Silas

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This article is about the first century figure from early Christianity. For other uses, see Silas (disambiguation).
For other saints named Silvanus, see Silvanus.
Saint

Silas
Apostle, Disciple, Missionary, Bishop, and Martyr
Died65–100 AD
Macedonia
Venerated in
Feast
  • January 26 (
    Episcopal Church
    )
  • February 10 (
    Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
    )
  • July 13 (Roman Martyrology)
  • July 30 (Eastern Orthodoxy)
  • July 13 (Syriac, Malankara Calendars)
Christian Martyrdom

Silas or Silvanus (

Early Christian community, who according to the New Testament accompanied Paul the Apostle on his second missionary journey.[1]

Name and etymologies

Silas is traditionally assumed to be the same as the Silvanus mentioned in four epistles. Some translations, including the New International Version, call him "Silas" in the epistles. Paul, Silas, and Timothy are listed as co-authors of the two New Testament letters to the Thessalonians, though the authorship is disputed. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians mentions Silas as having preached with Paul and Timothy to the church in Corinth (1:19), and the First Epistle of Peter describes Silas as a "faithful brother" (5:12).

There is some disagreement over the original or "proper" form of his name: "Silas", "Silvanus", "Seila", and "Saul" seem to be treated at the time as equivalent versions of the same name in different languages, and it is not clear which is the original name of "Silas", and which is a translation or equivalent nickname, or whether some references are to different persons with equivalent names. He is consistently called "Silas" in the

Aramaic Seila (שְׁאִילָא), a version of the Hebrew Saul (שָׁאוּל‎), which is attested in Palmyrene inscriptions.[3]

Biblical narrative

Silas is first mentioned in Acts 15:22, where he and

Barnabas to Antioch following the Jerusalem Council. Silas and Judas are mentioned as being leaders among the brothers, prophets and encouraging speakers. Silas was selected by Paul to accompany him on his second mission after Paul and Barnabas split over an argument involving Mark's participation. It was during the second mission that he and Paul were imprisoned briefly in Philippi, where an earthquake broke their chains and opened the prison door. Silas is thus sometimes depicted in art carrying broken chains.[4] Acts 16:25-37
.

According to Acts 17–18, Silas and Timothy travelled with Paul from Philippi to

Berea, threatening Paul's safety, and causing Paul to separate from Silas and Timothy. Paul travelled to Athens, and Silas and Timothy later joined him in Corinth.[5]

These events can be dated to around AD 50: the reference in Acts 18:12 to Proconsul

Gallio inscription).[6] According to Acts 18:6–7
, Paul ceased to attend the synagogue in Corinth as a result of Jewish hostility, Silas is not mentioned thereafter in the Acts narrative.

He appears in the salutation of 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and is referred to in 2 Corinthians 1:19. This is as expected, as we read of his involvement in Paul's mission when these cities were visited. He also appears in the conclusion of 1 Peter at 5:12, and is perhaps the amanuensis. Peter says he regards Silas as "a faithful brother".

Mysticism

Anne Catherine Emmerich recounts in her visions that Silas' original name was Sela, and that he was one of the three "secret disciples," along with Hermas, who had later accompanied Jesus on his trip to the Three Kings' homeland near Ur, and thence to Heliopolis, and whose parents had come with the caravan of the Three Kings.[7]

Veneration

Saint Silas is celebrated in the

Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. Saint Silas is also venerated by the Eastern Orthodox Church on July 30 along with the Apostles Silvanus, Crescens, Epenetus, and Andronicus
and on January 4 where he is venerated with all the apostles.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Notes on 1 Peter". Archived from the original on 2015-10-03. Retrieved 2012-05-20.
  2. ^ a b
    ISBN 0-521-78155-8
    – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Fitzmyer, Joseph J., ed. (1998). The Anchor Bible: The Acts of the Apostles. New York: Doubleday. p. 564.
    ISBN 0-385-49020-8
    – via Internet Archive.
  4. ^ The Holy Disciples from the Seventy
  5. ^ Acts 18:5
  6. ISBN 978-0-19-280290-3
    .
  7. ^ Emmerich, Anne Catherine (1914). "vol. 3". In Brentano, Clement; Schmöger, Carl E. (eds.). The Life of Jesus Christ and Biblical Revelations. Rockford, IL: Tan. p. 492. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  8. ^ "Holy Women, Holy Men Celebrating the Saints" (PDF).
  9. ^ "Nag Hammadi Library". gnosis.org. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
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