Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

corpus-paul - Re: Sosthenes was Crispus

corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Corpus-Paul

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Stephen C. Carlson" <scarlson AT mindspring.com>
  • To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Sosthenes was Crispus
  • Date: Wed, 01 May 2002 23:21:03 -0400


At 01:28 AM 5/1/02 -0500, rfellows AT intergate.ca wrote:
>Back in 1992 Dale Allison showed that ancient writers often referred to the
>same person by different names in the same text, sometimes in a way that
>seems strange to the modern ear (1). My own work confirmed this (2).
>Examples from the NT are Cephas-Peter in Galatians, Titus-Timothy in 2
>Corinthians, and John-Mark in Acts.
>
>I propose that Crispus-Sosthenes is another example.

Thanks again for an intriguing proposal. This is more of a lead
than a comment. In checking out your idea, I came across a homily
by John Chrysostom which may have anticipated your idea:

Homily XXXIX on Acts (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, vol. 11):

>Accordingly, mark immediately the ruler of the synagogue converted, and many
>others, when he had done this. "Crispus the ruler of the synagogue believed
>in the Lord, with his whole house: and many of the Corinthians hearing
>believed, and were baptized."--(v. 8.) "With his whole house:"[3] observe
>the converts in those times doing this with their entire household. This
>Crispus he means where he writes, "I baptized none save Crispus and Gaius."
>(1 Cor. 1:14.) This (same) I take to be called Sosthenes--(evidently) a
>believer, insomuch that he is beaten, and is always present with Paul.*

The English of this passage is not pellucid and I have no easy access to
the Greek, so you'll have to do that legwork, but this appears to mean
that Crispus (or Gaius???) is Sosthenes in Chrysostom's opinion (rather
than tradition, however).

Stephen Carlson
--
Stephen C. Carlson mailto:scarlson AT mindspring.com
Synoptic Problem Home Page http://www.mindspring.com/~scarlson/synopt/
"Poetry speaks of aspirations, and songs chant the words." Shujing 2.35




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page