Silas was an important early Christian leader and missionary companion of the apostle Paul. Though not one of the original twelve disciples, Silas played a vital role in the early church and is mentioned several times throughout the New Testament.
The name “Silas” is a Greek form of the Hebrew name “Silvanus” which means “wooded” or “forest.” He was a prophet and teacher in the early church, and was highly regarded for his strong faith and spiritual gifts (Acts 15:22-32).
Silas’s Background
The Bible does not provide much detail about Silas’s background. We know that he was a leader in the early Jerusalem church, and was selected along with Judas Barsabbas to accompany Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch after the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 (Acts 15:22). This indicates that Silas was held in high regard amongst the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.
Based on his Hebrew name, it is likely that Silas was Jewish. However, he must have been fluent in Greek as well, since he traveled extensively throughout the Gentile world with Paul on his missionary journeys. Some scholars believe Silas may have been a Hellenistic Jew, meaning he likely grew up speaking both Aramaic and Greek.
Silas is first mentioned by name in Acts 15 during the Jerusalem Council, when the early church leaders were debating whether Gentile believers needed to adhere to Jewish practices like circumcision. He and Judas Barsabbas were chosen to accompany Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch to confirm the Council’s decision – that Gentiles were saved by grace through faith alone, not by works of the law (Acts 15:19-21).
This important assignment indicates that Silas was a respected leader and mediator who could help bridge the gap between Jewish and Gentile Christians. The apostles trusted him to handle a volatile subject with wisdom and diplomacy.
Silas Goes to Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia
After the Jerusalem Council, Silas traveled with Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch, delivering the Council’s letter affirming that Gentiles did not need to be circumcised or obey Jewish law (Acts 15:22-29). Silas remained “there some time” (Acts 15:34 ESV) helping to teach and encourage the believers in Antioch.
When Paul suggested revisiting the brothers and sisters in the towns where they had preached on their first missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take John Mark again, but Paul did not think it wise since John Mark had deserted them previously (Acts 15:36-39). This caused a sharp disagreement resulting in Barnabas and John Mark going to Cyprus while Paul chose Silas to accompany him through Syria and Cilicia (Acts 15:39-41).
Having Silas as his partner enabled Paul to build credibility with the Jerusalem church while also having the freedom to spread the gospel among the Gentiles. As a prophet (Acts 15:32), Silas could also preach and teach with authority to encourage the new churches.
Silas Joins Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
Acts 16 recounts Paul and Silas’s travels through Derbe, Lystra, Phrygia, and Galatia, delivering the Jerusalem Council’s decision regarding Gentile believers. In Lystra they met Timothy and invited him to join their mission. Timothy was the son of a Jewish woman and Greek father (Acts 16:1). The brothers in Lystra spoke highly of Timothy, so Paul wanted him to accompany them.
Knowing Timothy’s mixed background could hinder their witness to the Jews, Paul had Timothy circumcised before they departed. As a trusted leader in the Jerusalem church, Silas would have provided useful insight about how Timothy’s role could impact their mission.
The Bible notes specifically that Silas was “leading the way” in delivering the decisions of the Jerusalem Council (Acts 16:4). His status as a prophet and background as a leader in the Jerusalem church enabled him to represent the apostles’ authority and affirm the changes taking place in light of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).
Traveling on through the regions of Phrygia, Galatia, Mysia and Troas, the Holy Spirit prevented them from preaching in Asia. In a vision at night, Paul saw a Macedonian man pleading for them to come there instead (Acts 16:6-10).
In response to this vision, Paul and Silas immediately boarded a ship bound for Macedonia “concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them” (Acts 16:10 ESV). They sailed from Troas straight to Samothrace, Neapolis, and then Philippi, a leading city in the Macedonian district of the Roman Empire (Acts 16:11-12).
Silas and Paul in Philippi
Acts 16 details Paul and Silas’s ministry in Philippi, where God opened the heart of a woman named Lydia to receive the gospel. Lydia was a wealthy merchant dealing in purple cloth. After hearing Paul’s message, Lydia and her whole household were baptized (Acts 16:13-15). She then invited Paul and Silas to stay in her home.
