Linus

Linus (meaning net) was a Christian at Rome who sent greetings to Timothy in Paul's final letter: "Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers" (2 Timothy 4:21). In Scripture this is his only appearance, but his significance in early church history is considerable: the unanimous testimony of ancient writers — including Irenaeus (Against Heresies III.3.3, c. AD 180), Tertullian, Hegesippus (cited by Eusebius), and the Apostolic Constitutions — identifies Linus as the first bishop of Rome after the apostles Peter and Paul, governing the Roman church from approximately AD 67 to 79.

Irenaeus, in establishing the apostolic succession of the Roman church as a check against heresy, lists Linus by name as the first bishop, followed by Anacletus and then Clement of Rome. This identification of the Linus of 2 Timothy with the first post-apostolic Roman bishop has been accepted by virtually all ancient sources, making Paul's single greeting a significant data point in the early history of Roman church leadership. The context of 2 Timothy — Paul facing imminent execution, deserted by many, clinging to faithful remnants — gives the mention of Linus an additional poignancy: the man who would carry forward the apostolic oversight of the mother church of the West is present beside Paul in his final days.