Who was Sosthenes in the Bible?
Answered from the commentary of J. N. Darby, Morrish Bible Dictionary, William Kelly and 7 others
Sosthenes was the chief ruler of the synagogue at Corinth who was beaten before the judgment seat of the proconsul Gallio in Acts 18:17. He seems to have taken that office after Crispus, the earlier ruler, was converted, and at that time there was no sign that he himself had believed. When the Jews brought Paul before Gallio, the governor drove them from the judgment seat; then the crowd seized Sosthenes and beat him there, and "Gallio cared for none of those things". Most readings say it was the Greeks who beat him, angry at the Jews. Some of the oldest manuscripts say only "all," and one reading names the Jews, which might mean Sosthenes already leaned toward Christianity or refused to back the charge; opinions on this are much divided. Either way, he received the beating instead of Paul, and so the Lord's promise that no one would harm Paul came true.
A Sosthenes is also named with Paul at the start of 1 Corinthians 1:1 as "Sosthenes our brother," and he was then with Paul at Ephesus. Most of these writers take him to be the same man, converted after his beating. On that view, the former synagogue ruler and opponent had become a "brother beloved," and his beating may have been how God awakened him. They see in this what grace can do with such men. His name probably means "strong helper," so the one who once strongly opposed Paul had become his strong helper. Paul would not have named him so briefly unless the Corinthians knew him, as they would know their former synagogue ruler. A smaller number are more careful: whether he is the same man "cannot be positively known," the name was not uncommon, and there is no direct evidence. As for why Paul linked him with himself, these writers see Paul's humility and fellowship in it. It also set Sosthenes in his proper place as a brother, while Paul kept his own apostleship distinct. And in a letter full of reproof, it let Paul speak to the Corinthians' hearts through someone they knew well.
Verses: Acts 18:17, 1 Corinthians 1:1, Acts 18:12, Acts 18:13, Acts 18:14, Acts 18:15, Acts 18:16
The above is AI generated summary based on the writers below.
What the commentators say
The passages the answer is drawn from, the most direct first, with the words that bear on the question marked.
Chief ruler of the synagogue at Corinth, who was beaten by the rabble. Acts 18:17.
One whom Paul (when at Ephesus) unites with himself in the First Epistle to the Corinthians. 1 Cor. 1:1.
HAVING TO WRITE in this corrective strain Paul very naturally emphasizes at the outset the apostolic place of authority which he held from God; and further, he associates with himself one of themselves. Sosthenes came from Corinth (see Acts 18:17), and apparently was converted after the beating he got from the Greeks as chief ruler of the synagogue, having supplanted Crispus, who was converted somewhat earlier.
In the opening verse of this epistle the Apostle Paul associates with himself the name of Sosthenes. There can be little doubt that he is the same Sosthenes mentioned in Acts 18:17. Like the great apostle he was once "a persecutor and injurious." The experience through which he passed, when, as an enemy of Christ he received the deserved beating, was instrumental to bring him to Christ. When he was the chief ruler of the synagogue he was an enemy, but now through the grace of God he had become "a brother beloved." It was to call to the remembrance of the sadly drifting Corinthians the former days, as well as the power of God in salvation. Then Paul addresses them as "the church of God which is at Corinth"; and this church of God is composed of those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called Saints. All believers are set apart to God in Christ. Grace has constituted them Saints; but with the gifts grace bestows, there also goes the responsibility of manifesting that separation from the world, from which the church is called out. To the Saints, true believers, sanctified in Christ, set apart to God, the epistle is addressed. Then follows another sentence, which goes beyond the church at Corinth. "With all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours." Thus the true circle of fellowship was laid down, for every local church to observe. As we shall find later in this epistle, the party spirit, sectarianism, was manifesting itself in Corinth and these words of address may be looked upon as a protest against that unchristian spirit. All who acknowledge Christ as Lord and call upon His name belong to the church. He is their Lord as He is our Lord. Furthermore we learn from these words that the messages of this epistle are for God's people at all times. "In every place" means every place where believers are found today. The truths unfolded, the exhortations given, have therefore a universal application; they are the commandments of the Lord to all His people (14:37).
Paul reminds them also of his own call as an apostle by the will of God, which had wrought in spite of the opposition of the human heart in his own case, as in that of "Sosthenes our brother," whom he joins with himself in his epistle, now a "strong helper," according to the probable meaning of his name, as he seems to have been, in the time of the apostle's earlier labors at Corinth, a strong opposer. The brief way in which he is mentioned here, though the name itself may not have been an uncommon one, suggests that he was known to the Corinthians as the former ruler of the synagogue would be. It is certain he would not be brought forward in this way without some reason for it.
