Whoa, wait. WHO is Sosthenes?

I Corinthians 1:1

Here we go.  Reading 1 Corinthians.  Face value. 

1Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

OK, stop right there.  How many times have I read these intros from Paul and skimmed over them?  And who the heck is Sosthenes?!!!!

“Our brother.”  Hmmm…  I know Paul had traveling companions and people who served as scribes.  But he doesn’t say who Sosthenes is.

But here’s this name.  It’s like all those names in the movie credits that we walk out on and yet they get credit for the work that they did.  If God almighty chose to put his name in the WORD OF GOD, then it strikes me… “God sees”

I recently had an experience where I found a talent supplier for a job we were doing.  I was the contact.  I set the meeting up.  Then when the meeting came, I naturally deferred to my boss.  But the shift was awkward in that suddenly I did not exist anymore.  It was actually comical to my boss and me.  Whether or not this contact gets hired or not was and is still totally up to me.  Whether or not I was noticed did not make or break any authority I had been given.  In that light, it just makes me wonder who Sosthenes was.  “Be kind to the receptionist.  She may be the vice president.”

When Jesus comes back, we will all defer to Him!!!!  We will be nothing.  And yet, He knows our names!  He sees the individual!  Sosthenes!

If Sos is there while Paul is writing this letter, then his opinions and input are possibly all over this letter!

Sosthenes, the invisible… but not to God.

So I’ve looked up “Sosthenes” in my Bible software.  Can I be embarrassed to just now realize that part of the book of Acts took place in Corinth?  Paul was there preaching in the synagogue.  He gets totally frustrated with the Jews and stomps out saying, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."  As a mom, I TOTALLY get this.

But God calls him back and says don’t give up.  So Paul stays a year and half preaching.  That’s a lot of preaching!  Then the Jews complain to the secular authority, Gallio, who says not to bother him with religious stuff and to settle it themselves.  Then this verse,

Acts 18:17  Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.

Oh Beth Moore, where are you?  When was the book of 1 Corinthians written in relation to this? 

Names are important in the Bible. So what does Sosthenes mean?

One source said,  “The name Sosthenes is a Biblical baby name. In Biblical the meaning of the name Sosthenes is: Savior, strong, powerful'.”

Other sources said “of safe strength” or “saving strength”.

Lord, thank you for Sosthenes.  He was somehow a huge part of building your church.  Thank you for the part he played in writing your word to us… to me.  When you see him next, please tell him a mom in the state of Washington noticed and is thankful… Oh, and that my name is Lydia.

Wow, Lord…only 17 words into 1 Corinthians and I’m blown away.

Thank you.

Love,  Lydia

P.S.  Thanks, Lord, for noticing me.