One day as Paul and Silas went to the place of prayer, they encountered a fortune-telling slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination. Under demonic influence, she kept crying out that Paul and Silas were servants of the Most High God proclaiming the way of salvation. Though her words were true, the spirit within her was not of God. Paul cast out this spirit in Jesus’ name, freeing her from the source of her divination (Acts 16:16-18).
Unfortunately, the slave girl’s owners had made quite a profit off of her fortune-telling abilities. When they saw their hope of gain was gone, they had Paul and Silas seized, dragged to the magistrates, and falsely accused, leading to a public beating and imprisonment in the inner cell of the local jail (Acts 16:19-24).
Rather than despairing or growing angry at their unjust treatment, Paul and Silas chose to pray and sing hymns of praise to God at midnight. In a miraculous turn of events, a great earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. All the doors flew open and all the prisoners’ chains came loose (Acts 16:25-26).
The jailer, seeing the doors open, assumed the prisoners had escaped. He drew his sword to kill himself, but Paul cried out to stop him that no one had fled. The jailer called for a light, rushed in, and fell trembling at Paul and Silas’s feet. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:27-30 ESV). Paul and Silas proclaimed the good news about Jesus Christ, and that very night the jailer and his whole family believed and were baptized (Acts 16:31-34).
The next day, Paul and Silas were released from prison after the magistrates learned they were Roman citizens who had been wrongly beaten and imprisoned without trial. Before leaving Philippi, they went to Lydia’s house to encourage the brothers and sisters there. Their time of ministry in Philippi left this fledgling church strengthened and encouraged (Acts 16:35-40).
Silas Remains in Berea
When Paul and Silas reached Thessalonica, they went to the synagogue to reason from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah. Some Jews, a great multitude of Greeks, and many prominent women believed their message about Christ’s death and resurrection (Acts 17:1-4).
However, other jealous Jews stirred up a mob and set the city in an uproar over them, forcing Paul and Silas to leave abruptly for Berea. There they found Jews with open minds who examined the Scriptures daily to see if Paul’s teachings about Christ were true. As a result, many believed, including several prominent Greek women and men (Acts 17:10-12).
When the hostile Jews from Thessalonica learned Paul was preaching in Berea, they came there as well to agitate and stir up crowds against him. Immediately the brothers sent Paul away to Athens for his safety, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea (Acts 17:13-15). They continued the work in Berea, while Paul went on alone to Athens and later to Corinth.
Silas Rejoins Paul in Corinth
After Timothy and Silas rejoined Paul in Corinth, 1 Thessalonians reveals they brought financial support from the Macedonian churches which allowed Paul to devote himself fully to preaching instead of making tents (1 Thessalonians 3:6, Philippians 4:15-16). Their presence also brought great joy and comfort to Paul in the midst of persecution (1 Thessalonians 3:6-7).
It seems evident Paul valued Silas as a fellow laborer in the gospel, trusted partner, and faithful brother in Christ. He refers to Silas as well as Timothy as “God’s fellow workers” (1 Thessalonians 3:2). Along with Timothy, Silas is listed as co-author with Paul in the introductions of both Thessalonian letters (1 and 2 Thessalonians 1:1).
Based on this, we can infer Silas took an active teaching role during their time together in Corinth, helping establish the new believers there. The two Thessalonian letters emphasize righteous living, perseverance in suffering, and the importance of working diligently – all themes Silas likely reiterated alongside Paul’s instructions.
Silas’s Prophetic Role
The first reference to Silas in Acts calls him “leading men among the brothers” (Acts 15:22). He is also designated as a prophet (Acts 15:32), meaning he spoke authoritatively under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to instruct, encourage, and exhort believers.
