Silas

Silas first appears as one of the "chief men among the brethren" in Jerusalem. The council selected him along with Judas Barsabbas to carry their letter to Antioch regarding Gentile believers, describing both as "prophets" who could "exhort the brethren with many words."

After Paul and Barnabas separated over John Mark, Paul chose Silas as his new traveling companion. Together they strengthened churches through Syria and Cilicia, then expanded into new territory. At Philippi, they cast out a spirit of divination, enraging the girl's owners who had profited from her fortune-telling.

Paul and Silas were stripped, beaten with rods, and thrown into the inner prison with their feet in stocks. At midnight, rather than cursing their circumstances, they prayed and sang hymns while the prisoners listened. An earthquake opened the prison doors and loosened everyone's chains. The jailer, about to kill himself, was saved when Paul stopped him—and then saved eternally when he believed in Jesus.

Silas continued with Paul through Thessalonica, Berea, and into Greece. Both Thessalonian letters are from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. Later, Silas (also called Silvanus) helped Peter write his first epistle. His ministry demonstrates that faithful supporting roles are essential to gospel advance.