Erastus

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

(Ἔραστος)

1. In  Romans 16:23 Erastus is ‘the treasurer of the city’ (ὁ οἰκονόμος τῆς πόλεως, 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  Acts 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  2 Timothy 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.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

A companion of Paul at Ephesus, who was sent by him along with Timothy into Macedonia ( Acts 19:22 ). Corinth was his usual place of abode ( 2 Timothy 4:20 ); but probably he may have been the same as the preceding.

Copyright Statement These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., DD Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain.

Bibliography Information Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Erastus'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/e/erastus.html. 1897.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Eras'tus. (Beloved).

1. One of the attendants of St. Paul at Ephesus, who, with Timothy, was sent forward into Macedonia.  Acts 19:22. (A.D. 51). He is probably the same Erastus who is again mentioned in the salutations to Timothy.  2 Timothy 4:20.

2. Erastus, the chamberlain, or rather the public treasurer, of Corinth, who was one of the early converts to Christianity.  Romans 16:23. According to the traditions of the Greek Church, he was first treasurer to the church at Jerusalem, and afterwards, bishop of Paneas.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

"Chamberlain," i.e. city steward and treasurer of Corinth ( Romans 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 ( 2 Timothy 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 ( Acts 19:22).

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

ERASTUS . The name occurs thrice in NT among the Pauline company. An Erastus sends greetings in   Romans 16:23 , and is called ‘the treasurer (AV [Note: Authorized Version.] ‘chamberlain’) of the city’ (Corinth). The Erastus who was sent by St. Paul from Ephesus to Macedonia (  Acts 19:22 ), and who later remained in Corinth (  2 Timothy 4:20 ), is perhaps the same.

A. J. Maclean.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

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,  Acts 19:22 . He was again at Corinth when Paul wrote to the Romans,  Romans 16:23; and remained there when Paul went as a prisoner to Rome,  2 Timothy 4:20 .

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Erastus ( E-Răs'Tus ), Amiable. A Christian chamberlain or treasurer of Corinth.  Acts 19:22;  Romans 16:23;  2 Timothy 4:20. It is impossible to say whether these references all belong to the same person.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

1. Onewho ministered to Paul. He was sent by Paul into Macedonia, and later on is found abiding at Corinth.  Acts 19:22;  2 Timothy 4:20 .

2. Chamberlain or treasurer of Corinth.  Romans 16:23 . Perhaps the same as No. 1.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Acts 19:22 2 Romans 16:23 2 Timothy 4:20

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

( ῎Εραστος , Beloved, an old Grecian name, Diog. Laert. 3:31), a Corinthian, and one of Pull's disciples, whose salutations he sends from Corinth to the Church at Rome as those of "the Chamberlain (q.v.) of the city" of Corinth ( Romans 16:23). The word so rendered ( Οἰκονόμος , Vulg. Arcarius) denotes the City Treasurer or steward (Suicer, Thesaur. 2:464; see Flessa, De arcariis, Baruth. 1725-6, 2, § 11; also Elszner, Obs. 2:68), an officer of great dignity in ancient times (comp. Josephus, Ant. 7:8, 2); so that the conversion of such a man to the faith of the Gospel was a proof of the wonderful success of the apostle's labors in that city. We find Erastus with Paul at Ephesus as one of his attendants or deacons ( Οἱ Διακονοῦντες Αὐτῷ ), whence he was sent, along with Timothy, into Macedonia, while the apostle himself remained in Asia ( Acts 19:22), A.D. 51. They were both with the apostle at Corinth when he wrote, as above,-from that city to the Romans, A.D. 55; and at a subsequent period (A.D. 64) Erastus was still at Corinth ( 2 Timothy 4:20), which would seem to have been the usual place of his abode ( Ἔμεινε ). According to the traditions of the Greek Church (Menol. Graecum, 1:179), he was first Aeconomus to the Church at Jerusalem, and afterwards bishop of Paneas, and died a natural death. Many critrics, however (Grotius, Kype, Kuinol, De Wette, Winer, etc.), regard the Corinthian Erastus as a different person from Paul's companion, on the ground that the official duties of the former would not allow such an absence from the city (Neander, Planting and Training, 1:392, note), or that, if he was with Paul at Ephesus, we should be compelled to assume that he is mentioned in the epistle to the Romans by the title of an office which he had once held and afterwards resigned (Meyer, Kommentar. in loc.).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ē̇ - ras´tus ( Ἔραστος , Érastos , "beloved"): The name occurs three times, each time denoting a companion of Paul.

(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" ( Acts 19:22 ).

(2) "Erastus the treasurer of the city" sent greetings to the Christians in Rome ( Romans 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  2 Timothy 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 ( Romans 16:23 ) by an office he once held, but which he gave up to engage in mission work.

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

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' . 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 . 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 , which would seem to have been the usual place of his abode.

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

An eminent physician, born at Baden, in Switzerland, whose fame rests mainly on the attitude he assumed in the theological and ecclesiastical questions of the day; he defended Zwingli's view of the Eucharist as a merely symbolical ordinance, and denied the right of the Church to inflict civil penalties, or to exercise discipline—the power of the keys—that belonging, he maintained, to the province of the civil magistrate and not to the Church (1534-1583).