Cord (Hastings' Dictionary)

1. '^Pn, Arab, habl, the common name for rope in Syria. It is translated in RV 'cord' in Jos 2'^, Job ;i6» etc. ; 'line' in Jlic 2^ 2 S 8-, I's Ki'' 78''", Am 7", Zee 2' ; ' ropes ' in 1 K 20'' ; and 'tacklings' in Is SS-". In Syria ropes and cords are made of goat's or camel's hair spun into threads, and then plaited or twisted. Sometimes they are made of strips of goat's skins or cow's hide twisted together. In modern times ropes of hemp are more commonly used. 2. '"'J.,, Arab, ruhiif, •band,' a binding or fastening. It is so translated in Ezk 3-», Job '89'', Hos ll ; but 'ropes' in J" 1513. i»; 'cords' in Ps 118-: 129; and 'cart rope' in Is 3'. The word has the meaning of something interlaced or twisted. See Band. Besides the common ropes mentioned above, ropes for tempor- ary fastenings are often made from branches of vines interlaced or twisted together, and also from the bark of branches of the mulberry tree. 3. ">;'", Arab, alnab, lent ropes, trans, 'cords' in Ex 85" 39-' ', Is 04-, and .Ter 10-'. Tent ropes, among the Bedawin, are made of goat's or camel's hair. 4. c;in, Arab, khait, line, tr. 'cord' in Ec 4'-. 5. "i.,",, Arab, iclttar, catgut. In Jg 10' this word is translated 'withes,' in RVm 'bowstring,' which is probably correct. In Job 30'i AV ' my cord' may mean 'bowstring' or the 'rein' of a bridle; in Ps U'- -bowstring.' Catgut is often made in the villages of Lebanon. In the NT crxofwoi', ropes of rushes, is translated 'cord' in Jn 2''', and 'ropes' in Ac 2T'-. W. Cai:slaw. CORIANDER SEED C? rind, Kbpiof, coriandrum). — The fruit of an umbelliferous plant, Coriandrum sativum, L., extensively cultivated in the East. It is an annual, with two kinds of leaves, the lower divided into two to three jiairs of ovate-cuneate, dentate segments, the upper much dissected into linear-setaceous lobes. The fruits are ovate- globular, straw-coloured, twice a.s large a.? a hemp seed, and striate. They have a warm, aromatic taste, and .stomachic, carminative properties. Avi- cenna recites (ii. 198) a long list of virtues attributed to it, in a variety of diseases. The only inemion of it in the Bible is in comparison with the size and colour of manna (Ex 10'", Nu 11"). The Arabic name of it is kuzbarah. G. E. Post. ••CORINTH (Kdioii-ffoO was in many respects the most im]iortant city of Greece (i.e. Achaia, accord- ing to the Rom. appellation, cf. Ac 20- with 19-') under the Rom. Empire. Whereas Athens wa.s the educational centre, the seat of the greatest university in the world at that time, and the city to which the memories of Greek freedom and oliler history clung most pereistently, C. was the capital of the Rom. province (see AcilAIA), the centre of government and commerce, of actual life and political development in the country ; while its situation, again, on the great central route between Rome and the East, made it one of the knots to- wards which converged a number of suhordinale roads. In this bust respect it was the next stai;e Xn Ephesus (wh. see) on this great highway, and nuist h.ave been in very close and fieiiuent eommuniea- tion w:th it. The situation of C. (jualified it to be the most important centre whence any new move- ment in thought or society might radiate over the entire province of Achaia; ami therefore it became one of the small list of cities (along with Syrian Antioeh and Ephesus) which were most closely connected with the early spread of Christianity towards the West. C. occupied a striking and powerful position. Charlu Serihiifr's ,'^ont •ISO CORINTH CORINTH It was situated at the southern extremity of the narrow isthmus wliicli connected the Peloponnesus witli the mainland of Greece, on a slightly raised terrace, sloping up from the low-lyiiig plain to a bold rock, the Acrocorinthus, which rises abruptly on the south side of the city to the height of over 1800 ft. above sea-level. Thus the city was easy of access from both east and west, and at the same time possessed of great military im- portance, on account of its powerful citadel. Its strength was increased by its forlilications, which not merely suiTounded the city, but also connected it by the 'Long Walls' with its harbour Lechieum on the western sea, about 11 miles (12 