Acts 18:8
in Acts 18Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his whole household believed in the Lord. And many of the Corinthians who heard the message believed and were baptized.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.
KJV
And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.
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This verse in Acts 18
Commentary
9 notes on this verseBut Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house, etc. This Crispus is believed to be the one whom Paul mentions as baptized by him when writing to the Corinthians: I thank God that I baptized none of you …
This site's exposition
joined hard to the synagogue
on Acts 18:7-8
Paul moves his base of operations next door, into the house of Justus, a Gentile God-fearer whose house stood joined hard to the synagogue, so that Paul preaches within earshot, almost within sight, of the congregation that rejected him. Crispus, the chief ruler of that very synagogue, believes with his whole household, a conversion at the top of the institution Paul has just left, which Paul himself later recalls baptizing personally in 1 Corinthians 1:14. Many Corinthians hearing believe and are baptized, the household and public shape of these conversions matching the pattern already seen at Philippi and Thessalonica. The bench reads the placement of Justus's house as more than convenience, a standing invitation left at the synagogue's own door.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house." This also was, of all things, enough to bring them over. "And many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized." "Crispus the ruler of the synagogue believed in the Lord, with his whole house: and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized." "With his whole house": 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." This same I take to be called Sosthenes--evidently a believer, insomuch that he is beaten, and is always present with Paul.
The Medieval Church1 voice
"Crispus… the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord." This is the same Crispus of whom Paul says: "I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius" (1 Cor. 1:14).
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
It was for the honour of the gospel that there were some rulers, and persons of the first rank both in church and state, that embraced it. This would leave the Jews inexcusable, that the ruler of their synagogue, who may be supposed to have excelled the rest in knowledge of the scriptures and zeal for their religion, believed the gospel, and yet they opposed and blasphemed it.
), or a ruler of one synagogue, as Crispus was of another. As for the Greeks that abused him, it is very probable that they were either Hellenist Jews, or Jewish Greeks, those that joined with the Jews in opposing the gospel (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue,.... This was a Jewish name; frequent mention is made of R.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Crispus the chief ruler of the synagogue - This person held an office of considerable consequence; and therefore his conversion to Christianity must have been very galling to the Jews. It belonged to the chief or ruler of the synagogue to preside in all the assemblies, interpret the law, decide concerning things lawful and unlawful, punish the refractory, excommunicate the rebellious, solemnize marriages, and issue divorces. It is likely that, on the conversion of Crispus, Sosthenes was chosen to succeed him.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And Crispus - He is mentioned in 1Co 1:14 as having been one of the few whom Paul baptized with his own hands. The conversion of such a man must have tended greatly to exasperate the other Jews, and to further the progress of the Christian faith among the Corinthians. With all his house - With all his family, Act 10:2. And many of the Corinthians - Many even in this voluptuous and wicked city. Perhaps the power of the gospel was never more signal than in converting sinners in Corinth, and rearing a Christian church in a place so dissolute and abandoned. If it was adapted to such a place as Corinth; if a church, under the power of Christian truth, could be organized there, it is adapted to any city, and there is none so corrupt that the gospel cannot change and purify it.
The words behind it
20 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Κρίσπος | krispos | Crispus | G2921 → | |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀρχισυνάγωγος | archisunagogos | ruler of the synagogue | G752 → | 9 times |
| ἐπίστευσεν | episteusen | believed | G4100 → | 237 times |
| τῷ | to | in the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κυρίῳ | kurio | Lord | G2962 → | 711 times |
| σὺν | sun | with | G4862 → | 128 times |
| ὅλῳ | holo | all | G3650 → | 109 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οἴκῳ | oiko | household | G3624 → | 112 times |
| αὐτοῦ, | autou | of him, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| πολλοὶ | polloi | many | G4183 → | 367 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Κορινθίων | korinthion | Corinthians | G2881 → | |
| ἀκούοντες | akouontes | hearing | G191 → | 425 times |
| ἐπίστευον | episteuon | were believing | G4100 → | 237 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐβαπτίζοντο.¶ | ebaptizonto | were baptized. | G907 → | 76 times |
ΚρίσποςCrispus
krisposG2921 →
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἀρχισυνάγωγοςruler of the synagogue
archisunagogosG752 →9 times
ἐπίστευσενbelieved
episteusenG4100 →237 times
τῷin the
toG3588 →19766 times
κυρίῳLord
kurioG2962 →711 times
σὺνwith
sunG4862 →128 times
ὅλῳall
holoG3650 →109 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
οἴκῳhousehold
oikoG3624 →112 times
αὐτοῦ,of him,
autouG846 →5565 times
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
πολλοὶmany
polloiG4183 →367 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
ΚορινθίωνCorinthians
korinthionG2881 →
ἀκούοντεςhearing
akouontesG191 →425 times
ἐπίστευονwere believing
episteuonG4100 →237 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐβαπτίζοντο.¶were baptized.
ebaptizontoG907 →76 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 8:12But when they believed Philip as he preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
it leads to
- Acts 2:38
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 1:3
After His suffering, He presented Himself to them with many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a span of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
- Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
- Acts 2:41
Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to the believers that day.
- Acts 2:38
Through
Acts 11:14He will convey to you a message by which you and all your household will be saved.’
it leads to
- Acts 10:22
“Cornelius the centurion has sent us,” they said. “He is a righteous and God-fearing man with a good reputation among the whole Jewish nation. A holy angel instructed him to request your presence in…
- Acts 16:15
And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
- Acts 16:31–34
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”
- Acts 10:2
He and all his household were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to the people and prayed to God regularly.
- Acts 10:22
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
About Acts
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on Acts; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Retractions on Acts; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 39; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.