Titius Justus

Biblical Account

Titius Justus is mentioned only once, in Acts 18. The setting is Paul's ministry in Corinth, which is commonly placed during the second missionary journey.

• In Corinth, Paul worked as a tentmaker alongside Priscilla and Aquila. Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue and sought to persuade both Jews and Greeks (Acts 18:1-4).
• After Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself to preaching the word. When the Jews opposed him and blasphemed, however, Paul shook out his raiment and declared, "from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles" (Acts 18:5-6).
• Paul then "entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue" (Acts 18:7).
• Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house, and many of the Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized (Acts 18:8). Paul remained there a year and six months, teaching (Acts 18:11).

Scripture records nothing about his occupation, his family, or his later life.

Significance Within Scripture

The expression "one who worshipped God" (often rendered "God-fearer") is widely understood to refer to Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and took part in synagogue worship without fully converting to Judaism through circumcision. Because the house of Titius Justus stood immediately beside the synagogue, Paul, although he had left the synagogue, was able to continue proclaiming the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles close to it.

The scene is read as illustrating a movement in Acts in which the focus of the gospel shifts from the synagogue to the homes of Gentile believers. His house is also frequently cited as an example of the early church meeting in private homes.

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

• Manuscript variants of the name: The Greek manuscripts transmit the name in different forms. Some read "Titius Justus," others "Titus Justus," and still others simply "Justus." The Korean New Korean Revised Version renders it as "Dido Yuseudo" (that is, Titus Justus). Both Titius and Justus are Roman names, and some scholars therefore suggest that he may have been a Roman citizen of Corinth, which was a Roman colony, though the text does not say so.
• Distinction from Titus: Although his name is written the same way in Korean, he is generally regarded as a different person from Titus, Paul's coworker and the recipient of the Epistle to Titus. He is likewise distinguished from "Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus" in Acts 1:23 and from "Jesus, which is called Justus" in Colossians 4:11.
• Identification with Gaius: Some scholars regard him as a single individual named "Gaius Titius Justus," identifying him with "Gaius mine host, and of the whole church" in Romans 16:23 and with the Gaius whom Paul baptized in 1 Corinthians 1:14. This hypothesis is not directly confirmed by Scripture, and other scholars reject it.

No notable denominational differences in the interpretation of this figure are known.

In the Korean Church

Sermons or Sunday school lessons devoted solely to Titius Justus are relatively rare. He is usually mentioned in the course of preaching or Bible study on Paul's Corinthian ministry in Acts 18. He is chiefly presented as one who opened his home to help spread the gospel, that is, as a model of "service" and "hospitality." He is also sometimes cited when explaining the biblical background of house church or small group gatherings.