In the days of the Roman Empire, Achaia was the southern of two Greek provinces, the other being Macedonia (Acts 19:21; Rom 15:26; 2 Cor 9:2; 1 Thess 1:8). Formerly, in the days of the Greek Empire, Macedonia was the centre of Greek power, but under the Romans the political situation had changed and the name Achaia was usually identified with Greece (Acts 18:27; 20:2; see GREECE). The administrative centre of Achaia was Corinth, and the educational centre, Athens (Acts 17:21; 18:1,12; 2 Cor 1:1).
A church was founded in Corinth during Paul’s second missionary journey, and another at the port of Cenchreae nearby (Acts 18:1-18; Rom 16:1; 1 Cor 16:15; see CORINTH). There were also Christians in Athens (Acts 17:34; see ATHENS). Paul revisited the area during his third missionary journey (Acts 19:21; 20:1-3), when he collected money that the churches of Achaia, like other churches, had put aside to help the poor Christians in Judea (Rom 15:26; 2 Cor 9:1-2). Some years later, Paul planned to spend a winter at Nicopolis, on Achaia’s west coast, but the Bible does not record whether he was able to fulfil his plans (Titus 3:12).