Saint Paul Of Tarsus A Journey: Corinth

By NJ Norbie

Aside from Jesus of Nazareth, no other individual has made a greater impact on the Christian faith than, Saul (Paul) of Tarsus. His ministry was so prolific, that the ripple effects of it are felt nearly two millennia later. This work is part one of a three volume series which seeks to bridge the gaps between the information supplied in the New Testament documents, and what may or may not have transpired. It will also draw the reader into an idea of what everyday life was like in Corinth. While this treatise is historical fiction, it is firmly grounded in Paul's letters, the New Testament, and contemporary sources. With the exception of a few fictitious characters, all the people, places, and particulars are factual. Perhaps the content of this work could be compared to a brick house, with the bricks acting as historical information that firmly ground the narrative, and the fiction acting as the mortar that binds everything together. Over the course of Paul's lengthy ministry, he frequently sought to set up a base of operations in affluent metropolitan areas. The three target cities were: Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome. While Paul did not establish the Church in Rome, early on in his ministry, he landed in the colossal city of Corinth, a major metropolitan area consisting of an amalgamation of cultures, beliefs, and personalities. Speaking about Corinth in the late first century BC, Horace said, "Not everyone is able to go to Corinth." meaning, it was a city of strength, wealth, and prosperity. However, along with its vast wealth, so too came immorality and lusts of the flesh. While Corinth has long been associated as the most debauch city of the Roman empire, recent research has uprooted such claims. There is no question that immorality was prominent, but it wasn't any more rampant than other major cities in the empire. One of the questions that emerges in this story is how Paul, who had seemingly been chased out of every city that preceded Corinth, managed to maintain a longstanding and prosperous ministry there. In light of his many clashes with his fellow countrymen and the deep-rooted influence of Gentile worship of false deities, it is nothing short of miraculous at his success. According to the account in Acts of the Apostles, Paul ministered and resided in Corinth for nearly a year and a half; however, the account in Acts is a meager eighteen verses leaving the audience with huge gaps, questions about his ministry and the individuals he met while residing there. In Corinth, Luke gives the names of several individuals Paul met who would later go on to become close companions and fellow networkers for the gospel. These personalities were certainly diverse, coming from every facet of Roman society. Two of those colorful individuals, not mentioned in the New Testamen are Bassus an assassin for Agrippina, and Ancilla a runaway slave. Both are fictional characters who by Divine intervention became entangled with good Christian company, who likewise ended up in Corinth after the emperor Claudius expelled a number of people from Rome, likely in 49 AD.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0D9N9XRRB
• ISBN13: 9798333384225
• Release Date: July 2024
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 178 Pages
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.5" x 6.0"