Tertius (Hastings' Dictionary)
The amanuensis through whose agency St. Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans. In Ro 16, he joins personally in sending his greetings. St. Paul seems to have generally WTitten by means of an amanuensis, adding just a few words at the end (1 Co 16'-', Col 4'8, 2Th 3") in his own hand, by way of authentication, per- haps written in lart'e and bold characters (Gal 6"). In the ease of the Epistle to the Romans he prob- ably added the concluding doxology (16^"").
It is an interesting subject of speculation how far the employment of different amanuenses who wrote out their shorthand notes may have influenced the style of different epistles or groups of epistles (see Sanday • Headfam, Jionmns, Introduction, p. Ix). A. C. Headlam.
This topic also has an entry in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Both articles offer independent scholarly perspectives.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Tertius
Tertius tur'-shi-us (Tertios): The amanuensis of Paul who wrote at his dictation the Epistle to the Romans. In the midst of Paul's greetings to the Christians in Rome he interpolated his own, "I Tertius, who write the epistle, salute you in the Lord" (Ro 16:22). "It is as a Christian, not in virtue of any other relation he has to the Romans, that Tertius salutes them" (Denney). Some identify him with Silas, owing to the fact that shalish is the Hebrew for "third (officer)," as tertius is the Latin Others think he was a Roman Christian residing in Corinth. This is, however, merely conjecture. Paul seems to have dictated his letters to an amanuensis, adding by his own hand merely the concluding sentences as "the token in every epistle" (2Th 3:17; Col 4:18; 1Co 16:21). How far this may have influenced the style of his letters is discussed in Sanday-Headlam, Romans, Introduction, LX. ⇒See a list of verses on TERTIUS in the Bible. S. F. Hunter ⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia.
Smith's Bible Dictionary on Tertius
(third), probably a Roman, was the amanuensis of Paul in writing the Epistle to the Romans. (Romans 16:22) (A.D. 55.)
Fausset's Bible Dictionary on Tertius
Paul's amanuensis in writing the epistle to the Romans (Rom 16:22) from Corinth. His greeting inserted in the middle of Paul's greetings to the Romans shows that he was well acquainted with the Roman Christians, "I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord"; his name too makes it likely he was a Roman.
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia