Pudens

Biblical Record

Pudens appears once, in 2 Timothy 4:21. At the close of the letter, Paul urges Timothy to come quickly, "before winter." He then conveys greetings to Timothy from Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren. This is all the Bible says about Pudens; his origin, office, and life are not recorded.

Significance Within Scripture

Second Timothy has traditionally been read as a letter Paul wrote while imprisoned in Rome. On this reading, Pudens was a member of the Roman church at that time who remained at Paul's side. In the same chapter, Paul writes that Demas and several others had deserted him (2 Timothy 4:10, 16). Even so, Pudens and the others whose names are recorded appear as believers who remained in fellowship with Paul. Scholars differ on whether Paul himself wrote this epistle.

Interpretations and Debates

Pudens is a Latin name. Various traditions about him exist outside the biblical text.

• One tradition holds that Pudens was a prominent figure in Rome and that his house served as a meeting place for the church. It is also said that the Basilica of Santa Pudenziana in Rome is connected with the site of his house.
• Some regard Claudia, who is named in the same verse, as the wife of Pudens. It has also been suggested that the two are the same couple as the Pudens and Claudia who appear in the poems of Martial, the first-century Roman poet.

All of these are later traditions or conjectures not found in the biblical text, and they cannot readily be regarded as established fact.

In the Korean Church

Sermons and Sunday school materials devoted specifically to Pudens are rare. He is usually mentioned briefly in expositions of 2 Timothy 4, in the portion dealing with the coworkers who stayed with Paul to the end.