Gallio was proconsul of Achaia around the year 52. We know this from external historical sources. Gallio was also an older brother of the Roman Philosopher named Seneca. In this episode Gallio refused to take part in what we could call partisan religious questions. His primary concern is with public matters referring to the state. He did, however, overlook an obvious violent act against a synagogue official. All of this puts Paul in Corinth at particular and certain time in human history.
Paul spent a year and a half in Corinth. He had a successful time bringing people to know Christ. This is the history Acts gives us.
A year and a half is not a good amount of time to do an RCIA process. The tensions of living like Christians in a pagan atmosphere are hard to handle. When Paul writes his letters to Corinth, the struggle within the environment has worked hard on the faithfulness of the Christians. Paul’s letters will deal with the challenges and problems of living in the real world of sin, pleasure, greed and selfishness.
We live in a similar world. We have to live our faith in the world of capitalism, pleasure, selfishness, lust and greed. We live in a polarized world, where opposing sides hate each other, often with a passion that kills bodies as well as souls. We have to change our own attitudes if we expect the world to change. We have to accept and love one another or we shall kill each other in a World War III.
We live in a time that matches Luke’s description of Corinth, a place of promise. We also live in a culture and civilization like the one Paul recognized in his letters to the Church at Corinth.
Luke’s description confirms our power and hopefulness. Paul’s letters challenge us to live better. How do we respond?