Justus Ἰοῦστος
Titius Justus, a Gentile believer who hosted Paul in Corinth
Who is Justus in the Bible?
Titius Justus was a Gentile believer in Corinth who provided crucial support to the apostle Paul during his missionary work there. Described as a worshiper of God, Justus had embraced faith in the God of Israel and opened his home to Paul after the apostle faced opposition in the local synagogue (Acts 18:7). His house was strategically located next door to the synagogue, making it an ideal base for Paul to continue ministering to both Jewish and Gentile audiences. By offering hospitality to Paul, Titius Justus played an important role in establishing the early Christian community in Corinth and demonstrated the kind of Gentile support that enabled the apostle's missionary expansion.
Biography
Titius Justus is mentioned in Act.18.7 as a Gentile believer who hosted Paul during his ministry in Corinth. The context of the passage is Paul's missionary work in Corinth, where he initially preached in the synagogue but faced opposition from some of the Jews (Act.18.1-6).
After leaving the synagogue, Paul went to the house of Titius Justus, which was next door to the synagogue (Act.18.7). Titius Justus is described as a worshiper of God, indicating that he was a Gentile who had embraced the Jewish faith and worshiped the God of Israel, although he may not have fully converted to Judaism.
By hosting Paul in his home, Titius Justus provided a strategic location for the apostle to continue his ministry and reach out to both Jews and Gentiles in Corinth. Paul's presence in Titius Justus' house, right next to the synagogue, may have also served as a powerful statement of the growing Gentile acceptance of the gospel message.
The fact that Paul chose to stay with Titius Justus highlights the importance of Gentile believers in the early church and their role in supporting and furthering the spread of the gospel. It also demonstrates Paul's willingness to engage with Gentile believers and his commitment to preaching the message of Christ to all people, regardless of their background.
Apart from this brief mention in the book of Acts, no other information about Titius Justus' life, conversion, or subsequent role in the church is provided in the Bible.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentActs 1 verse
- Acts 18:7
"So Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titus Justus, a worshiper of God."
Study Acts →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Greek | Ἰοῦστος | Ioûstos | Justus, the name of three Christian |
| Named | Greek | Τιτίος | — | — |
Justus
(2) A Corinthian proselyte (sebomenos ton Theon), whose house adjoined the synagogue and who received Paul when the Jews opposed him (Ac 18:7). He was probably a Roman citizen, one of the colonies, and so he would be of assistance to the apostle in his work among the better class of Corinth. There is some disagreement among manuscripts regarding the name. Textus Receptus of the New Testament gives "Justus" alone. the Revised Version (British and American) following Codex Sinaiticus, Codex E, Vulgate, Bohairic, Armenian, gives "Titus Justus"; Westcott and Hort, The New Testament in Greek, Tischendorf, Codex Vaticanus, Codex Bezae, give "Titius Justus"; Cheyne (EB, under the word "Justus") thinks these forms a corruption of "Tertius Justus," and that the bearer of the name was the "Tertius" of Ro 16:22. Paul still continued his lodgings with Aquila and Priscilla, but made the house of Justus his own synagogue.
(3) A Jew, Jesus Justus, mentioned with Mark and Aristarchus by Paul in his letters to the Colossians (Col 4:11), is a fellow-worker and one that had been a comfort unto him.
S. F. Hunter
jut'-a, joo'-ta (yuTTah, Jos 21:16; Septuagint Tanu; and in Jos 15:55 the King James Version, Septuagint Itan, A, Ietta); ju'-ta (~yaTa