Though the apostle Paul wrote letters to many of the churches he founded, none of his extant letters reveal more about him, his missionary activity, and the community of faith he sought to pastor than 1 Corinthians. In 1 Corinthians, Paul tried to influence—even control—the church in the context of a city that had lasting memories of Greek democracy but the present realities of a Roman proconsul. This volume highlights Paul as apostle, missionary, and pastor against the backdrop of the Greco-Roman culture, economics, and politics.