Sylvanus—Faithful and Loyal Partner in Mission

As many churches in the Anglican communion remembers Sylvanus on July 13, we take a closer look at this important person who impacted the early church.

Sylvanus, also known as Silas, is one of the most important companions of Paul in the New Testament. The name “Silvanus” is the Latinized form of the Hebrew name “Seila”, which means “forest.” It is possible that Sylvanus was a native of Syria, as the name was common in that region.

He was present at the Council of Jerusalem which resolved the dispute over the circumcision of Gentile converts. He was also part of the team that carried the letter from the council to the churches (Acts 15:22—23).

He was a prophet (Acts 15:32) who accompanied Paul on his second missionary through about twenty urban centres of Europe and Turkey to establish worshipping congregations (Acts 15:36—18:22).

On his missionary journey with Paul, he spent a night in Prison in Philippi to witness a great miracle. When they were worshipping the Lord behind the bars, the prison walls collapsed in an earthquake, leading to their release and the conversion of the jailor and his family (Acts 16:25—34).

Besides travelling with Paul, he also co-authored the two epistles sent to Thessalonica (1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1). He also served Peter as scribe to compose Peter’s first epistle (1 Pet 5:12).

The church remembers Sylvanus as a faithful and loyal companion of Paul, and as a witness to the spread of Christianity in the early church. His significance is twofold: He provides us with a glimpse into the life and work of Paul, and he reminds us of the importance of Christian fellowship and collaboration.

In today's world, when Christians are often divided and fragmented, Sylvanus's story reminds us that we need to work together to spread the gospel and build up the body of Christ. We need to be faithful and loyal companions to one another, just as Sylvanus was to Paul. He reminds us that the work of spreading the gospel is not something that we can do alone, but that it requires the cooperation and support of others.

(Photo by Huijae Lee on Unsplash)