Jewish evangelism to Gentile evangelism (v 7)

Paul’s principle of evangelism was to reach the Jews first, then the Gentiles. In Corinth, the Jews opposed the gospel that Paul preached. As a result, Paul shifted his focus from evangelizing the Jews to evangelizing the Gentiles. “Then he left the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue.” (1) At this point, Paul moved from the house of Aquila and Priscilla to a new residence. (2) The new host was Titius Justus, a Gentile. (a) He was a God-fearing Gentile who became a believer in Jesus through Paul’s ministry. (b) Based on his name, he was likely a Roman citizen. (c) His house was located next to the synagogue and was large enough to host gatherings. (3) This house became the base of Paul’s ministry in Corinth. After leaving the synagogue, Paul conducted his ministry to the Gentiles from this neighboring building. Although physically adjacent, the spiritual distance between believers and non-believers is infinitely vast.

The salvation of Crispus, the leader of the synagogue (v 8)

“Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his entire household; and many of the Corinthians, as they listened to Paul, were believing and being baptized.” (1) Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and his entire household were saved. This was a remarkable event (perhaps reflecting God’s sense of humor). The synagogue leader was responsible for managing the synagogue’s facilities and maintaining order during worship. His conversion to faith in Jesus was shocking to the entire synagogue. Given his familiarity with the Old Testament, Crispus likely became an effective witness to the Jews. (2) Crispus lost his position as synagogue leader. His successor was Sosthenes (appears in verse 17). Let’s list the early converts of Paul’s ministry in Corinth: (1) 1 Corinthians 16:15: “Now I urge you, brothers and sisters: you know the household of Stephanas, that they are the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to ministry to the saints.” (2) 1 Corinthians 1:14: “I am thankful that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius.” Crispus was the synagogue leader. Gaius most likely is Paul’s host, Titius Justus. Gaius would have been his first name. (3) From this information, we can see that Paul’s ministry was bearing fruit even before Silas and Timothy joined him. In evangelism, there are both favorable and unfavorable times, but if we serve faithfully without being constrained by circumstances, evangelism will steadily advance over time.