Acts 18:8
What does Acts 18:8 mean?
A plain-English look at Acts 18:8 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Acts 18:8 means
Crispus, the synagogue ruler, believes in the Lord with his household, and many Corinthians hear, believe, and are baptized. This is stunning: a leader from the opposing sphere becomes a believer, signaling the gospel’s power to win thoughtful, influential people. The response includes both faith and baptism, an outward sign of inward trust, embraced by many in a city known for moral decay. The verse displays the wideness of Christ’s saving work—from the synagogue to the broader populace. When leaders respond, others often follow, but the emphasis remains on hearing the message, believing in Christ, and publicly identifying with Him. God gathers a church in unlikely soil.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And 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.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And Crispus, the ruler of the Synagogue, with all his family, had faith in the Lord; and a great number of the people of Corinth, hearing the word, had faith and were given baptism.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue did believe in the Lord with all his house, and many of the Corinthians hearing were believing, and they were being baptized.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, with all his house. And many of the Corinthians hearing, believed and were baptized.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890But Crispus the ruler of the synagogue believed in the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptised.
Context
After Paul’s move to Titus Justus’s house, Luke reports unexpected fruit: a synagogue ruler is converted, along with many Corinthians. This success, however, occurs amid ongoing tension. The next verses will reveal a vision in which the Lord commands Paul not to fear, promising presence and protection, because many people in Corinth belong to Him. That assurance explains Paul’s extended stay and prepares for the legal confrontation before Gallio.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Acts 10:2
a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always.
- Acts 16:14
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened to give heed unto the things which were spoken by Paul.
- Acts 8:35
And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture, preached unto him Jesus.
- Matthew 28:19
Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:
- Acts 16:34
And he brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his house, having believed in God.
- Acts 18:17
And they all laid hold on Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment-seat. And Gallio cared for none of these things.
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