stadia) distant. Its situation enabled it to command all land communication between central (Jreece and the Peloponnesus. Along the southern edge of the isthnuis stretches a ridge called Oneion from E. to W. ; and the Acrocorinthus, which from the north seems to be an isolated rock, is really a spur of Oneion, though separated from the ridge by a deep cleft or ravine. This riilge makes communication with the Peloponnesus difficult, leaving only three paths — one along the western sea (Corinthian Gulf), commanded by Lechseura and the Long Walls, one close under the walls of Corinth, and one along the eastern sea (Saronic Gulf), commanded by the other harbour of Corinth named C'enchre<e (Ac 18', Ro Itji), about 8i miles (70 stadia) distant from the city, 'i'he Acrocorinthus commands a wonderful view over both seas, on the E. the Saronic Gulf, and on the W. the Corinthian, and over the low lands bordering the two seas, up to the mountains both in the Peloponnesus and in central Greece ; the acropolis of Athens, Mount Parnassus, and many other famous points are clearly visible. Through its two harbours C. bestrode the isthmus, with one foot planted on each sea ; and hence it is called ' two-sea'd Corinth ' (bimaris Corinthi moenia, Horace, Od. i. 7) ; and Philip IV. of Macedon called it one of the ' fetters of Greece ' ; the other two being Chalcis in Euboea and Deme- trias in Thessaly. But the territory belonging to the city was confined and unproductive (except the fertile though narrow strip of .soil extending along the Corinthian Gulf towards Sicyon) ; the low ground of the Isthmus was poor and stony ; and (Oneion was mere rock. Hence the population was at once tempted by two quiet seas, and compelled by the churlish land, to turn to maritime enter- prise ; and there lay the greatness of C. so long as Greece was free. Only when Greece was enslaved did C. become one of the fetters of the countr}-. It was customary in ancient times to haul .ships across the low and narrow Isthmus by a made route, called Diolkos (o/oXkos) , between the W. and the E. sea. Owing to the dread entertained by ancient sailors for the voyage round the southern capes of the Peloponnesus (especially Malea), as well as to the .saving of time effected on the voyage from Italy to the Asian coast by the Corinthian route, many smaller ships were thus carried bodily across the Isthmus ; though the larger ships (such as that in which St. Paul sailed, Ac 27"- ") could never have been treated in that way. Many travellers along the great route from Italy to the East came to LechiEuro in one ship, and sailed east in another from Cenchreie, while the merchandise of large ships must have been transhipped ; and thus Corinth was thronged with travellers. Under Nero an attempt was made about A. I). (5G-67 to cut a ship-canal across the Isthmus (after several earlier schemes had been frustrated as an impious inter- ference with the divine will) ; and traces of the ■works were observable before the present ship- • A bold hill, prnjectinc a little dlstAnco on the west of the Aerocoiinthus, seriously Interferes with the view on that side ; Leake calls It ' the eyesore of Corinth." canal was made. The canal was intended to be some distance north of the two harbours, and would have damaged their prosiierily. In such a city any new movement of thought originating in the East was certain to become known rai)idly, in the frequent intercourse that was maintained be- tween Rome and the East. Moreover, Christians travelling for various reasons were often likely to pass through C. ; and hence St. Paul calls Gains of Corinth ' my host and of the whole Church ' (Ro 10-3). In (lie end of the 1st cent. Clement, writing to the Church at C, alludes several times (§ 1, § 10, § 35), to the frequent occasion which the people had to show hospitality to travellers. In this situation C. had generally been the lead- ing commercial city of Greece. Historical reasons, indeed, occasionally endangered its trading supre- macy for a time ; sometimes the energy of the Athenians, or of some other rivals, challenged it ; ami at last the Romans destroyed the city in B.C. 140. But the favourable situation which had made it the originator in Greek history of great fleets and