In the Bible, Linus is mentioned briefly as a Christian leader in the New Testament. According to Paul's second letter to Timothy, Linus is noted as being in Rome during Paul's final imprisonment. Paul greets him in 2 Timothy 4:21, which says, "Eubulus greets you, also Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren." Tradition within the early Church suggests that Linus was one of the first bishops of Rome, succeeding Peter, although these details are not explicitly found in the Bible itself.
Linus may seem like the name of a Peanuts character (it is), but it was also the name of a notable member of the early church. The Bible mentions that he helped Paul. He also has significance in church history and tradition, possibly being the first bishop in Rome.
We’ll explore all of this and more as we dive into the character of Linus. Before we consult church history, we'll go to the primary source, Holy Scripture.
Linus is only mentioned once in the Bible in 2 Timothy 4:21. He’s mentioned in a string of names, not even as a standout name.
Some of the names that accompany his include Pudens and Claudia. Since he barely gets a shoutout, it may seem weird that we’d even focus on him today.
We do need to keep this passage’s context in mind. This was one of Paul’s last letters he wrote—from prison. He was awaiting his execution, which would take place soon after. Tons of Christians had deserted Paul. Only a few helped out. So if Paul makes mention of someone, especially in 2 Timothy, we should pay attention to them.
The Bible doesn’t tell us much about Linus himself. We don’t know if he was bold or timid—kind, patient, etc. We do know that Paul liked him enough to likely give him a position in the early church of Rome, an important one.
Before we can dive into that, is there anything else we know about Linus from the Bible?
The name originates in Greece, and Brittanica reports it comes from the lamentation cry ailinon. The name appears in Greek mythology as a son of the Greek god Apollo and as a character named Linus, who personifies mourning.
The fact that Linus had a Greek name underlines that he was not Jewish makes his mention interesting. If Paul had given Linus a position in the church, he would have given a Gentile a church position rather than favoring a Jewish leader. Infighting occurred within the church for years between Jewish believers (claiming that Jewish heritage and traditions like circumcision were necessary to follow Jesus) and Gentile believers. Paul was Jewish but born a Roman citizen, making him a bridge between the two worlds. As he did in his writings about “neither Jew nor Gentile” (Galatians 3:28), Paul chose a Gentile to aid church work, apparently treating him as a co-laborer.
It is recorded that Linus, a companion of Paul during his imprisonment, succeeded Peter as the second pope of the Church, serving around AD 67–78. He is celebrated on September 23, his day of martyrdom, and is said to be buried alongside St. Peter. Linus is also credited with promoting the tradition of women covering their heads in church and is reported to have appointed 15 early bishops. Some historians believe Claudia, mentioned alongside Linus in 2 Timothy 4:21, was his mother.
Church tradition holds Linus in high regard as the second pope after Peter, a position that underscores his importance in the early Christian community. This tradition comes from sources like Irenaeus and Eusebius, who noted Linus' role in the apostolic succession. Linus is also associated with certain liturgical practices, notably the imposition of a rule that women should cover their heads during church services. His leadership is characterized by early administrative and pastoral efforts that helped shape the growing church.
Church tradition indicates that Linus probably served as the second bishop in Rome. Sources for his appointment include testimonies by Irenaeus, a follower of Christ in the second century.
The gospels hint that Peter would have a crucial leadership role in the church when Jesus said that Peter was the rock on which the church would be built. Christian tradition describes Peter as the first bishop in Rome; therefore, Catholicism refers to him as the first pope. Paul most likely elected Linus as the second bishop after Peter’s martyrdom.
Whether or not we believe that Peter was the first pope, with Linus following, Linus likely filled a vital position in the early church. As the apostles were being killed in droves, it was time to set up the next generation who would take charge of church affairs.
Every generation must settle the quandary about who will follow in their footsteps. Linus must’ve been the answer after Peter had died.
Understanding what Linus did as a bishop requires looking first at apostolic succession.
Apostolic succession is the belief that the 12 disciples decided who would take their place, and every bishop who has filled in since has followed from the original line—the original twelve.
Many churches debate today whether the Bible backs up apostolic succession or it’s a later development. But we will say that the apostles likely saw the importance of choosing who would follow their act. Younger leaders like Linus would have passed down the church’s teachings and traditions from their mentors to the next generation.
Passing on correct teaching and traditions especially mattered because several heretical groups appeared almost immediately. Within the first few centuries of church history, major heretical groups appeared—you may have heard of some of them, such as the Gnostics, Nestorians, Arians, and Pelagians.
Bishops like Linus unified Christians’ understanding of creeds and traditions. They’d help to steer the church in the right direction and to continue to preach the gospel, as their predecessors had.
As heads of the church, they were also entrusted with administering the sacraments.
If you don’t know what a sacrament is, fear not. We will define it here. A sacrament is a tradition the church has done since its beginning. Most churches today practice sacraments such as communion, baptism, and marriage.
Here are a few other sacraments that churches continue today.
- Eucharist (or Communion): Believers partake in bread and wine to commemorate the Last Supper. Some believers believe the elements transform into Jesus’ body and blood. Some believe it only spiritually does so. And some believe it’s merely symbolic.
- Marriage: One man and one woman pledge to be united during their time on earth, in the presence of God and witnesses, often administered by a priest or preacher.
- Confirmation: Often done when someone is in their teenage years, someone becomes a church member—affirming the beliefs that particular church holds, often citing the early church creeds.
- Baptism: A public declaration of an internal change. A believer is either immersed or sprinkled with water, remembering Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Some churches do believe you must be baptized to be saved. Most do not hold this belief, however.
- Confession (or Penance): Some churches allow members to confess their sins to a priest or elder and are often given actions to reconcile for that sin. Many churches do not practice this but encourage accountability partners, so someone can regularly confess their sins to one another and seek reconciliation.
- Anointing the Sick (or Last Rites): Many churches will anoint those with ailments with oil and pray over them. Many priests and preachers will also visit the dying to pray with them and offer last rites (often communion).
- Ordination: When a priest or preacher is installed in a church. Every church does it a little differently, but there’s usually a set number of guidelines to follow for a person being put in a leadership position over a church.
The early church fathers, including Linus, would’ve been involved in all these sacraments.
As a name often isn’t much to go off of when dissecting life lessons from people. Nevertheless, although we don’t know much about Linus, much remains to be gleaned.
First, Linus teaches us to be there for believers when others are not.
We can imagine the despair Paul experienced in prison. He’d lost so many of his friends to brutal deaths. And those left behind deserted him. Linus was one of the few to offer help in his last days. We can imagine Linus’s faithfulness helped him to be a great candidate for Rome’s next bishop.
Second, we must pave the way for the next generation.
The early church members weren’t going to be alive forever. It was important to delegate and prepare the next generation of believers.
As a young person, I often hear older believers disparaging my generation. This can be disheartening, as many stereotypes about “the young” aren’t correct—and the time can be better used to train the next generation.
As we plan to hand off the baton to the younger people, we must prepare them the best we can. The world is getting increasingly darker, and we need to install as much hope as possible into the ones who will take over.
Finally, it helps to know our church history.
Whether or not we agree with apostolic succession or all of the sacraments, it’s important to know that we have a vast 2000-year history as a church. The more we discover our roots, the more we can understand our faith and those who fought so hard to keep it going from generation to generation.
Photo Credit: Public Domain/Municipal Library of Trento
Hope Bolinger is an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, book editor for hire, and the author of almost 30 books. More than 1500 of her works have been featured in various publications. Check out her books at hopebolinger.com for clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. Check out her editing profile at Reedsy.com to find out about hiring her for your next book project.
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
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