Silas of Corinth

Holy Apostle Silas of Corinth was one of the Seventy Apostles, a companion of the Apostle Paul and bishop of Corinth.

In the Church at Jerusalem Silas was a respected man, a "leader among the brethren". After the apostolic council at Jerusalem in the year 51, which decided that Christians from the Gentiles were not bound to keep the law of Moses and asked them to abstain from idol sacrifices, fornication, strangled meat and blood, the apostles sent a letter to the Christians of Antioch through Paul and Barnabas. With them Silas and Judas were sent to explain the letter by word of mouth. Judas then returned to Jerusalem, while Silas remained in Antioch and zealously helped the Apostle of the Gentiles on his missionary journeys through Syria, Cilicia and Macedonia.

At Philippi Paul and Silas were accused of disturbing the people, beaten with rods and thrown into prison. At midnight, as they prayed, a great earthquake came, the chains fell away and the doors of the prison opened. The jailer, fearing that the prisoners had fled, wished to kill himself, but Paul stopped him. Then he fell trembling at their feet, received with faith the good news of Christ, brought them out of the prison, washed their wounds in his house and was baptized with all his household. From Philippi the apostles went to Amphipolis, Apollonia and Thessalonica, winning disciples in every city and strengthening the Churches. At Corinth Silas was ordained bishop and there, working many signs and wonders, he ended his life.

The saint is commemorated on 12 August and, in the new style, on 17 January in the Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles.