Tertius

Biblical Record

Tertius appears only once in the entire Bible, in Romans 16:22. The King James Version renders the verse, "I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord." The Korean Revised Version renders "who wrote" with the term daeseo (代書), meaning to write on behalf of another. Tertius, who was taking down the letter as Paul dictated it, added a greeting in his own name to the Roman believers near its close. Apart from this verse, Scripture records nothing about his origins, life, or spiritual history.

Significance within Scripture

This verse shows that Paul sometimes dictated his letters rather than writing them himself. In other letters Paul notes that he wrote only the closing greeting "with mine own hand" (1 Corinthians 16:21; Galatians 6:11; Colossians 4:18; 2 Thessalonians 3:17). This verse is generally regarded as the only place in the Pauline Epistles where the name of the amanuensis appears directly in the text. On the basis of Gaius and Erastus, who are mentioned in the very next verse (Romans 16:23), scholars generally hold that Romans was written in Corinth. If so, Tertius also appears to have been in Corinth at that time.

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

• Name: Tertius is a Latin name meaning "third." This has led to speculation that he was of Roman background or that he may have been a slave or freedman. Some have also suggested that he was the brother of Quartus ("fourth"), who is mentioned in the same context, but this hypothesis has no basis in the text.
• Placement of "in the Lord": Interpreters differ over whether this phrase in the original Greek modifies "salute" or "wrote this epistle."
• Role of the amanuensis: Scholars disagree as to whether Tertius took down Paul's words verbatim or also helped refine their wording. Evangelicals, who emphasize the authority of Scripture, hold that the use of an amanuensis undermines neither Paul's authorship of Romans nor its inspiration.
• Later tradition: Eastern Orthodox tradition counts Tertius among the seventy disciples sent out by Jesus and holds that he became bishop of Iconium. This is a later tradition, not something stated in the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

Sermons or Sunday school lessons devoted specifically to Tertius are rare. When he is discussed, he is cited as an example of someone who assisted gospel ministry in a role where his name was scarcely visible, and he sometimes features in sermons on church service or unsung workers.