of commercial enterprise on a large scale, and enabled it to become the mother-city of many colonies in the central and western parts of the Mediterranean, could not allow it to remain a ruin and a mere historical memory. For a time, indeed, Delos succeeded to its commercial supremacy, and Sicyon to its presidency at the Isthmian (James ; but in B.C. 46 it was refounded by Julius Caisar as a Rom. colony, under the name Colanin Laus Julia Coriv.thus. Hence a considerable proportion of the small number of names in NT connected with C. are Roman: Crispus, Titius Justus (Ac 18'-^), Lucius, Tertius, Gaius, Quartus (Ho 16'^>-^), For- tunatus, Achaicus (1 Co lO^"). Since Greece was revived as an independent country in modern times, the claim of C. to be the site of the capital, though mentioned, has been always rejected, partly through the suriia-ssing historical memories that cluster round Athens, and paitly through the fact that C. is subject to earthquakes. The oration of Dion Chrysostom, delivered in C. in the early part of the 2nd cent. (Or. .■?7), gives a lively idea of the prosperity of C. ; he de.scribes it as the most prominent and the richest city of Greece (vol. ii. p. 120, ed. Reiske), and alludes to its library, but enlarges chiefly on the historical and mythological associations. Half a century later Aelius Aristides in an oration ' to Poseidon,' del'.vered at C. in connexion with the Isthmian Gaines, also draws a picture of the city, enlarging more on the educated and literary spirit manifested there. About the same period Pausanias de- scribes its history and monuments and public buildings (ii. c. 1-4) : the old temple of Aphrodite, on the top of the Acrocorinthus ; the sacred fountain Peirene on its side, close under the summit ; below this the Sisypheum ; in the lower city the Agora, with its temples and statues, and .so on. The coinage of the Rom. colony proves, by the numerous types taken from old Corinthian history and mythology, the pride which was felt by the Roman C. in the ancient memories of the city ; and at once illustrates aiid conlirms the testimony of Dion and Aristides. This feeling in the colony must be taken into account in estimat- ing its character when St. Paul visited it ; and the subject is admirably treated by Imhoof-Blumer and Gardner in their Xiimisindtic CoiiDiirntdry an Pati.ianias (see Journal of Hellenic tlludies, vi. 1885, pp. 69-77). It must, however, be remembered that the colonial coins used by them are generally later than the timet of St. Paul, and that this feel- • The.ie traces, which have been entirely obliterated by the modern canal, are docribed, and a map plven showing' the line Intended to be followed bv Nero's canal, In SuUetin de Corrtr sjwnd. BelUnique, viU, (iSM) p. 22S f. COKINTH CORIXTH i61 iiig grew stronger in the 2nd cent, as the Horn, blood and spirit died out on a foreign and uncon- genial soil. The circumference of the lower city was 40 stadia, and the circumference of the forliti- calions, including in their circuit the Acrocorinthus, was 85 stadia (about 10 uiilcs), ;us I'ausanias and Strabo agree. Only scanty and unimpressive re- mains of ancient buildings now remain. The population of such a colony as C. would consist (1) of the descendants of the Koni. coloni, established there in li.c. 4(>, who would on the whole constitute a sort of local aristocracy ; (2) of many resident ' liomans' who came for Commercial reasons, in addition to a few resident officials of the government ; (3) of a large Greek population, who ranked as incoke ; (4) of many other resident strangers of various nationalities, attracted to C. for various reasons, amid the busy intercourse that characterized the Kom. world. The Kom. colonial blood had not yet had time to melt into the tireek stock, as it probably did in the cent, or two follow- ing St. Paul's visit. Among the resident strangers it is clear that a considerable colony of Jews existed at C, where they had a synagogue (Ac 18); and in such a commercial centre a .Jewish settle- ment was a matter of course. Among the Corin- thian Jews a certain number of converts, including some of the most prominent persons, joined St. I'aul (Ac 18- », Ko lG-\ 1 Co 9'^) ; and thus was, doubtless, one of the reasons why the feeling against St. Paul was so strong in the city, leatling even to a plot against his life (Ac 20). It is clear, however, both from Ac and from the two letters of .