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Easton's Bible Dictionary
wood, A prominent member of the church at Jerusalem;
also called Silvanus. He and Judas, surnamed Barnabas, were chosen by the church
there to accompany Paul and Barnabas on their return to Antioch from the council
of the apostles and elders ( Acts
15:22 ), as bearers of the decree adopted by the council. He assisted Paul
there in his evangelistic labours, and was also chosen by him to be his companion
on his second missionary tour ( Acts
16:19 - 24
). He is referred to in the epistles under the name of Silvanus ( 2
Corinthians 1:19 ; 1
Thessalonians 1:1 ; 2
Thessalonians 1:1 ; 1
Peter 5:12 ). There is no record of the time or place of his death.
Hitchcock's Dictionary of Bible Names
three
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(contracted form of Silvanus, woody) An eminent member
of the early Christian Church, described under that name in the Acts but as Silvanus
in St. Pauls epistles. He first appears as one of the leaders of the church at
Jerusalem ( Acts
15:22 ) holding the office of an inspired teacher. ( Acts
15:32 ) His name, derived from the Latin silva , "wood," betokens him a Hellenistic
Jew, and he appears to have been a Roman citizen. ( Acts
16:37 ) He was appointed as a delegate to accompany Paul and Barnabas on their
return to Antioch with the decree of the Council of Jerusalem. ( Acts
15:22 , 15:32
) Having accomplished this mission, he returned to Jerusalem. ( Acts
15:33 ) He must, however, have immediately revisited Antioch, for we find
him selected by St. Paul as the companion of his second missionary journey. (
Acts
15:40 ; 17:10
) At Berea he was left behind with Timothy while St. Paul proceeded to Athens,
( Acts
17:14 ) and we hear nothing more of his movements until he rejoined the apostle
at Corinth. ( Acts
18:5 ) His presence at Corinth is several times noticed. ( 2
Corinthians 1:19 ; 1
Thessalonians 1:1 ; 2
Thessalonians 1:1 ) Whether he was the Silvanus who conveyed St. Peters first
epistle to Asia Minor, ( 1
Peter 5:12 ) is doubtful the probabilities are in favor of the identity. A
tradition of very slight authority represents Silas to have become bishop of Corinth.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
si'-las (Silas, probably contraction for Silouanos; the
Hebrew equivalents suggested are shalish, "Tertius," or shelach (Genesis 10:24)
(Knowling), or sha'ul = "asked" (Zahn)):
The Silas of Acts is generally identified with the Silvaus of the Epistles. His
identification with Titus has also been suggested, based on 2 Corinthians 1:19
; 8:23, but this is very improbable (compare Knowling, Expositor's Greek Test.,
II, 326). Silas, who was probably a Roman citizen (compare Acts 16:37), accompanied
Paul during the greater part of his 2nd missionary journey (Acts 15 - 18). At
the meeting of the Christian community under James at Jerusalem, which decided
that circumcision should not be obligatory in the case of Gentile believers, Silas
and Judas Barsabas were appointed along with Paul and Barnabas to convey to the
churches in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia the epistle informing them of this decision.
As "leading men among the brethren" at Jerusalem, and therefore more officially
representative of the Jerusalem church than Paul and Barnabas, Silas and Judas
were further commissioned to confirm the contents of the letter by "word of mouth."
On arrival at Antioch, the epistle was delivered, and Judas and Silas, "being
themselves also prophets, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed
them." Their mission being thus completed, the four were "dismissed in peace from
the brethren unto those that had sent them forth" (Revised Version), or "unto
the apostles" (the King James Version) (Acts 15:22 - 33).