First Corinthians indicates prophecy was a highly valued gift in the early church for its ability to convict, reveal the secrets of the heart, and proclaim God’s truths (1 Corinthians 14:24-25). As a prophet, Silas would have provided valuable perspectives to Paul and Timothy on the churches they established and issues they addressed.
For example, Silas’s insights likely helped shape how Paul responded to challenges in the Thessalonian church based on what Silas observed during his time ministering there after Paul’s departure. Silas could provide firsthand accounts of their spiritual state, struggles, and growth areas needing attention.
In some cases, Paul even quotes verbatim prophecies Silas likely spoke under the Spirit’s inspiration (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). Paul’s high regard for Silas’s gift is evident in that he elevated these words to the level of God-breathed Scripture through inclusion in these epistles.
As a prophet, Silas offered substantive teaching and discipleship, spoke words of consolation and conviction as needed, and provided practical wisdom to guide the early churches through challenges of sin and false doctrine. His spiritual gift served a vital role in establishing truth and order in the Body of Christ.
Silas as a Roman Citizen
Like Paul, Silas was a Roman citizen, though the details of how he obtained citizenship are not given. In Acts 16:37, Paul told the magistrates in Philippi they had violated Roman law by beating and jailing two uncondemned Roman citizens.
Roman citizenship afforded them special legal rights and protections under Roman law. Paul made sure the magistrates knew he and Silas were citizens which is why the magistrates changed their tune and personally escorted them from the jail with an apology (Acts 16:38-39).
Silas’s status as a Roman citizen would have proved helpful as the missionaries encountered volatile situations with local authorities. As citizens they had the right to a fair trial before punishment, and the right to appeal to Caesar in life-threatening circumstances (Acts 22:25-29, 25:11-12).
Roman citizenship offered benefits, but also presented challenges to faith. As citizens, they still owed civic duties to a pagan government whose values often clashed with Christianity. Their allegiance to Christ first over Caesar likely raised suspicions at times (Acts 17:7). Yet Silas and Paul leveraged the privileges of citizenship to further the gospel.
Silas in Peter’s Letters
In his first letter, Peter refers to “Silvanus” as the one who helped him write the letter, implying Silvanus served as his secretary or scribe (1 Peter 5:12). Peter describes him as a “faithful brother” and highlights his important role in exhorting and testifying about God’s grace.
Whether this is the same Silas who traveled with Paul is debated by scholars. If so, it shows Silas later worked closely with Peter, the apostle to the Jews, like he did earlier with Paul’s mission to the Gentiles. This further demonstrates his role as a unifier and bridge-builder in the early church.
Assuming Silas is the one mentioned in 1 Peter, it reveals he traveled extensively, strengthening believers scattered across what is now modern Turkey. Peter writes his letter to believers in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (1 Peter 1:1) – the very regions Paul and Silas had previously visited together.
By later assisting Peter, Silas helped tie together the ministries of the apostles to the Jews and Gentiles. He could provide Peter useful accounts of Paul’s work and vice versa, helping to maintain early church unity between these two key leaders.
Lessons from Silas
Several key themes emerge from Silas’s ministry that provide helpful examples for Christians today:
- He was a trusted leader in the early Jerusalem church who helped mediate divisive issues like Gentile inclusion with wisdom and diplomacy.
- He willingly took on challenging assignments, like delivering the Jerusalem Council’s decisions, that required sensitivity and discretion.
- He was a Roman citizen, yet chose to leverage his status and legal rights to advance the gospel rather than for personal gain.
- He was a prophet who spoke scriptural truths to teach, encourage, and guide early believers and churches.
- He faithfully supported Paul’s demanding missionary journeys to spread the faith across the Roman Empire.
- His Roman name Silas and Hebrew name Silvanus suggest he moved easily between Jewish and Gentile cultures.
Overall, Silas’s faithful service alongside Paul and Peter makes him an exemplary model of humility, self-sacrifice, and devotion to furthering the Great Commission. His example calls today’s Christians to be committed to proclaiming the gospel, defending truth, and building up the Body of Christ wherever He leads.