•^t. Paul to the Cr>rinthians, that the Church con- sisted chiefly of non-Jews (see esp. 1 Co 12^). But the presence in the Church of some influential Jews, and proljably of a considerable number of (iintiles who had previously been brought under thi^ influence of the synagogue (such as I'itus Justus, Ac 18'), constituted an element always likely to caiLSC that strong Judaizing tendency which is revealed in St. Paul's letters. St. Paul visited C. at lirst without any definite intention of making it a great centre of his work (Ac 18'). He Wiis still under the impression that his call to Macedonia (Ac Hi'-'- '") was operative ; and he was eager to return to Macedonia, and sjiecially to Thessalonica (1 Th 2'"- "), but was pre- vented by various circumstances and imi)ediments (which he sums up in the expression 'Satan hindered us'). It would appear fr<mi the narrative of Ac 17' ■, I«'r- that in Athens, and at first in C, St. Paul was still strongly posses.scd with the JIaccdonian scheme, and was only delaying his return thither until the difficulties were cleared away. But a special revelation (Ac 18"- ''') altered his plans, when in a night-vision the Lord directed him to speak freely and boldly in C, 'for I have much people in this city.' St. Paul regarded this as releasing I'im from the Macedonian duty, and now directed his work entirely towards the new sphere, in which he remained altogether for a year and six months. It is not state<l what period had elapsed between his arrival and this revelation ; Init, in all prob- ability, no very long time intervened. It is at least clear that the new governor Junius Gallio arrived after the revelation, and during the second pi'riod of work, which was directed towards the new Achaian sphere. But evidently even during the first period St. Paul had been encouraged by considerable success in C. In the Jewish synagogue, indeed, he had met with strong opposition, and had already found himself obliged to break off his connexion delinitely with his own nation, and to go unto the fientilis (Ac 18") from henceforth (i.e. during the rest of his slay in C). But even among the .lews, Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed with all his house : while among the yf<\ . I. — :l general population of C. many were baptized (Ac 18). None of the b.iptisms in C. were performed by St. Paul himself, except those of Crispus and of Gaius.andof the household of Stephanas (1 Co 1"- "i). It is not certain whether this abstention from personally baptizing was something peculiar in the special case of C, or was commonly practised by St. Paul ; but the other apostles seem to have often left the work of baptizing to ministers and subordinates (Ac 10<» 13^); and St. Paul probably did the same. The three exceptions mentioned by him are noteworthy ; the circumstances show why St. Paul was likely to attach special importance to them ; Stephanas was ' the first, fruits of Achaia' (1 Co IG""); Gains was his host on his later visit (Ro 10-^), and therefore probably a specially beloved friend ; Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, was a convert of uncommon importance. About five or six weeks, perliaps, after St. Paul's arrival at C, he was rejoined by Silas and Timothy, returning from Macedonia. He had left them at Bercoa, and tlu'y had joined him prob- ably in Athens, and been immediately sent away on a missiiin to Thessalonica (1 Th 3', Ac 17'^ IS'') and probably also to Philippi. Tlie fact that Timothy alone is quoted as authority for news from Thessalonica (1 Th 'i''), and as messenger to Thessalonica, shows that Silas had been sent to some other city of Macedonia (douljtless to Philippi). Inunediately on receipt of Timothy's news St. Paid wrote his First Ep. to the Thess. (1 Th S") from C. The date of the second is not so clearly fixed ; but it also was probably composed in the early part of the Corinthian work, immediately on reccijit of news about the reception of the first letter in Thessalonica. During St. Paul's residence in C, Gallio came to govern Achaia as proconsul of