After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. Paul purposed in the spirit, etc. - Previously to this he appears to have concerted a journey to Macedonia, and a visit to Corinth, the capital of Achaia, where he seems to have spent a considerable time, probably the whole winter of a.d. 58; see 1 Corinthians 16:5, 1 Corinthians 16:6; and afterwards to go to Jerusalem; but it is likely that he did not leave Ephesus till after pentecost, a.d. 59. (1 Corinthians 16:8) And he resolved, if possible, to see Rome, which had been the object of his wishes for a considerable time. See Romans 1:10, Romans 1:13; Romans 16:23.
It is generally believed that, during this period, while at Ephesus, he wrote his first epistle to the Corinthians. He had heard that some strange disorders had entered into that Church: -
1. That there were divisions among them; some extolling Paul, beyond all others; some, Peter; others, Apollos.
2. He had learned from Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, whom he saw at Ephesus, 1 Corinthians 16:17; 1 Corinthians 7:1, that several abuses had crept into their religious assemblies.
3. That even the Christians went to law with each other, and that before the heathens. And,
4. That a person professing Christianity in that city, had formed a matrimonial contract with his step-mother. It was to remedy those disorders that he wrote his first epistle to the Corinthians, in which he strongly reprehends all the above evils.