Rom 16:23, 1Cor 1:14 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 23. Gaius mine host . Who has received me into his house, and shown me hospitality. The word host means one who entertains another at his own house without reward. And of the whole church . Who has opened his house to entertain all Christians; or to show hospitality to them all. He was baptized by Paul himself at Corinth, ( ) and was so highly esteemed by the church, that John wrote an epistle to him, . He was probably a wealthy citizen of Corinth, who freely opened his house to entertain Christians, and for the purpose of religious worship. Erastus . Erastus is mentioned ( ) as having been sent by Paul with Timothy into Macedonia. He is also mentioned ( ) as having resided at Corinth. The chamberlain . A chamberlain is, properly, an officer who has charge of a chamber, or of chambers. In England, the lord chamberlain is the sixth officer of the crown, and has charge of the king's lodgings and wardrobe, etc. He has also an important rank on days of public solemnities, as the coronation day, etc. The word used here is commonly in the New Testament translated steward . It properly means one who has charge of domestic affairs, to provide for a family, to pay the servants, etc. In this place it means one who presided over the pecuniary affairs of the city ; and should have been translated the treasurer; the city treasurer ; an office of trust and of some importance, showing that all who were converted at Corinth were not of the lowest rank. This is implied in , "Not many wise men, not many mighty, not many noble, are called," implying that there were some such. Quartus, a brother , A fellow-Christian. (g) "Gaius" (h) "Erastus"

Romans 16:23

Verse 23. Gaius mine host. Who has received me into his house, and shown me hospitality. The word host means one who entertains another at his own house without reward.

And of the whole church. Who has opened his house to entertain all Christians; or to show hospitality to them all. He was baptized by Paul himself at Corinth, (1Cor 1:14) and was so highly esteemed by the church, that John wrote an epistle to him, 3Jn 1:1. He was probably a wealthy citizen of Corinth, who freely opened his house to entertain Christians, and for the purpose of religious worship.

Erastus. Erastus is mentioned (Acts 19:22) as having been sent by Paul with Timothy into Macedonia. He is also mentioned (2Ti 4:20) as having resided at Corinth.

The chamberlain. A chamberlain is, properly, an officer who has charge of a chamber, or of chambers. In England, the lord chamberlain is the sixth officer of the crown, and has charge of the king's lodgings and wardrobe, etc. He has also an important rank on days of public solemnities, as the coronation day, etc. The word used here is commonly in the New Testament translated steward. It properly means one who has charge of domestic affairs, to provide for a family, to pay the servants, etc. In this place it means one who presided over the pecuniary affairs of the city; and should have been translated the treasurer; the city treasurer; an office of trust and of some importance, showing that all who were converted at Corinth were not of the lowest rank. This is implied in 1Cor 1:26, "Not many wise men, not many mighty, not many noble, are called," implying that there were some such.

Quartus, a brother, A fellow-Christian.

(g) "Gaius" 1Cor 1:14, 3Jn 1:1 (h) "Erastus" Acts 19:22

1 Corinthians 1:14

Verse 14. I thank God, etc. Why Paul did not himself baptize, see in @1Co 1:17. To him it was now a subject of grateful reflection that he had not done it. He had not given any occasion for the suspicion that he had intended to set himself up as a leader of a sect or party.

But Crispus. Crispus had been the chief ruler of the synagogue at Corinth, Actsts 18:8.

And Gaius. Gaius resided at Corinth, and at his house Paul resided when he wrote the epistle to the Romans, Rom 16:23. It is also possible that the third epistle of John was directed to this man. See 3Jn 1:1. And if so, then probably Diotrephes, 3Jn 1:9, who is mentioned as one who loved "to have the pre-eminence," had been one cause of the difficulties at Corinth. The other persons at Corinth had been probably baptized by Silas and Timothy.