Erastus of Corinth (Greek: Ἔραστος, Erastos), also known as Erastus of Paneas, held the political office of steward (Greek: οἰκονόμος, oikonomos), in Corinth, according to the Epistle to the Romans16:23 of the New Testament. The office is defined as "the manager of household or of household affairs" or, in this context, "treasurer".[1] The King James Version uses the translation "chamberlain", while the New International Version uses "director of public works". A person named Erastus mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:20 and Acts 19:22 is often taken to be the same person.
According to the tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Erastus is numbered among the Seventy Disciples. He served as a deacon and steward of the Church at Jerusalem and later of Paneas in Palestine. The Church remembers St. Erastus on January 4 among the Seventy, and on November 10.
However, researchers have also questioned whether it is even possible to conclude from the mention in the New Testament that Erastus was a Christian. According to this theory, he could also have been a wealthy patron of the church without being a believer himself.[2]
Relevant verses
And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
In 1928/1929 and 1947,[3] parts of an inscription mentioning an Erastus were found near a paved area northeast of the theater of Corinth. Its dating is disputed, but it is possible that the inscription dates from the middle of the 1st century.[4] The text reads "Erastus in return for his aedileship paved it at his own expense." (Latin: ERASTVS. PRO. AED. S. P. STRAVIT[5] abbreviated for ERASTUS PRO AEDILITATE SUA PECUNIA STRAVIT.) Some New Testament scholars have identified this aedile Erastus with the Erastus mentioned in the Epistle to the Romans, but this is disputed by others. This debate has implications relating to the social status of the members of the Pauline churches.[6][7]
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^"οἰκονόμος" [Steward]. Blue Letter Bible -Lexicon. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
^On this debate see Weiß, Alexander. "Soziale Elite und Christentum. Studien zu ordo-Angehörigen unter den frühen Christen." Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter (2015), 145–147.
^Weiß, Alexander. "Soziale Elite und Christentum. Studien zu ordo-Angehörigen unter den frühen Christen." Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter (2015), 108.
^Weiß, Alexander. "Soziale Elite und Christentum. Studien zu ordo-Angehörigen unter den frühen Christen." Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter (2015), 109–110.
^"PH209961". Searchable Greek Inscriptions. The Packard Humanities Institute. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
^Friesen, Steven (January 2007). "The Wrong Erastus: Status, Wealth, and Paul's Churches". Corinth in Context. Institute for the Study of Antiquity and Christian Origins. Retrieved 18 May 2012. Thus the Erastus inscription soon became a linchpin in 20th century reconstructions of the social status of Pauline Christianity. Unfortunately, the inscription was incorrectly published and the identification of the two Erastus references is wrong. - Abstract Only.
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