LINUS. One of the Christians at Rome from whom St. Paul sends greetings at the end of the Second Epistle to Timothy ( 2 Timothy 4:21 ). All writers agree that he is identical with the first Bishop of Rome. Thus Irenæus: ‘Peter and Paul, when they founded and built up the Church of Rome, committed the office of its episcopate to Linus.’ And Eusebius: ‘Of the Church of the Romans after the martyrdom of Paul and Peter, the first to be appointed to the office of Bishop was Linus, of whom Paul makes mention at the end of his letter to Timothy.’ His episcopate lasted about twelve years, but there is considerable difference of opinion as to its date.
Morley Stevenson.