4989. Sósipatros
Lexical Summary
Sósipatros: Sosipater

Original Word: Σώπατρος
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Sósipatros
Pronunciation: so-SIP-ah-tros
Phonetic Spelling: (so-sip'-at-ros)
KJV: Sosipater
NASB: Sosipater
Word Origin: [prolongation for G4986 (Σώπατρος - Sopater)]

1. Sosipatrus, a Christian

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Sosipater.

Prolongation for Sopatros; Sosipatrus, a Christian -- Sosipater.

see GREEK Sopatros

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prol. form of Sópatros
Definition
"of a safe father," Sosipater, a Christian, perhaps the same as NG4986
NASB Translation
Sosipater (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4989: Σωσίπατρος

Σωσίπατρος, Σωσιπατρου, , Sosipater, a certain Christian, one of Paul's kinsmen (perhaps the same man who in Acts 20:4 is called Σώπατρος (which see; yet the latter was from Beraea, Sosipater in Corinth); cf. Σωκράτης and Σωσικρατης, Σωκλειδης and Σωσικλειδης, see Fritzsche, Ep. ad Romans, vol. iii., p. 316; (cf. Fick, Gr. Personennamen, pp. 79, 80)): Romans 16:21.

Topical Lexicon
Identity and Background

Sosipater appears once in the Greek New Testament (Romans 16:21). His name, common in the Hellenistic world, reflects a blend of Jewish roots and Greco-Roman culture, fitting the cosmopolitan character of the early church.

Biblical Occurrence

Romans 16:21: “Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you greetings, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow kinsmen.”

In Paul’s closing greetings from Corinth, Sosipater is listed among the apostle’s “kinsmen,” a term Paul uses for fellow Jews (cf. Romans 9:3; 2 Corinthians 11:22). His inclusion underscores the multiethnic but deeply Jewish core of Paul’s missionary team and highlights the gospel’s spread from Jerusalem to the wider Gentile world.

Connection with Sopater of Berea

Acts 20:4 introduces “Sopater of Berea,” a companion of Paul on the return leg of the third missionary journey. Because “Sosipater” and “Sopater” differ by only one syllable and both travel with Paul during roughly the same era, many commentators identify them as the same person. If so, Sosipater would be:
• A Berean believer—part of a community praised for examining Scripture daily (Acts 17:11).
• A man entrusted with carrying the collection from Gentile churches to Jerusalem (Acts 20:4; 1 Corinthians 16:1-4), indicating proven integrity and leadership.

Role in Paul’s Ministry

1. Fellow Worker: Paul regularly called those who traveled and labored with him “synergos” (co-worker). Although the term is not used of Sosipater directly, his placement beside Timothy, Lucius, and Jason in Romans 16:21 implies equal standing in ministry labor.
2. Representative of Jewish Believers: By incorporating Jewish colleagues like Sosipater, Paul demonstrated the unity of Jew and Gentile in Christ (Ephesians 2:14). Such unity was particularly significant as the Roman church wrestled with ethnic tensions (Romans 14–15).
3. Possible Courier: If Romans was dictated in Corinth, Sosipater may have helped deliver or authenticate the letter when it reached Rome, lending personal credibility from Paul’s wider circle.

Early Church Tradition

Second- and third-century sources (e.g., the “Apostolic Constitutions”) pair Sosipater with Jason as two of the Seventy sent out by Jesus (Luke 10:1), later claiming they evangelized Corfu, faced imprisonment, and saw many conversions. While Scripture is silent on these details, the traditions reflect the esteem in which the early church held Sosipater and illustrate how Paul’s co-workers became foundations for later missionary advance.

Theological and Pastoral Insights

• Cooperation in Mission: The greeting in Romans 16:21 shows a diverse team—Jew and Gentile, older apostle and younger assistants—united around gospel proclamation.
• Faithful Obscurity: Beyond a single verse, Scripture says nothing more of Sosipater, reminding readers that the church’s progress often rests on faithful servants whose names receive little attention but whose labor is indispensable.
• Covenant Continuity: Paul’s description of Sosipater as a “kinsman” underscores God’s faithfulness to Israel while simultaneously fulfilling the promise that the nations would be blessed through Abraham’s seed (Genesis 12:3; Romans 15:8-12).

Key References

Romans 16:21; Acts 20:4 (possible parallel)

Forms and Transliterations
Σωσιπατρος Σωσίπατρος Sosipatros Sosípatros Sōsipatros Sōsípatros
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Romans 16:21 N-NMS
GRK: Ἰάσων καὶ Σωσίπατρος οἱ συγγενεῖς
NAS: and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.
KJV: Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen,
INT: Jason and Sosipater the kinsmen

Strong's Greek 4989
1 Occurrence


Σωσίπατρος — 1 Occ.

4988
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