SUMMARY
Tertius identifies himself as the writer of the letter to the Romans.
ANALYSIS
In Romans 16:22, near the end of the letter, a person named Tertius writes in the first person to identify himself as the letter’s writer and to send greetings to the Roman churches. The fact that his greetings are “in the Lord” implies that he is a Christian. Although PaulThe Apostle Paul, originally known as Saul of Tarsus, was the author of several New Testament letters and the founder of many Christian communities. is the author of the letter to the Romans, he apparently dictated it to Tertius, who put it into writing as Paul’s scribeA scribe is a person paid to write books or documents by hand. In Jesus' time, scribes were credentialed interpreters of Jewish law. Scribes in the New Testament, along with the elders and chief priests, are among Jesus' most committed opponents, although on one occasion... or amanuensis. Paul also apparently used scribes to write the majority of 1 Corinthians, Galatians, and perhaps Philemon, evidenced by his indication toward the end of these letters of when he is writing a portion with his own hand (1 Corinthians 16:21; Galatians 6:11; Philemon 19). Scholars debate how much freedom Paul’s scribes may have had in shaping the content of his letters. In any case, Paul’s use of scribes reflects the fact that he does not work alone, but rather has teams of people who support his ministry in various ways.