praitorian rank. There is no evidence, except what can be derived from the life of St. Paul, to fix the year in wliich Gallio administered the province ; but he may probably have come (luring the summer of a ii, fiU, though .some authorities tix the date differently (o-'i, Henan, Lightfoot ; see (iAl.l.ld). During his administration, the Jews — angry at the defection of at least one leading compatriot, at the manner in which St. Paul had turned away from them with a very exasperating gesture, and at the institution of a rival nieeting-liouse next door to the syna- gogue, in the house of 'I'itus Justus, a Roman, and a ' God-fearing proselyte' (Ac 18"-) — brought an accusation against St. Paul before the procoTisul. In order that such an accusation might be admitted for trial, the Jews nuist have tried to give to it a colouring of offence against Koman law, for the .Jews still po.sscssed the right to try among them- selves in their own way any offence against i)urely Jewish religious observance. But the attempt to give colour to a charge which w.as essenlially religious did not deceive Gallio; ho refused to admit the case to trial, and 'drave them from tlie judgment-seat.' His action wa-s highly imjiortant ; it amounted to an authoritative decision that SI. Paul's preaching could not be construed as an offence against Kom. law, and that, if there was anything wrong in it, the wrong w.as only in respect of Jewish law, and therefore .shouhl ciune before a .Jewi.sh court, and could not be admilled before the proconsular court. This decision by an official of such rank formed a precedent which might be appealed to in later trials ; and it is not too much to .say that it had iiractically the force of a declaration of freedom to preach in llie province. According to our view, this incident had a marked effect in directing SI. Paul's attention to the i>ro- tection which the Koman state might give him • W<> Kiv tlmt rbilippi was In frequent comnninlcatlon with Si. Paul (I'll l'''-l. 482 CORINTH CORINTH against the Jews. Hitherto his position had been so humble that liis relation to the state had prob- ably not entered consciously into his mind, or formed any part of his calculations , but the de- cision of the first Koinan imperial official before whom he had been accused (combined with the favourable memory of the other high imperial official, Sergius Paulus, with whom he had come in contact), was calculated to make a strong im- pression on his mind. When St. I'aul ceased to preach in the syna- gogue, lie began to use the house qf Titus Justus, a ' God-fearing proselyte ' (evidently Roman frt)m his name), as a centre for teaching. In the follow- ing months he was evidently understood by the Corinthian population to be one of those lecturers on philosophy and morals, so common in the Greek world, who often travelled, and settled in new cities where there seemed a good opening for a teacher ; and scornful remarks were made contrast- ing the high fees charged by teachers of estab- lished reputation with the gratis lectures of this new a-spirant, and an impression was common that St. I'aul (like other beginners in philosophy) was workint; to obtain a reputation and position such as would justify him, after a time, in beginning to charge fees, and make a livelihood by his brains instead of by his hands. The effect produced on St. Paul by these remarks is shown in 1 Co. As was the case in most other cities, the Greek populace of C. disliked the Jews ; and the marked reprimand administered to the latter by Gallio, in refusing to entertain the case against St. Paul, seems to have been popular in the city (Ac IS''). Tlie Greeks took and beat Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue (who had apparently succeeded Crispus when the latter became a Christian); and Gallio took no notice of an act which he may probably have considered as a piece of rough justice, and also as a mark of popular approval (which was always grateful to a Rom. official). At this time there can be no doubt that in the popular mind Christianity was looked on merely as an obscure variety of .ludaism. In C. at his first arrival °t. Paul became aci:|uainted with two persons who played an im- portant part in subsequent event,s ; these were I'riscilla and .Vquila (to follow the noteworthy order ob.served by St. Luke, .