"Sosthenes, pr. name, Acts 18:17; 1 Cor. 1:1*"
Definition and meaning
Sosthenes, pr. name, Acts 18:17; 1 Cor. 1:1*
In the original Greek the word is written: Σωσθένης
Historical context
The Roman Empire provided infrastructure no previous civilization had built — roads, sea routes, a common language in Greek, and relative peace across the Mediterranean. Jewish synagogues existed in every major city, giving Paul a starting point everywhere he traveled. The early church had no buildings, no political power, no social standing — and spread faster than any movement in ancient history.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of sosthenes (G4988) across the King James Bible.
Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.
Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
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Common questions
Strong's G4988 (sosthenes) is a Greek word that means: Sosthenes, pr. name, Acts 18:17; 1 Cor. 1:1* It appears 2 times in the King James Bible.
The word sosthenes (G4988) appears 2 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G4988 is sosthenes, a Greek word defined as: Sosthenes, pr. name, Acts 18:17; 1 Cor. 1:1*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
sosthenes is a Greek word found in the New Testament.