Who is Sosthenes in the Bible?
Paul’s letter to the Corinthians includes an amazing story of a man named Sosthenes. It is an unusual story because the name Sosthenes is mentioned twice in the Bible, and both times it is for two different people in the same city. If you want to know more about Sosthenes, read on.
Sosthenes was a Jewish leader
In the Bible, Sosthenes was a Jewish leader and judge in Corinth. While some manuscripts indicate that he was Jewish, others read Gentiles. In either case, he converted to Christianity and began preaching the gospel. He was also known as the brother of the church of God in Corinth. However, he refused to make a legal investigation against a fellow Jew who had converted to Christianity.
The persecution of Paul by the Jews in Corinth was witnessed by the Greeks. In addition to Sosthenes, they had been angered by the Jews’ persecution of the apostle. The Greeks grew indignant over the Jewish persecution, and many of them fell upon Paul as he left the tribunal.
He was a Roman Catholic
When the apostle Paul first visited Corinth, Sosthenes was the synagogue’s ruler. He succeeded Crispus, a Jew who had converted to Christianity. After the Jewish prosecution of Paul was dismissed by Gallio, a crowd of Corinthian Jews whipped Sosthenes. The Greeks were angry that a Christian had defeated them, and Jewish spite motivated the crowd to beat Sosthenes.
Sosthenes is often placed in the same picture as Paul, and his name is often associated with his letters to the Corinthians. This shows that he was a true Christian, and he was probably a leader of the Corinthian church. Often, true Christian leadership is predicated on patient suffering.
He was a Roman general
Sothenes is a historical figure in the Bible. His name is also used to refer to the Greek general of the same name. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, Easton’s Bible Dictionary, written by Matthew George Easton and published by T. Nelson and Sons in 1921.
In Acts, Sosthenes was mentioned during the time that Paul traveled to Corinth. He was probably the ruler of the synagogue that was attacked by Gallio. This led to an angry mob that beat Sosthenes. Gallio was a Christian, but he did not stop Sosthenes from beating him. This incident was likely the result of a mix of people who disliked the Jews and those who wanted to kill them.
He was thrown out of court
In the Bible, Sosthenes was the chief complainant of the synagogue in Corinth. He had a legal case to present, but the court threw it out before Sosthenes even gave his opening remarks. A crowd then began to beat Sosthenes in front of the court. Sosthenes was humiliated and never heard from again. Paul stayed in Corinth for a short time, but bounced around town on his tour.
Sosthenes was not the only one who was thrown out of court. The synagogue leaders were Jewish and did not follow Gallio’s orders. They did not pay the proper respect to his orders. The synagogue leaders had the authority to scourge in the synagogues, and they scourged Sosthenes for his error. Moreover, Jews beat Sosthenes even before the tribunal!
He became a bishop
The Bible does not specifically mention when Sosthenes became a bishop. He is mentioned in the books of Acts and First Corinthians. However, we must not make the mistake of identifying Sosthenes with the Sosthenes of the New Testament. He may have been a leader of persecution against Christians or a Christian who had been converted and became a missionary.
The New International Encyclopedia of Bible Characters speculates that Sosthenes was the scapegoat because he was Jewish and Greek. It is also unclear whether Crispus left the synagogue during this time. He is also not mentioned by name.
He was a persecutor
Sosthenes is a figure we are familiar with from the Bible. Though we have no exact historical information on him, we know that he was a Jewish leader who persecuted Christians and was eventually beaten by his own people. He later converts to Christianity and becomes a Christian preacher in Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 1:1, Paul refers to a man named Sosthenes, but this could be a different Sosthenes. Or, it could be the same Sosthenes who was a Jewish leader who was ashamed of his conversion to Christianity.
In Acts 18:10, Sosthenes was a Jewish leader who led an attack on Paul. But the Lord was with him through Gallio and Paul. He did not even need to open his mouth. However, the Bible does tell us that he was “ruler of the synagogue” after Crispus. He was also a “ringleader” of the Jews who rose up against Paul.