Man living at the time of the New Testament

Silas

Acts 15:22–40; 16:19–40; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 Peter 5:12

A leading man among the brothers in Jerusalem who was sent with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch with the letter from the council (Acts 15:22, 27, 32). When Paul and Barnabas parted, “Paul chose Silas” and set out on the second journey (Acts 15:40). At Philippi he and Paul were beaten and jailed, and an earthquake opened the prison, and the jailer believed (Acts 16:19–34). He is the Silvanus who, with Paul and Timothy, joined in writing to the Thessalonians, and Peter used him to write his first letter (1 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 Peter 5:12).

A leader of the Jerusalem church and a prophet (Acts 15:22, 32), a Roman citizen, and Paul's partner on his second journey; later he helped Peter with his first letter (1 Peter 5:12). Scripture doesn't record his birth or death, and later traditions disagree. Both ends of the bar are only estimates.

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