\c 18'- '^.t and by St. Paul himself, Ro lti>, 2 Ti 4'9). Aijuila, a Jew of the province Pontus, had left Iv/nu> in consequence of Claudius' edict (perhaps issued in the latter part of AD. oO); t and the commercial advantages of C. attracted hini thitlier. St. Paul resided in their house during his long stay in C. ; and they accom- panied him to KphesLis, where they were still resid- ing when he came thither after visiting Pal., Syrian Antioch, and the Galatian churches. PrisciUa bears a good Rom. name, and was probably a lady of good family (which would explain why she is so often mentioned before her husband); and Aquila doubtless had acquired a wide knowledge of the Rom. world during his life ; and they would there- fore be well suited to suggest to St. Paul the central importance of Rome in the development of the Church, and form a medium of communication with the great city. We may fairly as.sociate with this friendship the maturing of St. Paul's plan for evangelizing Rome and the West, which we find already fully arranged a little later (Ac 192>, • So in AV ; but in TtV it seems to be implietl that the Jews beat Sostlienes (implying tliat he was a Christian, as either lie or another Sosthenes afterwards was. 1 t'o IM. but it seems in- conceivable that Gallio should have permitted such an act on the part of those whom ho had just snubbe<l so emi>hatically. + So in RV ; biU .\V has the wronir order in 1S«. The dates assigned vary. Orosius names 49 as the year; and it has been contended that his dates at this nerlod are all uniformly one year too early (Kamsay. St. Paul t/te Trtirellur^ pp. (>S, 2Mi. Liphtfoot t'ives the date o-i, lU-nan 51, Lewin 6-.i. Ro 15-). In this respect, also, the Corinthian residence was an epoch in St. Paul's conception of the development of the Church in the Rom. world. In C. the development of the Church might be expected to move rapidly. East and West met there, where Rom. colonists, (ireek residents, and Jewish settlers all dwelt ; and thought progressed in the contact of race with race. But rai)id de- velopment always implies dissension and conflict of opinions ; and hence we find the existence of warring factions mentioned far more emphatically in C. than in any other Church ; some were of Paul (the founder), some of ApoUos (Paul's eloquent succes.sor), some of Cephas (i.e. the Judaizing party), some of Christ (presumably per- sons who claimed to be above mere apostolic partisanship), as we read in 1 Co 1^^. t)f these parties it is perhaps a permissible conjecture that the Rom. colonists, and the freedmen who natur- ally agreed with them, formed the bulk of the first, while the Greek residents had been more attracted by the Alexandrian philosophy, and perhaps the mysticism of ApoUos ; the Jews and some proselytes ■would comprise the Judaizing adherents of Cephas. St. Paul, when he came to C, seems to have been moved by the want of success that had attended his very philosophic style of address in Athens ; and he deliberately adopted a specially simple style of address. As he says (1 Co 2i, , cf. Ac 18), he came not with oratorical power or philosophic subtlety, expounding the mysterious nature of God ; he did not declare to the Corinthians, as he had done to the Athenian audience, ' the Divine Nature' (Ac 17-^- -^); he determined not to know anything among his he.arers at C. save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. To the Greeks, who sought after philosophy, such preaching must have seemed imeducated and unintellectual (1 Co 1—, s); and we might conjecture that, as a rule, they would prefer the message as delivered by Apollos. But there is no evidence to confirm this conjecture ; and in the only slight description of ApoUos' preaching in Achaia, he is said to have been specially successfid among the Jews (Ac 18'^^). It seems, therefore, not possible to feel any confidence in the details of an hypothesis connecting the parties in the Church with the nationalities that were mingled in the population of C, though we admit the strong probability that the variety of races contributed to cause the variety of parties, and that there would be a tendency for