TERZIO (Τέρτιος, Tertius). – A Christian of Corinth, disciple of St. Paul and his amanuensis for the Epistle to the Romans (Rom. 16:22).
Probably converted by the Apostle when he was in Corinth between 51 and 53, T. had perhaps previously been a pagan. His Latin name (Tertius) says nothing about his origin or social status; nor does his greeting to the faithful of Rome establish whether he knew them directly, since it could indicate only the affection that united all Christians “in the Lord.” Some Catholics identified him with Silas (v.), St. Paul’s collaborator at Corinth and later St. Peter’s amanuensis, but perhaps only because of the assonance of the Hebr. lelitt (= third v) with Silas. T. devoted approximately one hundred hours to writing the epistle to the Romans. For his collaboration in this inspired writing, he received particular divine assistance with respect to his executive faculties; however, the preservative assistance against error exercised by St. Paul himself may also have sufficed (v. Natura). The greeting to the Romans that T. added on his own (Rom. 16:22: the only instance in the entire Pauline epistolary corpus), perhaps at Paul’s invitation or with his permission, is certainly inspired, since it belongs to the authentic and canonical text.
The events of his life are otherwise unknown. The Roman Martyrology does not mention him; the Greeks commemorate him on 10 November as bishop of Iconium; other isolated traditions call him the second bishop of Iconium after a Sosipater or confuse him with a Terentius, bishop of Iconium (as does cod. min. 7, Parisian, of the twelfth century).