Silas

The holy Apostle Silas, called Silvanus in Latin, was one of the seventy apostles and a companion of the holy Apostle Paul on his second missionary journey. The Church commemorates him on 30 July, together with Silvanus, Crescens, Epaenetus and Andronicus of the seventy, and on 4 January in the synaxis of all the seventy.

In the Church at Jerusalem

The Acts of the Apostles first mention him after the apostolic council at Jerusalem, when the apostles and elders chose Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, "leading men among the brothers" (Acts 15:22), to carry the council's letter to the Gentile believers at Antioch. Silas was also a prophet, and his words strengthened the brothers (Acts 15:32).

With Saint Paul

After Paul parted from Barnabas, he chose Silas and set out from Antioch on his second journey (Acts 15:40). At Philippi the two were beaten with rods and thrown into prison, with their feet in stocks. At midnight, as they prayed and sang hymns to God, an earthquake shook the foundations of the prison, the doors opened and the chains fell off. The jailer believed and was baptized that same night with all his household (Acts 16:16-34).

Silas went on with Paul to Thessalonica and Berea, where he stayed with Timothy when Paul left for Athens. They were joined again at Corinth (Acts 18:5). The two Epistles to the Thessalonians bear the names of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, and in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians Paul writes that Christ was preached among them "by me and Silvanus and Timothy" (1:19). The First Epistle of Peter says it was written "by Silvanus, a faithful brother" (5:12). Silas and Silvanus are usually taken to be one man, the Greek and Latin forms of the same name.

According to tradition

The synaxarion names him bishop of Corinth and Silvanus bishop of Thessalonica, though many think the two are the same man. Where and how he departed this life is not known.