After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth.
Acts 18:1

Corinth. It was one of the most important cities in the Greco-Roman world in that day. Estimates of Corinth’s population in the first century vary, but it was likely the third most populous city after Rome and Alexandria. There were probably upwards of 200,000 citizens—plus 500,000 slaves. (Those numbers may seem paltry compared to the major cities of today, but enormous in that day.) Rome was an important trade route for merchant ships because it was located in a narrow isthmus connecting the Aegean and Ionian seas. Cargo was transported across the isthmus so that ships would not have to sail all the way south around Greece, saving a great deal of time. This made Corinth a metropolitan city in which all sorts of people and ideas were constantly passing through.

Corinth was also known to be a “wide open” city of immorality. Even the most common religion incorporated all sorts of sexual immorality and perversity as part of the “worship.” It was commonly said in that day that an immoral person (regardless of where he lived or where he was from) was a “Corinthian”!

Why did Paul go there? Strategically, it was a place of influence where so many people were constantly coming and going, that the gospel could spread from there. Spiritually, as a city known for it’s blatant sinfulness, it is a reminder that Jesus did not come for the righteous but the unrighteous. And may it be a reminder to Christians in our day that though it may seem inviting to flee sinful cities and states in hopes of finding an easier place to live our lives, that is not what Jesus did when He left Heaven to come to this sinful world to save His people. Nor was it what Paul did when seeking to spread faith in Christ.