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Crispus

biblical_person theological_term standard

Crispus was a synagogue ruler in Corinth who believed in the Lord through Paul’s ministry and was baptized, along with his household.

At a Glance

A Corinthian synagogue ruler who came to faith in Christ.

Key Points

Description

Crispus is a New Testament individual mentioned in connection with Paul’s ministry in Corinth. Acts 18:8 identifies him as the ruler of the synagogue who believed in the Lord, together with his household. In 1 Corinthians 1:14, Paul says that he personally baptized Crispus, using the example to minimize factional boasting and to stress that Christ, not ministers, is the center of the gospel. Scripture gives no extended biography beyond these references, so statements about Crispus should remain limited to what the text actually says.

Biblical Context

Crispus appears during Paul’s ministry in Corinth, where the gospel was first proclaimed in the synagogue before moving more broadly among the Gentile population. His conversion shows that the message of Christ reached Jewish religious leadership in that city.

Historical Context

Corinth was a major Roman commercial center in Achaia, known for its social diversity and religious pluralism. A synagogue ruler there would have been an important local Jewish leader, which makes Crispus’s conversion especially notable.

Jewish and Ancient Context

As a synagogue ruler, Crispus would have had responsibility for synagogue order and likely for administration in the local Jewish community. His faith in Jesus reflects the early pattern of some synagogue leaders responding positively to apostolic preaching.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

The name Crispus is a Greek personal name, rendered in English from the New Testament form Κρίσπος (Krispos).

Theological Significance

Crispus is a small but important witness to the gospel’s power to save people from different social and religious backgrounds. His mention in 1 Corinthians also supports Paul’s emphasis that baptismal ministry must not become a source of party spirit.

Philosophical Explanation

Crispus is not a doctrinal concept but a historical person. His significance lies in how an actual individual responded to the gospel and how his example serves Paul’s argument against celebrity-like allegiance to ministers.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not build an extended biography beyond the two New Testament references. Scripture does not say whether Crispus later held church office or how long he remained in Corinth.

Major Views

There is no major interpretive debate about Crispus himself; the main limitation is simply the brevity of the biblical record.

Doctrinal Boundaries

Crispus should be understood as a real convert in the Corinthian church, not as a symbol used to override the plain historical meaning of Acts and 1 Corinthians.

Practical Significance

Crispus reminds readers that Christ can reach respected religious leaders as well as ordinary hearers, and that faith should be placed in Christ rather than in human ministers.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Crispus

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