ERASTUS: ARCHEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE

Erastus is mentioned three times in the New Testament:

    Acts 19:22 – “After sending to Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he [Paul] himself stayed in Asia for a while.”

    II Timothy 4:19-20 – “Greek Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus remained at Corinth; but Trophimus I left sick at Miletus.”

    Romans 16:23 – Gaius, who is my host and that of the church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer greets you as well as Quartus our brother.”

The first two references are undoubtedly to the same person. However, there is an on-going dispute among scholars concerning the Romans verse; it may refer to the same acquaintance of Paul or another person. We will assume, with many others, that all three verses concern the same Erastus.

In 1929, a pavement in Corinth dating to the second half of the 1^st century AD was uncovered with an inscription carved into stone. The inscription was originally inlaid with brass letters, traces of which are still present. The inscription read, “Erastus in return for his aedileship laid [the pavement] at his own expense.” An aedile was a commissioner of public works, an office one obtained after serving faithfully in other public offices. Since there have been no other Roman officials known with the name of Erastus, it is very likely that it is the same person mentioned in Paul's letters.

This inscription is important in three ways:

    1. It confirms the tradition that Paul wrote the book of Romans from Corinth.

    2. It strengthens the case that Paul wrote II Timothy (a book whose authorship by Paul has been doubted by liberal Bible scholars) since the historical detail of Erastus being in Corinth is now confirmed. That fact is not specifically mentioned in any of Paul's other letters.

    3. It shows that even after becoming a Christian, Erastus had no problem continuing to work for the Roman government and advance his career in public office.