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Silas (Silvanus)
Silas is the Greek form of the Latin name Silvanus. He was a leader of the church in Jerusalem, described in Acts as ‘ a leading man among the brothers’ (Acts 15:22), and he was also a prophet (Acts 15:32). He was chosen by the Jerusalem council to accompany Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch with the letter that settled the Gentile question.
Silas is the Greek form of the Latin name Silvanus. He was a leader of the church in Jerusalem, described in Acts as ‘ a leading man among the brothers’ (Acts 15:22), and he was also a prophet (Acts 15:32). He was chosen by the Jerusalem council to accompany Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch with the letter that settled the Gentile question.
Philippi and Thessalonica
When Paul and Barnabas separated over whether to take John Mark, Paul chose Silas as his new companion (Acts 15:40). Silas was imprisoned with Paul at Philippi (Acts 16:19–40), where they sang hymns in the jail and we're miraculously released. He helped Paul establish the church in Thessalonica, and he is named as a co-sender of both letters to the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1). In 2 Corinthians 1:19, Paul names ‘ Silvanus and Timothy’ as co-proclaimers of the gospel in Corinth.
Later Life
According to tradition, Silas became bishop of Corinth after Paul’ s death, though the evidence is late and uncertain. Some sources identify him with the Silvanus mentioned in 1 Peter 5:12, who carried Peter’ s letter to Asia Minor — a plausible connection given Silas’ s role as a letter-bearer in Acts.
“ Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas — Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers.”
Acts 15:22Sources
- Acts 15:22, 27, 32, 40; 16:19–40; 17:4–15; 18:5.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 1:19; 1 Peter 5:12.
- Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, 31 January 2007.