Erastus

Erastus was an associate of Paul mentioned in several New Testament letters. He is identified as the city treasurer of Corinth in Romans 16:23. Paul sent Erastus along with Timothy to Macedonia while he remained in Asia. An inscription found in Corinth mentioning an Erastus as a city official may refer to this same person.

Etymology & Roots

Erastus (Ἔραστος) is a Greek name derived from the verb erao (ἐράω), meaning "to love" in the sense of passionate affection or desire. The adjectival form erastos means "beloved" or "lovable" — one who inspires love or is the object of affection. The name belongs to the family of Greek love-vocabulary that includes eros (romantic love), erastes (lover), and eromenos (beloved). It was a common name in the Greco-Roman world, borne by free citizens, slaves, and freedmen alike.

The name's prevalence in Corinthian inscriptions is significant: an Erastus inscription discovered at Corinth in 1929, identifying a city official who paved a public square at his own expense, may refer to the Erastus of Romans 16:23.

Biblical Bearers

Three New Testament references mention Erastus. In Acts 19:22, Paul dispatches Timothy and Erastus to Macedonia as advance representatives during the Ephesian ministry. In Romans 16:23, an Erastus is identified as the oikonomos (οἰκονόμος) — city treasurer or director of public works — of Corinth, a position of considerable civic prominence suggesting significant social status. In 2 Timothy 4:20, Paul notes that Erastus "stayed in Corinth" when Paul departed, possibly the same individual.

If all three references point to one man, Erastus was a high-ranking Corinthian official who became a Christian and continued serving both civic and apostolic functions.

Theological Significance

Erastus — "beloved" — bears a name that takes on deeper meaning within his Christian identity. As the city treasurer of Corinth (Romans 16:23), he represents the penetration of the gospel into elite Roman civic life. The Corinthian inscription bearing his name, commemorating his donation of a public pavement, suggests wealth and social ambition; yet Paul lists him simply as a brother alongside "the whole church" (Romans 16:23).

The gospel's power to make the "beloved" of society into servants of Christ was itself a sign of the kingdom. Erastus also models the integration of civic vocation and Christian witness, demonstrating that belonging to Christ did not require withdrawal from public life but rather the transformation of it.

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