Unlimited: Erastus, The City’s Director Of Public Works | Good News Unlimited
Unlimited: Erastus, the City’s Director of Public Works
Jan 24, 2024 69
Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings (Romans 16:23b).
The fact that Paul mentions Erastus’ position in Corinth indicates that he was an important civil servant in the city and held high political office. Erastus may have been responsible for maintaining the public infrastructure such as roads, sewers, and aqueducts. This is a fascinating reference in this letter, because the existence of Erastus appears to have been verified by archaeology.
In 1929, archaeologists were excavating in an area just east of the theatre in Corinth, when they unearthed an inscribed pavement stone with the inscription,
Erastus, curator of public works, laid this pavement at his own expense.
Have you ever taken time off work specifically to share the Gospel?
In the Latin of the inscription, Erastus is called an aedile, which was a title of someone just under the two magistrates who governed the city. The Greek word that Paul uses in Romans 16 that is translated as “curator of public works” in the NIV was also a direct translation of the Latin word “aedile.”
Erastus was not only an important public official in Corinth. He was also a co-worker with Paul in his missionary endeavours (Acts 19:22.) 2 Tim. 4:20 indicates that Erastus also travelled with Paul in ministry at some point. Erastus shows us that despite his high public position, he still made sharing the Gospel his top priority.
Spiritual Application
Have you ever taken time off work specifically to share the Gospel? Think about it.
