Shown here is a page from a papyrus codex referred to as P⁴⁶. Parts of it (Papyrus Chester Beatty 2) are housed in Dublin, Ireland, and parts of it (Papyrus Michigan Inv. 6238), in Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A. This leaf is kept at the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin. The codex is believed to date from about the year 200 C.E. It consists of 86 somewhat damaged leaves from a codex that originally may have had 104 leaves. It contains nine of Paul’s inspired letters. Highlighted is the title, which reads “Toward [or, “To”] Corinthians 1.” This papyrus collection provides evidence that from an early date, scribes identified Bible books by titles.

The apostle Paul visited Corinth more than once during his missionary tours. On his first visit, he stayed there for 18 months. (Ac 18:1, 11; 20:2, 3) At that time, the city of Corinth was a thriving commercial center, thanks in large part to its strategic location on the isthmus that connects the Peloponnesian Peninsula to the Greek mainland. This allowed the city to control the flow of goods at two nearby ports, Lechaeum and Cenchreae. Corinth was a crossroads for merchants and travelers from all over the Roman Empire, making it an ideal location to carry out the preaching work. In this video, learn about Corinth’s history, including archaeological discoveries, such as the Erastus inscription. See the city’s agora (marketplace), bema (judgment seat), and one of its theaters as it may have appeared in Paul’s day.

The Greek word pai·da·go·gosʹ, translated “guardian,” or “tutor,” at Ga 3:24, 25, paints a specific word picture. In the Greco-Roman world, families with sufficient financial means would entrust their young boys to the care of a guardian. Typically, the guardian was a slave, but at times he was a contracted worker. Some families paid a considerable amount of money to purchase or hire a guardian. The guardian would care for a child from about the age of six or seven to adulthood. He accompanied the child at all times outside the household, protecting him from danger. He also monitored the child’s conduct, providing him with moral guidance, correction, and discipline. The Greek word for guardian also appears in Paul’s first inspired letter to the Corinthians.​—1Co 4:15.

In ancient times, seals had various purposes. For example, they were used to show authenticity or agreement. (See Glossary, “Seal.”) People in Greco-Roman times recorded legal or business transactions on wooden tablets covered with wax. The valuable information in these documents needed to be authenticated by witnesses. A witness had his personal seal, a distinctive mark that was engraved, often on a ring. He pressed it into a lump of hot wax covering a string that tied the document together. When the wax cooled, it would seal the document shut, and the document would remain shut until it was publicly opened. In this way, the witnesses attested to, or acknowledged, the truthfulness of the content, and the document was protected from being tampered with. For this reason, the expression “to seal; to put a seal on” came to be used in the sense of certifying, confirming, or authenticating that something was true. The apostle John wrote that whoever accepts Jesus’ witness has put a seal to, or has confirmed, that God is true, or truthful.​—See study note on Joh 3:33.

These photographs, taken at the beginning of the 20th century, show a farmer using muzzled cattle to thresh grain. To begin separating the wheat from the chaff, farmers used bulls to pull a threshing sledge over cut grain. A muzzle prevented the animal from eating while it worked. Revealing Jehovah’s loving consideration for animals, the Mosaic Law forbade this practice. (De 25:4) A hungry animal would be tormented if it had to work hard with grain so close at hand. The apostle Paul reasoned on the principle behind this command, stating that hardworking Christian ministers are permitted to receive due honor and material support from others.​—1Co 9:9-14; 1Ti 5:17, 18.

The ancient city of Corinth sat on a narrow isthmus that connects central Greece with the southern peninsula known as the Peloponnese. Many people traveled through this neck of land as they continued their journey by land or by sea. The city had a large population made up of numerous nationalities and cultures. Paul sought a common ground with all sorts of people, in order to save as many as possible. (1Co 9:22) Paul was told in a vision that the Lord had many prospective disciples in Corinth, so the apostle stayed there for a year and a half. (Ac 18:1, 9-11) A few years later when Paul was in Ephesus, he learned that the disciples in Corinth faced serious problems. He viewed them as his beloved children, so he admonished and encouraged them by writing the spirit-inspired letter now known as 1 Corinthians.​—1Co 4:14.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul wrote about athletes who worked hard “to receive a crown that can perish.” Paul may have been referring to the prize given to athletes who won an event at the Isthmian Games. These games were held near Corinth. When Paul wrote his letter, the crowns were likely made of pine, though at times wild celery was also used. Both types of material perish quickly. This background information helps to explain the contrast between the fleeting glory won by athletes and the lasting glory gained by anointed Christians as corulers with Christ.​—1Co 9:25.

In Bible times, women typically covered their heads in public. They may have used a veil or their outer garment as a head covering. However, when the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian congregation about head coverings, he was not simply discussing the customs of the day. Inspired by holy spirit, he wrote that a woman would need to cover her head if she were to pray publicly or to prophesy in the congregation, privileges that God had assigned to the man. (1Co 11:5) By covering her head, a Christian woman would honor the headship arrangement.​—1Co 11:3.

The photo (left) shows a bronze mirror that dates to the third or second century B.C.E., and the illustration (right) shows what such a mirror may have looked like in the first century C.E. Craftsmen in Corinth produced bronze products, including mirrors that were famous for their high quality. However, ancient metal mirrors did not have as fine a reflecting surface as glass mirrors today. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul contrasts looking into a metal mirror with seeing face-to-face.​—1Co 13:12.