NGRK 505: Greek Language Tools: Historical Context Short Essay Assignment

Historical Context Short Essay Assignment

Joo Won Lee

NGRK 505: Greek Language Tools

June 7, 2026

      2 Corinthians 5:1-10 is largely assumed to be written by apostle Paul; among the serious New Testament scholars, the authorship of the passage is not challenged. It is written to the believers at church in Corinth, a then-thriving metropolis town in Asia Minor as the chapter 1 verse 1 says, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother. To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia.” It was obviously written in the first century AD., at sometime between AD. 50-65, before the letter to Phillippi was written per my rudimentary understanding concerning the dates, founding of the churches in Asia Minor, and missionary/ministerial activities involving apostle Paul in that particular region. Corinth is NOT one of the seven churches which Lord Jesus mentions as He appeared to apostle John on the island of Patmos in Johannian apocalyptical end time visions (Rev. 2-3).

     At this point we should be all aware of the first century historical (& cultural) background and context of the time when the epistle was written; as the fledgling new faith of Christianity was spreading, they were confronting the people of vast array of background whose ethnic, religious, cultural background were  of mosaic in nature as they were either atheists, pagan polytheists or the hybrid of some sort since the Asian Minor region including Corinth had magnificent classical looking temples and parthenons dedicated to pagan Greek-Roman deities with the populace largely soaked in diabolical/depraved pagan customs and rituals.

     The place where the letter  was originally written and sent to the church at Corinth cannot be immediately detected by reading the passage (5:1-10) itself since it contains no such information. However, when one looks at the whole letter of 2 Corinthians then the picture becomes a little more clear and complete as a few places give off some hint as to where the letter could have been written; first, in chapter 2 at several places (vv. 3, 4 and 9) Paul reveals that he previously wrote a letter to the church at Corinth. Furthermore, chapter 6 (vv. 5-9) reveals more information regarding the (previous) letter written to them as Paul in the end rejoiced in their repenting after the initial grieving (v. 9: “As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.”) Chapter 7 verse 5-7 tell us that the (previous letter) was written when Paul was in Macedonia, and Titus was the one who actually visited the church at Corinth bringing the previous letter on Paul’ and Timothy’s behavior. It is not 100% certain but with good probable causes one can wonder whether the 2 Corinthian epistle was also written in Macedonia as Paul promised to the church at Corinth in chapter 13:1, “This is the third time I am coming to you.” His love and devotion to them cannot be mistaken for sure.

     The purpose of the letter to Corinthian congregation as shown in the passage 5:1-10 is to then first greet them in Christ, encourage, bemoan, discuss a certain issue, relate, rebuke, correct, but to ultimately affirm their faith in hope and rejoice (cf. 7:8-9). As with any other churches the church at Corinth had some grave issues, particularly regarding those new converts who were so openly exposed to the aforementioned pagan cultures and idolatry for centuries, generation after generation. And Paul rightfully and timely saw the need to  point this out to them in a series of letters to them. In the particular passage of 5:1-10, Paul discusses the importance of always longing for “a house/tent/tabernacle not made with hands, eternal in the heavens,” (v. 1). He brings it home the significance of “putting the heavenly clothing on so that” they won’t be found naked (v. 3) since they “walk by faith, not by sight” (v. 7) (in contrast to the pagan cultures all around them, from which they fled/abandoned). Paul also reminds them of the judgement seat of Christ all mankind must face one day, for everything done in the body, whether good or bad, hence, the ultra-importance of living the spirit-led life while in the body while living in tent (on earth) (vv. 9-10).

     No person in the right mind would doubt as to the legitimacy/authenticity of the letter itself as then in the 1^st century, thereafter for centuries through the Catholic, the Reformed Era, the Puritan Migration, and into now among the contemporary Christians, as the passage itself is still very relevant and poignant relating to our daily living in the twenty-first century.