Stephanas

Biblical Record

Stephanas is mentioned only twice, both times in 1 Corinthians. The name does not occur elsewhere in Scripture.

• 1 Corinthians 1:16: When the Corinthian church divided into factions, saying "I am of Paul; and I of Apollos," Paul remarks that he had baptized few people in Corinth. He had baptized Crispus and Gaius, and also "the household of Stephanas," adding that he did not recall baptizing anyone else.
• 1 Corinthians 16:15–18: Paul calls the household of Stephanas "the firstfruits of Achaia," that is, the first people in the province of Achaia to believe. He describes this household as having devoted itself to the ministry of the saints and urges the believers to submit to such people. He then expresses his joy at the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, writing that they "have refreshed my spirit and yours."

Paul wrote this letter from Ephesus (1 Corinthians 16:8), so Stephanas and his companions are understood to have traveled from Corinth to visit Paul in Ephesus. Many suppose that they delivered the letter the Corinthians had written to Paul (1 Corinthians 7:1), though the text does not say so directly.

Significance Within Scripture

Stephanas is read as an early believer in the church at Corinth and as an example of someone recognized within the church for service rather than for holding a titled office. Paul grounds the authority of Stephanas and his household not in appointment or title but in their conduct, for they had "addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints." The record of his entire household being baptized is also one of the so-called "household baptism" accounts in the New Testament, alongside the household of Lydia (Acts 16:15) and that of the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:33).

Interpretation and Points of Debate

• Household baptism and infant baptism: Denominations that practice infant baptism, such as Presbyterian, Methodist, and Anglican churches, cite household baptism accounts as consistent with the understanding that children are included in the community of faith. Denominations that recognize only believer's baptism by immersion, such as Baptists, hold that because 1 Corinthians 16:15 says the members of the household devoted themselves to service, they must have been capable of professing faith. The text does not say whether there were young children in the household. For further discussion, see Infant Baptism Controversy.
• "The firstfruits of Achaia": Acts 17:34 mentions people who believed in Athens before Paul came to Corinth, and Athens was also part of the province of Achaia. Interpretations therefore vary: some hold that the household of Stephanas had come to faith earlier in Athens, while others read "firstfruits" more broadly as referring to the first household in the region of Corinth. No consensus exists.
• Material outside the text: Some later manuscripts, followed by the King James Version, include a subscription at the end of 1 Corinthians stating that the letter was carried by Stephanas, Fortunatus, Achaicus, and Timothy. This subscription is generally regarded as a later addition rather than part of the original text. Stephanas should also be distinguished from Stephen, the first martyr, whose name is similar.

In the Korean Church

Stephanas is not a frequent subject of preaching. In sermons on 1 Corinthians 16, however, he is sometimes cited as an example of a layperson recognized for service rather than office, and as a co-worker who "refreshed" the spirit of a minister. In catechetical instruction on infant baptism and believer's baptism, the account of his household is presented as one of the household baptism texts.