Bible Figure
Crispus of Chalcedon
male human biblical figure in 1 Corinthians 1:14 and Acts 18:8
Crispus was the ruler of the synagogue at Corinth who believed in the Lord with his household and was personally baptized by Paul.
Biography
Acts 18 records that after opposition in the Corinthian synagogue, Crispus, its synagogue ruler, believed in the Lord together with his entire household, and many Corinthians also believed and were baptized. In 1 Corinthians 1 Paul names Crispus among the few people he personally baptized, along with Gaius and the household of Stephanas. Scripture does not call him 'Crispus of Chalcedon'; that geographic association belongs to later tradition.
Biblical Significance
Crispus represents an important early convert during Paul's Corinthian ministry. His position as synagogue ruler makes his conversion especially notable in the account of the gospel's spread in Corinth.