 1,10-17

When Paul founded the church in Corinth, he remained there for eighteen months. So in order to continue the missionof spread the good news, he entrusted the task to others. After Paul left Corinth everything seemed to doing well, but it was not for so long. Pablo received news about the existence of some groupswithin the community who lined up under an evangelizer figure: Apollo, Cephas, Paul, Christ, but Paul rejected such groups. The root of those groups was the immaturity of faith found on humans; thegroups sought to be led by human wisdom rather than by the Holy Spirit. Paul said about it, “Christ is not divided”.

Figures and groups

Paul (1Cor 4:17): Founder of the Church in Corinth. This groupprobably formed as a reaction to the others.

Apollos (1Cor 3:6; 16:12): Originally from Alexandria he preached in Corinth in Paul´s absence and was with Paul in Ephesus when the letter was written.Cephas (1Cor 3:22): This is the name used from Paul to name Peter. It is not impossible that Cephas visited Corinth. If not, Judeo-Christians may have invoked his name to legitimize a more lawobservance from Christianity than Paul found palatable (with more taste).

Christ: This is the most mysterious of the factions. Ultra-spirituals may have repudiated the mediation of Church or Kerygma

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