Different readings now render the immediate movements of Silas somewhat obscure;
Acts 15:33 would imply that he returned to Jerusalem. But some texts proceed in
Acts 15:34, "Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still," and others
add "and Judas alone proceeded." Of this, the first half is accepted by the King
James Version. The principal texts however reject the whole verse and are followed
in this by the Revised Version (British and American). It is held by some that
he remained in Antioch till chosen by Paul (Acts 15:40). Others maintain that
he returned to Jerusalem where John Mark then was (compare Acts 13:13); and that
either during the interval of "some days" (Acts 15:36), when the events described
in Galatians 2:11 took place (Wendt), he returned to Antioch along with Peter,
or that he and John Mark were summoned thither by Paul and Barnabas, subsequent
to their dispute regarding Mark. (For fuller discussion, see Knowling, Expositor's
Greek Test., II, 330, 332-35.)
Upon Barnabas' separation from Paul, Silas was chosen by Paul in his place, and
the two missionaries, "after being commended by the brethren (at Antioch) to the
grace of the Lord," proceeded on their journey (Acts 15:33 - 40 margin). Passing
through Syria, Cilicia, Galatia, Phrygia and Mysia, where they delivered the decree
of the Jerusalem council and strengthened the churches, and were joined by Timothy,
they eventually reached Troas (Acts 15:41 - 16:8). Indications are given that
at this city Luke also became one of their party (compare also the apocryphal
"Acts of Paul," where this is definitely stated; Budge, Contendings of the Apostles,
II, 544).
Upon the call of the Macedonian, the missionary band set sail for Greece, and
after touching at Samothrace, they landed at Neapolis (Acts 16:9 - 11). At Philippi,
Lydia, a seller of purple, was converted, and with her they made their abode;
but the exorcism of an evil spirit from a sorceress brought upon Silas and Paul
the enmity of her masters, whose source of gain was thus destroyed. On being charged
before the magistrates with causing a breach of the peace and preaching false
doctrine, their garments were rent off them and they were scourged and imprisoned.
In no way dismayed, they prayed and sang hymns to God, and an earthquake in the
middle of the night secured them a miraculous release. The magistrates, on learning
that the two prisoners whom they had so maltreated were Roman citizens, came in
person and besought them to depart out of the city (Acts 16:12 - 39). After a
short visit to the house of Lydia, where they held an interview with the brethren,
they departed for Thessalonica, leaving Luke behind (compare Knowling, op. cit.,
354-55). There they made many converts, especially among the Greeks, but upon
the house of Jason, their host, being attacked by hostile Jews, they were compelled
to escape by night to Berea (Acts 16:40 - 17:10). There they received a better
hearing from the Jews, but the enmity of the Thessalonian Jews still pursued them,
and Paul was conducted for safety to Athens, Silas and Timothy being left behind.
On his arrival, he dispatched an urgent message back to Bercea for Silas and Timothy
to rejoin him at that city (Acts 17:11 - 15). The narrative of Ac implies, however,
that Paul had left Athens and had reached Corinth before he was overtaken by his
two followers (Acts 18:5). Knowling (op. cit., 363-64) suggests that they may
have actually met at Athens, and that Timothy was then sent to Thessalonica (compare
1 Thessalonians 3:1 , 2), and Silas to Philippi (compare Philippians 4:15), and
that the three came together again at Corinth. The arrival of Silas and Timothy
at that city is probably referred to in 2 Corinthians 11:9. It is implied in Acts
18:18 that Silas did not leave Corinth at the same time as Paul, but no further
definite reference is made to him in the narrative of the 2nd missionary journey.
Assuming his identity with Silvanus, he is mentioned along with Paul and Timothy
in 2 Corinthians 1:19 as having preached Christ among the Corinthians (compare
Acts 18:5). In 1 Thessalonians 1:1 , and 2 Thessalonians 1:1, the same three send
greetings to the church at Thessalonica (compare Acts 17:1 - 9). In 1 Peter 5:12
he is mentioned as a "faithful brother" and the bearer of that letter to the churches
of the Dispersion (compare on this last Knowling, op. cit., 331-32). The theory
which assigns He to the authorship of Silas is untenable.
C. M. Kerr
Tags:
antioch, bible commentary, bible reference, bible study, christian, church member, history, jerusalem, paul and barnabas, silas, silvanus
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