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Sosthenes

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Synagogue ruler in Corinth beaten by Greeks, later a co-author of 1 Corinthians

Detailed Definition
Sosthenes may have converted after his beating (Acts 18:17) and joined Paul in writing to Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:1). In poetry, Sosthenes embodies transformation from religious opposition to apostolic partnership, the vulnerability of leadership, and how persecution can catalyze faith.
Example
Example in poetry:
In 1 Corinthians 1:1, Sosthenes is called “our brother,” inspiring devotional poetry about shared leadership; Acts 18:17 references Sosthenes as synagogue ruler beaten in Corinth—a moment dramatized in historical verse about persecution; Contemporary poems imagine Sosthenes’s conversion from opponent to co-author of Paul’s letter; In liturgical litanies, Sosthenes is honored as model of transformed identity and reconciliation; Some educational poems contrast Sosthenes’s earlier role with his later partnership in the gospel; Poetic meditations use Sosthenes to explore how suffering can lead to solidarity in Christ.
Additional Notes
Sosthenes, initially the synagogue ruler in Corinth who was beaten (Acts 18:17), later appears as Paul’s co-sender of 1 Corinthians (1:1); whether the same person is debated, but if so, his transformation from Jewish leader to Christian collaborator illustrates dramatic conversion; this duality offers rich material for poems on identity shift, communal conflict, and reconciliation across religious divides.
Also Known As
Sosthenes ruler of the synagogue Sosthenes the Brother
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