We see next that the apostle associates with himself here "Sosthenes the brother," as in the second epistle Timothy. If the Sosthenes just named were the chief of the synagogue who seems to have succeeded Crispus on his conversion, if he were himself converted after his ignominious failure to hurt Paul before Gallio the proconsul of Achaia, at Corinth, we can see with what propriety he, no longer the Jewish adversary but the brother in Christ, should thus accompany the apostle in this address to the Corinthian saints. But I affirm nothing, as there is no direct evidence, and the name was not uncommon. He was certainly known at Corinth and was then with the Apostle at Ephesus.
An attempt by the Jews during this time to have Paul condemned by the Corinthian judicial system was frustrated by God's having in power a man who was not inclined to listen to nonsense. Of course, Gallio may have had little regard for Jesus, but at any rate he recognized the charge of the Jews to be no proper charge at all, for their accusation was simply that Paul was persuading men to worship God contrary to Jewish law. The charge itself was not true, but whether it was or not, Gallio knew that this had nothing to do with the laws of his own country. Paul was not even called upon to defend himself. The judge summarily dismissed the case by reproving the Jews for their unreasonable ignorance.
The multitude took advantage of this to take sides against the Jews, beating Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue before the judgment seat. Later Sosthenes is found as a believer (1 Cor.1:11), but apparently at this time he was opposing Paul. Perhaps his beating was the means God used to awaken him. As to Gallio, this was nothing to him: he was apparently not inclined to be too judicially zealous where Jews were in question.
The Lord encouraged His servant in a vision. The Jews' attempt to harm Paul through Gallio failed. Sosthenes the chief ruler received a beating instead of the apostle.
If the Sosthenes who is mentioned in the opening verse of the first Epistle of the Corinthians is the same, then he profited immensely by his experience. Paul addresses him as a brother. We believe he is the same person, for the Grace of God delights to take up such characters and show in them what Grace can do.
But while Paul had been cheered by the Lord's tender care and assurance of support and succour, he was not to escape persecution. With one accord the Jews "made insurrection" against him. The reader cannot fail to notice that it was not the heathen idolaters, but God's ancient people, who were the chief opponents of the gospel. These were the ever-ready tools of Satan's enmity. It has ever been that the chief obstacle to the spread of the truth has been found in "religion," and often under the mask of zeal for God. The charge brought on this occasion was, "This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law." Gallio, the "deputy of Achaia" at this time - a man well known in history, and one who had obtained great esteem "by his amiable character and popular manners" - was God's instrument for defeating the machinations of the Jews. The "easy-going" and cultured Roman was too indifferent to all such questions, as those the Jews raised, to allow himself to be their accomplice in silencing Paul. He therefore "drave them from the judgment seat," and he thus fulfilled the Lord's words, that no man should set upon Paul to hurt him. His action pleased the enemies of the Jews, and they seized the opportunity of venting their animosity against them by beating Sosthenes* before the judgment seat. But "Gallio cared for none of those things"; and the effect of the Jews' action was to secure tranquility for the apostle's labours. (v. 18.)
*Whether this is the Sosthenes Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 1:1 cannot be positively known. If it be, he must have become a Christian after this circumstance.
And with him he links the name of "Sosthenes our brother." This may be the Sosthenes mentioned as at Corinth in Acts 18:17; but little more is known of him. Perhaps one reason for Paul's so identifying him with himself here is that none may limit the apostle's message to leaders, for one simply "a brother" is involved in this too.
The first epistle to the Corinthians consists of details more than of great truths, and therefore not so much has been written on it. Sosthenes is associated with Paul, as having laboured there, where he had also been chief ruler of the synagogue; Acts 18. The association of others does not hinder the sole authorship of Paul. So, in addressing the Galatians, he speaks of "all the brethren which are with me," because he was shewing that the whole church of God was against them.
Verses
- Acts 18:12–1712But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one consent rose against Paul and led him to the judgment-seat, 13saying, This [man] persuades men to worship God contrary to the law. 14But as Paul was going to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, If indeed it was some wrong or wicked criminality, O Jews, of reason I should have borne with you; 15but if it be questions about words, and names, and the law that ye have, see to it yourselves; [for] I do not intend to be judge of these things. 16And he drove them from the judgment-seat. 17And having all laid hold on Sosthenes the ruler of the synagogue, they beat him before the judgment-seat. And Gallio troubled himself about none of these things.
- 1 Corinthians 1:1Paul, [a] called apostle of Jesus Christ, by God's will, and Sosthenes the brother,