each race to become concentrated in one party. The preceding paragrajihs show that we are justified in attaching great importance to St. Paul's stay in C, as constituting an epoch in his preaching, in his plans, and in his conscious attitude towards the Rom. government, and also as resulting in the formation of a new Church in the track of ready communication alike with the East and with Italy. As to the constitution of this new Church, it is evident that a verj' consider- able congregation had been formed in C. within a few years after St. Paul first entered it, and some of the converts were men of position ; on the whole, however, he declares that there were among them not many that were deeply educatetl in philosophy, not many possessing official dignity and i>ower, not many of aristocratic birth (1 Co 1-); the bulk of the Church was humble, but these words (-not many') may fairly be taken as imply- ing that there were in it some few members of higher position. St. Paul seems to have departed from C. for the purpose of celebrating the fea-st at Jems. (Ac IS-^, where RV omits the words intimating his intention — but probably they are original); we cannot doubt that this w;is the Passover, which fixes his departure to early spring, and his arrival in C. to CORINTH I. CORINTHIANS 4S3 autumn, ace. to our view Sept. 61-March u3 (o2- 64 many .siiiolars, 48-aO Harnack). Perhap.s his vow, in accordance with whicli he cut his hair in Cenchreaj, when on tlie point of going on board the ship, was completed and discharged at the Passover in Jerusalem. Doubtless, he performed the voyage on a ship whose special purpose was to carry pilgrims to Jerus. for the feast fioin Achaia and Asia. In 20" he probably again thought of performing the voy;ige on sucli a ship, and found that the Jews were too incensed against him to make the voyage .safe. The subsequent history of the Corinthian Cliurcli is lightly passed over by St. Luke. Apollos was sent over from Kphesus with a letter of recom- mendation to the brethren in Achaia (Ac 18-', 2 Co 3'), and his intiuen(;e in C was powerful (Ac 182'- •■", 1 Co 1'-). It is generally admitted that St. Paul, during the early part of his stay in Ephesus, sent to C. a letter which has not been preserved (1 Co 5') ; and it may be regarded as highly prob- able that this is not the only one of his letters that has perished. The view has also been strongly maintained that St. Paul paid a short visit to C. from Kphesus, and returned to lOphesus (2 Co 12" i:?!) ; but, more probibly, such a short visit was paid later from Macedonia (.see Drescher in .S'A', 18!)", pp. 50 ff."). In the latter part of St. Paul's stay in Ephesus, however, the report that was brought to him from C. by envoys (1 Co 1(517. 18^ drew from him the letter which has been preserved, and is commonly cited as 1 Co. It seems probable that this letter was sent by the hands of Titus : at least it is certain that he was sent by St. Paul on a mi.ssion to C. about this time (2 Co7''^- "■); and St. I'aul several times refers to the strong interest which Titus took in the Corinthians (2 Co T"" 8'''). 'I'imothy also was sent on a mission to C. from Ephesus (1 Co 4'"). When St. Paul left Ephesus and came to Macedonia, he met there Titus on his return from C. (probably at Philippi), after having been disappointed in the hope fif finding him at Troas. Evidently, Titus returned from C. by the land route or by a coiist- iiig vessel by way of Macedonia and Troas. On this report the second letter to C. was now dis- patched ; and Titus went on a second mission, accompanied this time by ' the brother whose praise in the gospel is spread through all the Churches' (identified by an early tradition, which may i)robably be correct, as St. Luke). Timothy also returned by the land route from C, and met St. Paul in Macedonia (2 Co l'). After .spending some months in Macedonia, apparently in several cities (Ac 20-, 1 Co 10^, Ko lo''j, St. Paul entered Greece, where he spent three months, chiefly, no doubt, at C, during the winter of 5(5-67 (or 57-58 ace. to Lightfoot and many others). IJuring the years 56-56 St. Paul bad been much occui)ied with a scheme for a general contribution from his new Churches in the four provinces Achaia, Macedonia, (jalatia, and Asia,t which w,as to be devoted to the benefit of the poor ('hristians in Jerusalem. To this scheme St. Paul attached the utmost importance, as marking the solidarity of the new foundations with the original Church ; and he pays a high compliment to the (Corinthians for the readiness with which they h,ad begun to respmid to the call (2 Co SI', '). No envoy from C. is named among the delegates sent In charge of ♦ In the pQssiitfe of 2 Co 8, probably other .Tow« who camo with letters of reeominendatlon IVum .lerus. are referred to, as \%ell an AniiHo.s with hlH Kpheslan recointnetulation. + 8t, Paul iiH'Dtlon!