Silas, Silvanus

Si´luhs, sil-vay´nuhs

A leader in the early church and an associate of Paul. The Letters of Paul (1Thess 1:1; 2Thess 1:1; 2Cor 1:19) and 1Pet 5:12) refer to him as Silvanus (a Latin version), but Acts prefers Silas (either a Semitic or a shortened Greek form). According to (Acts 15:22-35), Silas and Judas Barsabbas, prophets in the Jerusalem church, were sent along with Paul and Barnabas to take the apostolic decrees from the Jerusalem conference to the church in Antioch. When Paul and Barnabas at Antioch quarreled over Mark (Acts 15:36-41), Paul chose Silas to accompany him on a mission tour to Asia Minor and ultimately to Macedonia and Achaia (Acts 15:41-18:5).