Stephanas

Steph´anas, a disciple at Corinth, whose household Paul baptized (1Co 1:16), being the first converted to Christianity in Achaia (1Co 16:15).

A Christian of Corinth, whose family Paul baptized, the first convert to the gospel in Achaia, probably about A. D. 52, 1Co 1:16 . He was forward in the service of the church, and came to Paul at Ephesus, 1Co 16:15,17 .\par

Steph’anas. A Christian convert of Corinth, whose household Paul baptized as the "first-fruits of Achaia." 1Co 1:16; 1Co 16:15. (A.D. 53).

A Christian at Corinth whose household, "the firstfruits of Achaia," Paul baptized (1Co 1:16; 1Co 16:15-17). In Rom 16:5 oldest manuscripts read "Asia" for Achaia. Fortunatus and Achaicus were probably of this household. By joining Paul at Ephesus they with Stephanas supplied means of communion between Paul and the Corinthians, taking his letter back with them. They refreshed his spirit as representatives of the absent Corinthians, they helped and laboured with him. So Paul urges the Corinthians, "acknowledge ye them," by a kindly welcome recognizing their true worth. The partisans of Apollos, Cephas, and Christ, might possibly receive them coldly as having been baptized by Paul, hence he "beseeches" the Corinthians in their behalf. They had "addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints" voluntarily (2Co 8:4; 2Co 9:1), namely, to their temporal relief (Rom 15:25; Heb 6:10).

[Steph’anas]

Christian convert at Corinth, who with his household was baptised by Paul: he was ’the firstfruits of Achaia.’ 1Co 1:16; 1Co 16:15; 1Co 16:17.

STEPHANAS.—A Corinthian, apparently of some importance, whose household were baptized by St. Paul personally (1Co 1:16), and are called ‘the first-fruits of Achaia’ (1Co 16:15). Stephanas himself had joined the Apostle at Ephesus when he wrote, and was of great assistance to him there.

A. J. Maclean.

stef´a-nas (Στεφανᾶς, Stephanás): The name occurs only in 1Co 1:16; 1Co 16:15-18. Stephanas was a Christian of Corinth; his household is mentioned in 1Co 16:15 as the first family won to Christ in Achaia, and in 1Co 1:16 as among the few personally baptized by Paul at Corinth. The “house of Stephanas,” apparently of independent means, had “set themselves to minister unto the saints” (1Co 16:15), i.e. to do Christian service. Possibly this service consisted in putting their house at the disposal of the Christians at Corinth for worshipping, or in rendering special assistance in establishing intercommunication between the Corinthian church and the apostle, or the other churches. An instance of such service was the commission of Stephanas at Ephesus referred to in 1Co 16:17, 1Co 16:18. At the occasion of some disorders in the Corinthian church Stephanas, with Fortunatus and Achaicus in the deputation, brought a letter of the Corinthians to Paul. Our present 1 Corinthians is the reply to this letter, and thus, in all probability, the three men mentioned above were the bearers of this epistle. With fine courtesy Paul expresses his appreciation for this service in 1Co 16:18, referring to it as a cherished opportunity of fellowship with his beloved Corinthians through these representatives. It is in consideration of such Christian service that Paul enjoins upon the Corinthians to show the house of Stephanas that respect and deference due to Christian leaders by willingly submitting to their direction.

In 1Co_1:16 St. Paul writes: ‘I baptized also the household of Stephanas.’ From 1Co_16:17 we learn that Stephanas was with St. Paul at the time. Perhaps he reminded the Apostle that his was one of the few cases of personal baptism at St. Paul’s own hands. Usually he left the baptizing to his helpers. Two reasons for the less usual course are suggested in 1Co_16:15 : ‘Ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the first-fruits of Achaia.’ It was natural for the Apostle to wish to baptize his first converts in Corinth; perhaps there was nobody else to baptize them. Moreover, the baptism of a household marked a real footing gained by Christianity in the city. These ‘first-fruits’ proved themselves valuable helpers: ‘Ye know … that they have set themselves to minister unto the saints.’ Stephanas himself was one of the deputation sent by the Corinthian Church to St. Paul, and was, therefore, a trusted leader. The Corinthian Christians are urged to ‘be in subjection unto such,’ and to ‘acknowledge them that are such.’ Here St. Paul holds up ‘such’ as Stephanas and his household as worthy of imitation and of deference. They seem to have been among the first assistants of the Apostle, outside the inner circle of his chosen companions, and they were specially valuable to the work in Corinth. No doubt their work was a voluntary consecration: there is nothing to indicate an ecclesiastical office. ‘ἔôáîáí ἑáõôïὺò … implies a systematic laying out of themselves for service, such as is possible only to those free to dispose, as they choose, of their persons and their time’ (Expositor’s Greek Testament , ‘1 Corinthians,’ London, 1900, in loc.). So the family must have been of independent means, and St. Paul is only asking the spontaneous submission and the respectful deference due to character and hard work. At the same time, there may have been in such voluntary service the germs out of which grew the Church’s local ministry, as A. C. Headlam suggests (Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible (5 vols) iv. 613).

J. E. Roberts.

(1 Corinthians 1)

- He was a founder-member of the Corinthian church in c AD52, and Fortunatus & Achaicus (introduced later in 1 Corinthians 16:17) may have been part of his household. These three have travelled to Ephesus, possibly carrying with them a letter from the church in Corinth, to which Paul is now replying. The manner in which Paul suddenly remembers he baptised Stephanas’ family 5 years earlier, suggests Stephanas was present during Paul’s dictation, and jogged his memory - "don’t forget my family!".