^ the cimtrlhiitlon of Macedonia and Ai-hala In Itn l.V". 2 I'o s»- " ;i>, of (iaiatia and Corinth. I Co Hi'. lie has no occnHiiMi to iilhiile to that of .\sia ; and lie alludes to that of (Jalatia only perha[>s as beln^r the first and suiipivln^ the model, 'i'ho Asian contribution is in)[itled in Ac 20. where the euvoya wlio carried it to .lerus, are mentioned (cf. Ac 24"). the money to Jerus. (Ac 20-'); but it seems possible that the Corinthians asked either St. Paul himself or one of the envoys mentioned in 2 Co 8'", to act as their stewartl. The develo|)ment of tlie Church in C. between A.I). 53 and 57, and the kinds of difficulties that beset the early steps of this young congregation, are closely connected with the letters of St. Paul (which form our sole authority), and will be more appropriately treated under the heading of CoinxTiiiANs, Ei'isTi.i';s to the; but we must here refer to the probable influence of the char- acter of society in the city on the Church. C. had always been a great seat of the worship of Aphrodite ; and tltat goddess retained in her seat on the Isthmus much of the abominable (and really non-Greek) character of the A.sian and esp. PhuBnician religion from which she sprang, par- ticularly the system of hierodouloi who lived a life of vice as part of the religious ceremonial of the goddess. Hence the viciousness of C. was pro- verbial through the Koman world ; and we can realize how vile was the society out of which the Corinthian congregation arose, how hard it was for them to shake off the influence of early and long association with vicious surroundings, how deep they were likely to sink in cas(! of any lapse from religion. It is no wonder that St. Paul wrote (1 Co 5'") that, if they were to cut themselves off altogether from vicious persons, they ' must needs go out of the world.' Near C. was the scene of the Isthmian- Games, one of the foin- great athletic contests and festivals of (Jreece. These games were held at the shrine of Poseidon, a ilule way N.E. of the city, about the narrowest p.trt of the Isthmus, and close to the shore of the Saronic (Julf. They were of the usual Greek style, including foot-races, chariot-races, boxing, etc., and the victor's prize was a wreath of the foliage of the pine-trees, which grow abund- antly on the coast. It is usual to say that St. Paul borrows his imagery in such passages as 1 Co <yi''^ from these games ; but games were uni- versal in all (ireek or semi-Greek cities; and St. Paul, who had lived long in such cities as Tarsus and Antioch, anil had already visited many others, did not require to visit the Isthmian Games in order to write that ' they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize,' or that ' they do it to receive a corruptible crown.' Such allusions would be as luminous to the inhabitants of every other (Jreek city in the Mediteri'anean lands as they were to the Corinthians. LiTKKATriiR. — Of peneral works on treof^raphy the best are I.*ake'8 Morea, ill. '.f2!i-^iil4, aiid his PeUtimnneitiactt.^^i fl,\ Curtius, rtlojHiuiitnoH, ii. .M4 fl". ; Clark, PelopotmeHUH, 42-(tl. The puide-houks, especially Hiedelter, are cood ; and the articles In works on fJreek ireography are in penerni excellent In regard to Greece proper (fur superior to tho.se on the cities of Asia). The works on the life of St. Paul by Coiiybenre and llowson, ami a host of others, are. as a rule, very (.'ood In their treatment of Corinth. l)n the colnaKe, besides tmhooMlIlliner and Cnrdner already (|iioted, see tiie works of Miunnet, Kckhel, and ealii- lo).'ues' like that of the Hritish Museiiin. W. M. Kamsay.