of the Roman Empire, Corinth was both religious (with a number of pagan temples) and immoral (with the worship of Aphrodite sanctioning religious prostitution). Paul’s ministry in Corinth had resulted in a well-established, thriving congregation. He had moved on from there and now was living in Ephesus. Several factors converged to make this letter necessary. 1. Paul had written a (now lost) letter advising the believers not to associate with people claiming to be Christians but living immorally.