Who is…
Sosthenes

Meaning: safe in strength, or saving strength (a somewhat common name in the Greco-Roman world)

This is the name of 1 or 2 different men in the New Testament, both in context with the Apostle Paul and the city of Corinth.

Sosthenes, chief ruler of the synagogue at Corinth (Greece)

It is he who was seized and beaten by a mob in the presence of Gallio, the Roman governor, when he refused to proceed against Paul at the instigation of the Jews (Acts 18:12-17).

After the Roman proconsul Gallio dismissed charges brought against Paul by his Jewish opponents, a crowd seized and beat Sosthenes in front of the judgment seat. The motives of this assault against Sosthenes are not recorded. The text does not specify whether the crowd was Jewish (angry at his failure to secure a conviction) or Greek (hostile to Jewish agitation), nor does it say whether Sosthenes was sympathetic to Paul at that moment.

Many identify him with one whom Paul calls “Sosthenes our brother” (below), a convert to the faith (1 Corinthians 1:1).

Sosthenes in 1 Corinthinans

Paul opens the letter with “Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes.”

Here, Sosthenes is presented as a fellow Christian (“our brother”) associated with Paul, possibly as a co-author, scribe, or respected figure whose name would carry weight with the Corinthian church.

Many interpreters (ancient and modern) consider it likely (though not certain) that the synagogue ruler in Acts 18 and the Christian “brother” in 1 Corinthians are the same individual. This would indicate a dramatic conversion story: a Jewish leader who may have initially opposed or been neutral toward Paul’s message later becomes a believer and associate.

The fact that the Corinthian recipients would recognize him supports this view.

However, some scholars argue there could have been 2 different men with the same common name in the same city, or that the identification is unprovable due to the lack of explicit linkage.

LOCATION AND TIMING: Events in Acts 18 occur during Paul’s second missionary journey (circa 50–52 AD), while 1 Corinthians was likely written from Ephesus a few years later (circa 53–55 AD).

Here’s a breakdown of who he is and the context of his appearances:

Acts 18:18: Paul, after completing his 18-month stay in Corinth, sailed to Syria. He left Sosthenes as the leader of the Jewish community in Corinth. This suggests Sosthenes was a Jewish Christian. He essentially took over responsibility for the church in Corinth in Paul's absence.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:1: Paul begins his letter to the Corinthians by identifying Sosthenes as a co-author. It reads, “Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes.” This indicates Sosthenes was a close associate and coworker of Paul. However, the extent of his co-authorship is debated—it’s likely he assisted Paul in some way with the writing (perhaps acting as amanuensis—a scribe) rather than being a full co-author with equal theological input.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:1: Again, Sosthenes is named as Paul’s brother.