Saint Apostle Erastus
of the Seventy.

Apostle Erastus was a disciple of Saint Paul, numbered among the Seventy whom our Lord commissioned for the harvest of souls. Paul writes of him in Romans 16:23: "And Erastus, the city treasurer, greets you, and Quartus, a brother." His role as city treasurer in Corinth placed him among the politically and socially influential of that era. Erastus served as one of Paul's attendants or deacons, and was sent along with Timothy into Macedonia while the apostle himself remained in Asia around A.D. 51. His willingness to leave his position of civic honor to serve in the apostolic work demonstrates the depth of his conversion and commitment to the faith.

He served as a deacon and steward of the Church at Jerusalem and later of Paneas in Palestine. Erastus was steward of the Church in Jerusalem, and later became Bishop of Paneas in Palestine. This progression from serving as a civic official to ecclesiastical steward and finally to the episcopate reflects both the apostolic practice of elevating devoted believers to leadership and the Church's recognition of his faithfulness. As bishop of Paneas, he would have overseen the spiritual welfare of that community and shepherded the flock entrusted to his care during the formative years of the Christian Church.

He served as a deacon and steward of the Church at Jerusalem and later became Bishop of Paneas in Palestine, where he reposed in peace. Having fulfilled his apostolic calling and endured the labors of ministry in an age when the Christian faith faced opposition from pagan society, Erastus completed his earthly pilgrimage in tranquility. According to the traditions of the Greek Church, he was first steward to the Church at Jerusalem, and afterwards bishop of Paneas, and died a natural death. His peaceful repose stands in contrast to the violent fates of many of his contemporary apostles, a testimony to God's providence and the faithfulness of his servant.

Apostle Erastus is remembered by the Orthodox Church as a faithful servant whose life exemplified the transformation that Christ brings to those who answer His call. The Church remembers St. Erastus on January 4 among the Seventy, and on November 10. His commemoration is observed alongside his fellow apostles of the Seventy, particularly on November 10 with Saints Olympas, Herodion, Sosipater, Quartus, and Tertius. The example of Erastus—a man of civic authority who became a servant of the Church and a bishop—continues to inspire the faithful to recognize that Christ's Gospel transcends all earthly hierarchies and social boundaries. His relics and memory are treasured throughout the Orthodox Christian world as a witness to apostolic dedication.

Apostle Erastus ranks among the Seventy Disciples chosen and sent forth by our Lord Jesus Christ to preach His Gospel before Him. Mentioned by Saint Paul in the Epistle to the Romans as "the city treasurer," Erastus served as a civic official in Corinth, a position of considerable importance and dignity in that prosperous Roman colony.

Erastus had been the steward of the city of Corinth, from where the epistle to the Romans was written. He served as one of Paul's attendants or deacons, and was sent along with Timothy into Macedonia while the apostle remained in Asia. He is also mentioned in Acts 19:22 and 2 Timothy 4:20, where he appears as a companion in apostolic work. His conversion to Christ during this period of the first century demonstrates the Gospel's power to reach and transform persons of prominence and civic responsibility.

Erastus served as a deacon and steward of the Church at Jerusalem and later became Bishop of Paneas in Palestine, where he reposed in peace. According to the venerable tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church, he was first steward of the Church at Jerusalem, and afterwards bishop of Paneas, and died a natural death. Having labored faithfully in the apostolic ministry alongside Saint Paul and serving the Church in its earliest and most formative years, Saint Erastus exemplified the calling to bring the light of Christ to both rulers and ruled alike.