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  • From: Richard Fellows <rfellows AT shaw.ca>
  • To: Corpus-Paul <corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Corpus-Paul] Sopater
  • Date: Sun, 03 Aug 2003 16:21:35 -0700

Did Paul give new names to some of his converts? Many important issues in NT
studies hinge on this question. I have previously presented evidence that
Titus was named 'Timothy', and Crispus was named 'Sosthenes'. How widespread
was this practice in Paul's churches? Are there any other characters who
look suspiciously like they might have new names? Titus-Timothy and
Crispus-Sosthenes were leading figures in the Christian community, so we
should look closely at the other prominent believers who came to the faith
through Paul's work, and ask if they too might have been given their names
by Paul. Conversely, if we find other likely new-name candidates, then the
case for Titus-Timothy and Crispus-Sosthenes becames that much more
plausible.

Luke mentions seven characters in Acts 20:4, and at the head of the list is
SWPATROS PURROU BEROIAIOS (Sopater, son of Pyrrhus, from Beroea). Why are we
told that he was the son of Pyrrhus? No other father is mentioned in this
list. Indeed, there is only one other verse in Acts where we read fathers'
names. In Acts 1:13 we are told of a "James son of Alphaeus" and a "Judas of
James". This case is easy to explain - James and Judas were very common
names, and the fathers' names are needed to distinguish these individuals
from the many other Jameses and Judases. But why is Sopater's father
mentioned? It cannot be to distinguish him from other Sopaters because the
mention of his home town would do that, and because Sopater was not a
particularly common name.

Sopater is an abbreviation of Sosipater and means something like 'saver of
his father'. Is there a connection between the meaning of his name and the
fact that his father is mentioned? I suggest that Pyrrhus was brought to the
faith by his son, who was accordingly given the name "Sopater". It seems to
have been common for people to be given names to reflect their roll in
building the believing community (e.g. Peter, Barnabas, Sosthenes, Abraham,
Sarah). If our suspicion is correct, it is easy to see how Sosipater would
be known in the believing community as the guy who brought his father to the
faith, and Luke or his source would associate his name with that of his
father, Pyrrhus, and this neatly explains our text. Less likely, I think, is
the suggestion that Luke or a copyist over-interpreted the name "Sopater"
and invented Pyrrhus. But either way, the text provides evidence for name
changes in the Pauline churches.

Richard Fellows.





  • [Corpus-Paul] Sopater, Richard Fellows, 08/03/2003

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