Eras´tus, a Corinthian, and one of Paul’s disciples, whose salutations he sends from Corinth to the Church at Rome as those of ’the chamberlain of the city’ (Rom 16:23). The words so rendered denote the city treasurer or steward, an officer of great dignity in ancient times. We find this Erastus with Paul at Ephesus, whence he was sent along with Timothy into Macedonia (Act 19:22). They were both with the Apostle at Corinth when he wrote, as above, from that city to the Romans: at a subsequent period Erastus was still at Corinth (2Ti 4:20), which would seem to have been the usual place of his abode.
A Christian friend and fellow-laborer of Paul, a Corinthian, and chamberlain-that is, steward or treasurer-of the city. He followed Paul to Ephesus, and attended Timothy in a mission to Macedonia, Mal 19:22 . He was again at Corinth when Paul wrote to the Romans, 1Ch 16:23 ; and remained there when Paul went as a prisoner to Rome, 2Ti 4:20 .\par
Eras’tus. (beloved).
1. One of the attendants of St. Paul at Ephesus, who, with Timothy, was sent forward into Macedonia. Act 19:22. (A.D. 51). He is probably the same Erastus who is again mentioned in the salutations to Timothy. 2Ti 4:20.
2. Erastus, the chamberlain, or rather the public treasurer, of Corinth, who was one of the early converts to Christianity. Rom 16:23. According to the traditions of the Greek Church, he was first treasurer to the church at Jerusalem, and afterwards, bishop of Paneas.
"Chamberlain," i.e. city steward and treasurer of Corinth (Rom 16:23). The conversion of so prominent a man marks the great success of Paul’s labors there. He ministered to Paul, accompanying him on his last journey to his second imprisonment at Rome; but "abode at Corinth," going no further, as Paul notes (2Ti 4:20) to depict his utter desertion by man. Erastus the missionary is perhaps distinct, as a chamberlain’s office would hardly admit of continued missionary journeys (Act 19:22).
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ERASTUS.—The name occurs thrice in NT among the Pauline company. An Erastus sends greetings in Rom 16:23, and is called ‘the treasurer (AV
A. J. Maclean.
(1) Erastus was sent with Timothy from Ephesus into Macedonia while Paul remained in Asia for a while. They are designated “two of them that ministered unto him” (Act 19:22).
(2) “Erastus the treasurer of the city” sent greetings to the Christians in Rome (Rom 16:23). He was apparently an important person in the Corinthian community, and with Gaius probably represented that church in these fraternal relations with the Roman community.
(3) Erastus is one who, in 2Ti 4:20, “remained at Corinth.”
We have no means of discovering whether one or more than one person is meant in these references. A. C. Headlam (HDB, under the word) thinks it improbable that one who held an office implying residence in one locality should have been one of Paul’s companions in travel. On the other hand Paul may be designating Erastus (Rom 16:23) by an office he once held, but which he gave up to engage in mission work.
(Ἔñáóôïò)
1. In Rom_16:23 Erastus is ‘the treasurer of the city’ (ὁ ïἰêïíüìïò ôῆò ðüëåùò, arcarius civitatis) of Corinth, who sends salutations with ‘Quartus the brother.’ His office was an important one. He stands almost alone in the NT as a convert of position and influence.
2. In Act_19:22 the name is given to one of two-Timothy being the other-who ‘ministered’ to St. Paul in Ephesus, and who were sent by him on some errand into Macedonia.
3. In 2Ti_4:20 Erastus is a companion of St. Paul, said to have remained in Corinth, i.e. during the interval between the first and second imprisonments.
Are these three to be identified? It is possible that 2 and 3 are the same man, but on account of the nature of the office held by 1 it seems unlikely that he could have been a missionary companion and messenger of the Apostle. To meet this difficulty, it might be suggested that he had resigned the treasurership on becoming a Christian. Again, if 1 and 3 are identical, there would seem to be little point in St. Paul’s informing Timothy that an important city official ‘abode at Corinth.’ It is held by some scholars that these salutations from Corinthian Christians in the postscript of the ‘Roman’ Epistle point to an Ephesian destination of the passage. It is easier to believe that the members of the Church at Corinth had friends at Ephesus than at Rome; but, as Lightfoot reminds us, personal acquaintance was not necessary in the Apostolic Church to create Christian sympathy. Also, ‘the descriptive addition “the steward of the city” is much more appropriate if addressed to those to whom his name was unknown or scarcely known, than to those with whom he was personally acquainted’ (Lightfoot, Biblical Essays, 1893, p. 305). If we could accept the theory of the Ephesian destination, we should be more inclined to identify all three names.
T. B. Allworthy.
(Acts 19)
- The name appears three times in the New Testament, and may all refer to the same man:
(1) In Acts 19, Erastus, who is in Ephesus at the end of Paul’s long stay there. He now goes with Timothy to Macedonia in advance of Paul. The visits to Macedonia and on to Achaia (including Corinth) were probably to collect gifts for the church in Jerusalem;
(2) Erastus, town clerk of Corinth, included in Paul’s greetings from the Christians in Corinth to the Romans, one or two years later in c AD57/58 (Romans 16:23). This Erastus is possibly the same man Paul sent from Ephesus to Macedonia in c AD56/57 (Acts 19:22 above). Then ten years later as Paul awaits execution in Rome, he tells Matthew that Erastus is staying on at Corinth (2 Timothy 4:20)
(3) While Paul was in prison in Rome before his execution in c AD67, he notes that Erastus stayed on at Corinth (2 Timothy 4:20).