Read: Acts 18:1-23
And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. (v. 8)
In the United States, the title “Sin City” is synonymous with Las Vegas, Nevada. I have been to Las Vegas, and there is no denying that immoral things happen there. The old slogan of the city reflects this idea: “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” At least some of the time, people who go to Las Vegas are not proud of their behavior there.
The same would be true for the city of Corinth. Yes, Corinth was a commercial center and the home of the Isthmian Games, which ranked second only to the Olympic Games. But more than anything, Corinth was a wicked city. The Greeks had a verb, “to play the Corinthian,” which meant to live a life of excessive revelry, drunkenness, and sexual lewdness. All of this was supported by the temple of the goddess Aphrodite, which sent “sacred prostitutes” into the streets in the evening to ply their trade.
Into this depraved setting, Paul proclaimed the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He knew that God could change hearts and that the light of the gospel could brighten the darkest of places. In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul wrote how some of the believers had been sexually immoral, idolaters, thieves, drunkards, and the like. But no longer—for these believers from Corinth, the gospel of Christ had brought new life. —John Koedyker
As you pray, thank God for the miraculous way he changes lives.
About the Author
Rev. John Koedyker has been a pastor in the Reformed Church in America for more than forty years. His ministry began in Japan where he served as a missionary for ten years. After that he has served churches in Iowa and Michigan. He has served as the Stated Clerk of Muskegon Classis, RCA, for the past sixteen years and also presently serves as pastor of congregational care at First Reformed Church of Grand Haven, Michigan. John has written a number of times previously for Words of Hope and he has a bi-monthly religion column in the Grand Haven Tribune. He is married to Marilyn, and they have four grown children and seven grandchildren.
