326, ff., E. T., i. 253; on the other, David son, Introd. II. 213, ff. ; Lange, Apost. Zeitalt., i. p. 199, ff.) On the supposition of a second visit made by Paul to Corinth, the question arises—Did it precede also the writing of the first epistle? On this point the Acts give us no help, as the writer is totally silent concerning this second visit of Paul to Corinth. But we may safely infer from 2 Cor. i. 15, 16, 23, that Paul had not been at Corinth be tween the writing of the first and second epistles ; so that we must place his second visit before the writing of the first epistle. When this second visit took place we can only conjecture ; but Billroth's suggestion that it was made sometime during the period of Paul's residence of three years at Ephe sus (Acts xx. 31),perhaps on the first reception of unpleasant news from Corinth, is extremely pro bable. Supposing the Apostle to have made this short visit and to have returned to Ephesus, this first epistle may have been written either in that city or in Macedonia, through which Paul pro bably journeyed on his way from Corinth to Ephe sus. This latter is the traditional opinion (see the addition to ch. xiii. in some MSS.), and is sup posed to be favoured by the way in which Paul speaks of Ephesus (I Cor. xv. 32) as a place in
which he had been rather than one in which he was when writing this epistle. It is, however, so clearly incompatible with certain other statements in the epistle (e.g, xvi. 5, 8, 19) that it must be pronounced utterly untenable. Most agree in re garding Ephesus as the place where this epistle was written. From the allusion to the Passover in ch. v. 7, 8, most have inferred that the epistle was written at the time of Easter ; but this does not necessarily follow from the Apostle's allusion. As to the year, great diversity of opinion prevails, but most are agreed that it was not earlier than 56 or later than 59. Meyer makes it 58 ; De Wette 58 or 59 ; Hug 57 ; Davidson 57.
The subscription above referred to intimates that this epistle was conveyed to Corinth by Stephanus, Fortunatus, Achaicus, and Timothy. by As respects the last named there is evidently a mistake, for from ch. xvi. io, it appears that Timothy's visiting Corinth was a thing not certain when this letter was finished, and from 2 Cor. viii, 17, 18, it appears that Timothy did not visit Corinth till afterwards. Comp. also Acts xix. 22. As respects the others, this tradition is probably correct.