An Illustrated Guide to the Apostle Paul by Alan S. Bandy

Author:Alan S. Bandy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biblical Study;Paul | the Apostle | Saint;REL006070;REL006050;REL006220
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2021-07-12T00:00:00+00:00

A marble relief of menorahs from a Jewish synagogue found in Corinth (late Roman period).

Titius Justus opened his home to Paul because he had become a believer during Paul’s ministry in the synagogue. The name Titius Justus suggests he was a Roman citizen, and a wealthy one at that. Since Roman citizens had three names (praenomen, nomen, and cognomen), he very well could also be known more informally by the name Gaius. If so, he might be the same Gaius whom Paul names as one of the few people he personally baptized in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:14) and who hosted the church in his home, which is where Paul stayed while writing his Letter to the Romans (Rom. 16:23).57

Titius Justus wasn’t the only one who became a believer while Paul was ministering in the synagogue, because Crispus, the synagogue leader, also became a believer along with his entire household (Acts 18:8). Crispus was a highly respected and wealthy member of the Jewish community.58 His conversion to faith in Jesus not only would have been a significant blow to Paul’s detractors but also would have influenced many others to accept Paul’s message. Along with Gaius, Paul personally baptized Crispus and another man named Stephanas, the members of whose household were Paul’s first converts in Achaia (1 Cor. 1:14–16; 16:15). At the conversion of Crispus, Luke tells us that “many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized” (Acts 18:8).

During this time of openness and responsiveness to the gospel that made up the heart of Paul’s stay in Corinth, Jesus encouraged him with a promise of protection: “Don’t be afraid, but keep on speaking and don’t be silent. For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:9–10). For the next year and a half, Paul continued to preach the good news of Jesus and discipled the rapidly growing number of believers in Corinth. Although the bulk of this ministry is reduced to only a couple of verses in Acts, Paul’s letters provide us with a much fuller picture of the Corinthian church.

Paul reminds the Corinthians that not many were considered wise by this world and not many were of noble birth (1 Cor. 1:28–29). This is evidence that the majority of the Corinthian believers were common folk from the lower classes, including slaves. Nevertheless, quite a few of the believers were well-to-do upper-class members of Corinthian society. For example, Erastus was a Corinthian freedman who became successful in business and was elected as the city’s treasurer and officer in charge of public works (Rom. 16:23).59 Interestingly, in 1929 archaeologists discovered an inscription in the north market near the theater in Corinth that reads, “Erastus in return for his aedileship laid the pavement at his own expense.”60 A number of church members such as Crispus, Stephanas, Gaius, and Chloe were wealthy enough to own homes where they could host the church gatherings (1 Cor.

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