Book review: A Week in the Life of Corinth

★★★★★

Very informative. Witherington splices together historical fiction and scholarly commentary to produce an excellent teaching aid. The result is fiction that is too choppy and short for a captivating plot, but perfect for enjoyable learning.

The story takes place in the mid-first century, at the time Paul the Apostle was church planting. Paul plays a heavy role, but he’s not the main character. Instead, some obscure characters in the Bible are fleshed out and brought to life (maybe you remember Gallio, but I bet you’ve never heard of Erastos or Nicanor … and kudos if you have!) Erastos is running for public office in Corinth, Nicanor is his slave, and Paul, though he does not involve himself in politics, is his usual Christian self. The “scholarly commentary” I alluded to comes in the way of one- or two-page inserts titled “A Closer Look,” which are peppered throughout the text.

This book is not preachy, nor even very “Christian” until the final page or two. Instead, it’s just a great way to familiarize yourself with one of the major cities in the Bible, particularly during the time of Paul. Highly recommended!