Paul, Silas and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. 1 Thessalonians 1:1
Paul, Silas and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2
“Paul begins by associating Silvanus and Timothy with himself. Silvanus was Paul’s chief assistant on his second missionary journey… Paul chose Silvanus (or Silas, as Luke calls him; despite NIV Paul always calls this man Silvanus) as his helper. This man came under notice previously as one of the two who took the decisions of the Council of Jerusalem to Antioch (Acts 15:22, 27), He is called one of the “leaders among the brothers” (Acts 15:22) as well as a prophet (Acts 15:32). He seems to have worked harmoniously with Paul through the missionary journey, and Paul later recalled his faithful preaching (2 Corinthians 1:19). Among other places, he had, of course, preached at Thessalonica, and this accounts for his association with Paul in the greeting to the church that had come into being as a result of the mission there. After the second missionary journey Silvanus may be mentioned once more, namely, as Peter’s amanuensis in the writing of 1 Peter (1 Peter 5:12; it is not certain that this is the same Silvanus).”
Leon Morris in The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians, Revised (NICNT; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991) 33-34.
Silas is number eight of ten less known New Testament characters that Jenni and I featured in a recent talk whose like exhibits a generous willingness to assist in God’s work with a can-do, whatever-it-takes attitude. Four types of help from Silvanus are noteworthy.
Firstly, he traveled and ministered with the Apostle Paul. This sounds glamorous, but it can be exhausting. At every moment he would need to be “on” in service to others. In my experience, to thrive on the road is only possible when God is the Source of your strength.
Secondly, he used his prophetic gift to preach. He did not just carry Paul’s bags. While Paul broke ground in new territory the role of the prophet is to help people align their thinking and living with biblical truth. That was His role and he played it. He was known for his preaching.
Thirdly, he was a great writer. Scholars believe he served as amanuensis for both Paul and Peter, so we can safely say he serve as the leading editor and publisher in the early church of the New Testament. Hippolytus of Rome (c. 235) numbers Silvanus among the seventy disciples in Luke 10.
Fourthly, he was a pivotal player in the Jerusalem Council. When conflict could have torn the early church apart, he helped preserve unity. When the going got tough, he is noted for encouraging and strengthening the believers and helping the gospel spread through the entire ancient world. What a reputation!
Speaking of the Jerusalem Council, my most recent book, co-authored with Wes Willmer and Greg Henson just posted on Amazon, The Council: A Biblical Perspective on Board Governance. I commend it to anyone who serves on a board of a Christ-centered church or nonprofit organization.
Are you Silvanus? His generosity inspires me as I have a prophetic gift, as God has me traveling all over the world, as I aim to encourage and strengthen those I serve, and as God has me engaged with many writing projects. His sacrifice motivates me to empty myself in the enriching service of God. Care to join me?