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Silas's Profile
The lives of the first
Christian missionaries can be described with many words, but "boring" is not one
of them. There were days of great excitement as men and women who had never
heard of Jesus responded to the gospel. There were dangerous journeys over land
and sea. Health risks and hunger were part of the daily routine. And there was
open and hostile resistance to Christianity in many cities. Silas was one of the
first missionaries, and he found out that serving Jesus Christ was certainly not
boring!
Silas's name appears in Acts at the end of the first church
council on the Jewish/Gentile problem. The majority of early Christians were
Jews who realized that Jesus was the fulfillment of God's Old Testament promises
to his people; however, the universal application of those promises had been
overlooked. Thus, many felt that becoming Jewish was a prerequisite to becoming
a Christian. The idea that God could accept a Gentile pagan was too incredible.
But Gentiles began to accept Christ as Savior, and the transformation of their
lives and the presence of God's Spirit confirmed their conversions. Some Jews
were still reluctant, though, and insisted these new Christians take on various
Jewish customs. The issue came to a boiling point at the Jerusalem meeting, but
was peacefully resolved. Silas was one of the representatives from Jerusalem
sent with Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch with an official letter of welcome
and acceptance to the Gentile Christians. Having fulfilled this mission, Silas
returned to Jerusalem. Within a short time, however, he was back in Antioch at
Paul's request to join him on his second missionary journey.
Paul, Silas, and Timothy began a far-ranging ministry that
included some exciting adventures. Paul and Silas spent a night singing in a
Philippian jail after being severely beaten. An earthquake, the loosing of their
chains, and the resulting panic led to the conversion of their jailer. Later,
they narrowly missed another beating in Thessalonica, prevented by an evening
escape. In Berea there was more trouble, but Silas and Timothy stayed to teach
the young believers while Paul traveled on to Athens. The team was finally
reunited in Corinth. In each place they visited, they left behind a small group
of Christians.
Silas leaves the story as suddenly as he entered it. Peter
mentions him as the co-author of 1st Peter, but we do not know when he joined
Peter. He was an effective believer before leaving Jerusalem, and he doubtless
continued to minister after his work with Paul was completed. He took advantage
of opportunities to serve God and was not discouraged by the setbacks and
opposition he met along the way. Silas, though not the most famous of the early
missionaries, was certainly a hero worth imitating.
Silas's Strengths and Accomplishments
1. A leader in the Jerusalem church
2. Represented the church in carrying the "acceptance letter" prepared by the
Jerusalem council to the Gentile believers in Antioch
3. Was closely associated with Paul from the second missionary journey on
4. When in jail with Paul in Philippi, sang songs of praise to God
5. Worked as a writing secretary for both Paul and Peter
Lessons From Silas's Life
1. Partnership is a significant part of effective
ministry
2. God never guarantees that his servants will not suffer
3. Obedience to God will often mean giving up what makes us feel secure
Silas's Vital Statistics
1. Where: Roman citizen living in Jerusalem
2. Occupation: One of the first career missionaries
3. Contemporaries: Paul, Timothy, Peter, Mark, Barnabas
Key Verses
"So we all agreed to choose some men and send
them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul - men who have risked their
lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are sending Judas and
Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing" (Acts 15:25-27).
Silas's story is told in Acts 15:22-19:10. He is
also mentioned in 2nd Corinthians 1:19; 1st Thessalonians 1:1; 2nd Thessalonians
1:1; 1st Peter 5:12.
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