Corinth drone with Acrocorinth

The towering mountain called the Acrocorinth was the unmistakable landmark of ancient Corinth. From a defensive standpoint, the monolithic rock served as an impenetrable fortress. Whoever held the fortress could keep control of the Isthmus of Corinth, and therefore, shipping traffic between what we know as Italy and Turkey. The fortress is why ancient Corinth is located away from the water. Modern Corinth is on the edge of Gulf of Corinth, much closer to the modern canal that splits the isthmus. But there was another, immoral aspect to the Acrocorinth that also towered over the city. A temple to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, reportedly employed 1,000 prostitutes. Even if that was an exaggeration, the city was renowned for its reputation as an entertainment center. Wealthy clients and visiting sailors alike took part in exorbitant nights of drinking, eating and sexual activity while visiting Corinth. When the Gospel arrived in Corinth, the earliest Christians had trouble separating the lifestyle of the city and the new lifestyle expected of them as followers of Jesus. Paul had to correct a blatant form of sexual immorality in the small house churches of Corinth (1 Corinthians 5:1-5, 2 Corinthians 2:1-10) and address cases of drunkenness around church gatherings (1 Corinthians 11:21). He challenged the church to be completely separate from “anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.” (1 Corinthians 5:10-12). With the Acrocorinth always in plain view, this video provides a great example of how Corinth’s culture was an inescapable reality on Christians trying to live by a different standard.