When Paul first visited Corinth, he found himself among a people who were suspicious of the motives of strangers. The Greeks on the seacoast were keen traders. So long had they trained themselves in sharp business practices, that they had come to believe that gain was godliness, and that to make money, whether by fair means or foul, was commendable. Paul was acquainted with their characteristics, and he would give them no occasion for saying that he preached the gospel in order to enrich himself. He might justly have claimed support from his Corinthian hearers; but this right he was willing to forgo, lest his usefulness and success as a minister should be injured by the unjust suspicion that he was preaching the gospel for gain. He would seek to remove all occasion for misrepresentation, that the force of his message might not be lost.

Da Paulus første gang besøgte Korint, befandt han sig blandt et folk, der havde mistillid til fremmedes hensigter. Grækerne, der boede ved havet, var dygtige handelsmænd. De havde gennem så lange tider oplært sig selv til hård forretningsførelse, at de var nået til den tro, at fortjeneste var det samme som gudfrygtighed og at det at tjene penge var noget rosværdigt, hvad enten det skete med ærlige eller uærlige midler. Paulus kendte godt deres indstilling og han ville ikke give dem nogen anledning til at sige, at han prædikede ordet for at berige sig selv. Han kunne med rette have krævet støtte af sine korintiske tilhørere; men han var villig til at give afkald på denne ret, for at ikke hans forkyndelses brugbarhed og gode resultater skulle lide skade ved en uretfærdig mistanke om, at han prædikede for vindings skyld. Han ville prøve at fjerne alle muligheder for fejlagtig fremstilling, for at budskabet ikke skulle miste sin kraft.