Achaicus
Achaicus
Info
- #coworker
- Home:: Corinthian Church
- Other Locales:: Ephesian Church
- References:: 1 Corinthians 16#16:17
Notes
- Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus are mentioned together in 1 Corinthians 16#16:17. They visited Paul in Ephesian Church.
Summary
Achaicus is mentioned once in 1 Corinthians 16#16:17, as part of the delegation with Stephanas and Fortunatus that visited Paul in Ephesus from the Corinthian Church. Paul says they "refreshed my spirit as well as yours" and urges the Corinthians to "give recognition to such people" (1 Corinthians 16#16:18).
His name, Achaicus ("the Achaean"), is a geographical designation meaning "one from Achaia," the Roman province encompassing southern Greece with Corinth as its capital. Names of this type were commonly given to slaves who originated from a region. If Achaicus was a slave or freedman, his selection as a delegate to Paul indicates that the Corinthian church valued faithfulness and capability over social rank when choosing representatives.
The trio of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus served as the communication link between Paul and Corinth: they carried the Corinthians' letter of questions to Paul and returned with 1 Corinthians. Their role as intermediaries was critical at a time when the Corinthian church faced divisions, moral failures, and theological confusion.