Silas

Silas was a Judean Christian and a leader in the Jerusalem church. After Paul and Barnabas parted ways, Silas joined Paul as a coworker on his second missionary journey. While in Philippi, Paul cast out a spirit that was enabling a girl to tell fortunes (ch. 16). The girl’s owners were furious, since they had been making money from her demonic powers. They brought Paul and Silas before the magistrates, and they were flogged and jailed. Paul and Silas were miraculously freed from their bonds—but rather than flee, they saw an opportunity to share the gospel. As a result, their jailer and his household became Christians. Silas is known by the name “Silvanus” in the NT epistles. He worked closely with the apostle Peter, and delivered Peter’s first letter to its recipients in Asia Minor (1 Pet. 5:12). (Acts 15:32)