Quartus, just one verse.

Quartus, just one verse.

by Heather Collver

So I did it. I put it out there and someone stepped up to the plate. I couldn't find a man's name in the Bible that started with Q.... until I hopped on Facebook after the devotional posted. I was enlightened.... there are two men in the Bible who's names start with a Q. Absolutely delighted. I have three days left and will be sharing what I have learned about these two men whom I overlooked.

Romans 16:21 Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you. 22 I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother. 24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

All those listed had a name or a title. Quartus was listed and his only title that gets him into history is "a brother". This is the only verse he was listed in. The fact that he was listed last in the greetings means he was least known to those who would be reading and basically least important. Paul writes as many would in those days, by listing those that are well known and wealthy first.

But the fact that he was listed should not go unnoticed. It should be celebrated.

"He is only a good, simple, unknown Christian. He feels a spring of love open in his heart to these brethren far across the sea, whom he never met. He would like them to know that he thought lovingly of them, and to be lovingly thought of by them. So he begs a little corner in Paul’s letter, and gets it; and there, in his little niche, like some statue of a forgotten saint, scarce seen amidst the glories of a great cathedral, ‘Quartus a brother’ stands to all time."(a)

Doing a bit more research, I find that Quartus by name means Fourth. That he was from the city of Corinth and that the word brother meant he was one of the 70 disciples of Jesus. So he had actually seen and heard Jesus at one time. Of the thousands of people who came to listen to Jesus' teachings, he put it into action, he became a disciple. He's much more than a brother.

"Let me suggest another thing. Quartus was a Corinthian. The Corinthian Church was remarkable for its quarrellings and dissensions. One said, ‘I am of Paul, and another, I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ.’ I wonder if our friend Quartus belonged to any of these parties? There is nothing more likely than that he had a much warmer glow of Christian love to the brethren over there in Rome than to those who sat on the same bench with him in the upper room at Corinth. For you know that sometimes it is true about people, as well as about scenery, that ‘distance lends enchantment to the view.’ A great many of us have much keener sympathies with ‘brethren’ who are well out of our reach, and whose peculiarities do not jar against ours, than with those who are nearest. I do not say Quartus was one of these, but he may very well have been one of the wranglers in Corinth who found it much easier to love his brother whom he had not seen than his brother whom he had seen. So take the hint, if you need it. Do not let your Christian love go wandering away abroad only, but keep some for home consumption."(b)

Did you see that? I was able to find a correlation between both Quarrel and Quartus. I am so excited.

So here, we see an example of one who was more than just a brother, one who took the challenge from Jesus to go to the reaches of the Earth and spread his word. He may not have physically delivered the letter to Rome, but he was important, he sent his love for those he did not know.

Dear Lord, I pray that we will all remember each of us has a story. When our lives are busy, help us to see others in your eyes, so that we do not pick out their differences and cause strife, but that we would see them as unique and wonderfully made by you. Help us to share your love with all who are watching us, in the grocery store, bank, work, church, social events, school events, etc... Thank you for Quartus, for his example and for the amazing writer, ALEXANDER MACLAREN, D.D., Litt.D., whom I have quoted in my teaching today. Thank you also for Kenneth Gray, who cared enough to share the name Quartus with me.

(a)(b)QUARTUS A BROTHER http://www.ccel.org/ccel/maclaren/rom_cor.ii.l.html