Eubulus

Biblical Record

Eubulus appears only once in the Bible, in 2 Timothy 4:21. As Paul closes the letter, he urges Timothy to hurry and come before winter and then conveys greetings: "Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren." Eubulus is the first named among those sending greetings.

This is all the text says. His origin, office, family, and later activities are not recorded. The name is a transliteration of the Greek Euboulos, generally interpreted to mean "good thought" or "good counsel."

Significance Within the Bible

Second Timothy is traditionally understood as a letter Paul wrote while imprisoned, and the prevailing view places that imprisonment in Rome. Eubulus is therefore presumed to have been a believer living in Rome at the time. In the same chapter Paul says that Demas has forsaken him and that only Luke is with him (2 Timothy 4:10–11), yet shortly afterward he conveys greetings from Eubulus and others. For this reason, these individuals are commonly interpreted not as co-workers who remained constantly at Paul's side but as members of the local church who were in contact with him.

Interpretation and Debate

The traditional view holds that Paul himself wrote 2 Timothy, while some scholars hold that it was written in his name after his death. How one understands the historical setting of these greetings depends on which view one adopts. Linus, who is named alongside Eubulus, is remembered in the writings of the early Church Fathers as an early leader of the church in Rome, but there is no widely accepted later tradition concerning Eubulus. Accounts that add details about his life or role not found in the text should be regarded as unsubstantiated.

In the Korean Church

Sermons or Sunday school lessons devoted specifically to Eubulus are rare. He is typically mentioned only when the closing greetings of 2 Timothy 4 are discussed, as one of the obscure believers who remained near Paul in his suffering.