Tertius

Overview

• Testament: New
• Role: Paul’s secretary who penned the letter to the Romans and adds his own greeting in the text
• Family: No background details given; likely a member of the Roman or Corinthian church
• Key Books: Romans

Biography

Tertius is unique in the New Testament for being the only amanuensis — professional letter-writer or secretary — who inserts his own personal greeting into the text of a letter he transcribed: “I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord” (Romans 16:22). This brief self-identification, tucked between Paul’s other greetings, is both a practical historical note and a remarkable window into the process of New Testament letter composition.

In the ancient world, letter dictation was the norm for educated writers. Paul would have spoken his thoughts, pausing to allow Tertius to write, possibly discussing phrasing along the way. The length and theological complexity of Romans — the longest and most systematically elaborate of Paul’s letters — makes Tertius’s work extraordinary. He would have written for hours over multiple sessions, with Paul dictating arguments about election, righteousness, faith, Israel, the Spirit, and ethical life. His hand and mind were physically present at the birth of one of the most influential documents in Western intellectual history.

The name Tertius is Latin for “third,” suggesting he may have been a slave or freedman (Roman slaves were sometimes named numerically: Primus, Secundus, Tertius, Quartus — interestingly, Quartus is also greeted in Romans 16:23). This raises the possibility that Tertius belonged to or was connected to a household in Corinth (where Romans was likely written) or Rome. His greeting “in the Lord” confirms he was a Christian, not merely a professional copyist hired for the occasion.

Though a minor figure by most measures, Tertius’s contribution to Christian history is incalculable. Without his patient transcription, Romans might not exist — or might exist in a very different form.

Key Events

• Transcribes Paul’s dictation of the letter to the Romans (Romans 16:22)
• Inserts his own personal greeting in the Lord into the letter (Romans 16:22)

Relationships

• Paul - the apostle who dictated Romans to him
• Phoebe - the letter carrier who delivered Romans to Rome (Romans 16:1)

Important Verses

• Romans 16:22

Cross-References

• Romans 16 - The only mention of Tertius

Notes

• Tertius is the only named letter-writer (amanuensis) in the New Testament who self-identifies within the text, providing a rare glimpse of the collaborative process behind Paul’s letters
• His Latin name and the numerical naming pattern (alongside Quartus in Romans 16:23) suggests a slave or freedman background, with his greeting “in the Lord” marking him as a genuine believer
• The insertion of a personal greeting within the flow of Paul’s text raises interesting questions about the degree of scribal participation in letter composition — was Tertius simply a transcriber, or a thoughtful co-worker with his own perspective?