Quartus

Biblical Record

Quartus appears once, in the closing greetings of Romans 16. Romans 16:23 reads: "Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother." The word "host" refers to a householder who lodges guests and provides them with hospitality. Quartus was with Paul and sends his greetings to the believers in Rome. Because Romans is commonly regarded as a letter Paul wrote while staying in Corinth, Quartus is thought to have been a member of the Corinthian church at that time. Scripture says nothing about his origin, occupation, or later life.

Significance in Scripture

The name Quartus is Latin and means "fourth." While the other figures in the passage are given descriptions such as "host" and "chamberlain," Quartus is identified only as "a brother." This brief mention shows that believers whose names were not widely known also took part in the fellowship that connected Paul with the churches.

Interpretation and Debate

Interpreters differ on how to read the word "brother."

• Most commentators understand it to mean a fellow Christian who shares the same faith.
• Some suggest that he may have been a blood brother of Erastus, who is mentioned immediately before him.

The name of Tertius, who took down the letter according to Romans 16:22, means "third." This has led to speculation that he and Quartus, whose name means "fourth," were brothers, but the text offers no basis for this.

Later church tradition counts Quartus among the seventy disciples of Luke 10 and holds that he became bishop of Beirut (Berytus). The Eastern Orthodox Church commemorates him in accordance with this tradition. These details, however, are later additions not found in the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

Quartus is rarely discussed on his own in Korean churches. He is mentioned mainly in expositions of Romans 16 that explain the list of Paul's coworkers. In such contexts he is sometimes presented as an example of an ordinary believer who served without recognition.