When Paul and Barnabas end their missionary partnership, each one selects a new mentee and heads in different directions. Barnabas takes his cousin, John Mark, while Paul picks Silas.
But even before Paul picks Silas to mentor, Silas is a leader in the church. He was part of the special delegation to Antioch. The group carried an important message to squelch misinformation and give essential direction to that local church.
Having already proven himself, it’s not surprising that Paul picks Silas for his new missionary partner.
Paul and Silas travel to the various churches in the area to encourage and teach them. Among the places they go to are Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth. In Philippi they meet Lydia, the fortune-teller, and the Philippian jailer. We’ll learn about them in upcoming chapters.
Later, Silas is with Paul (and Timothy) when Paul writes his two letters to the church in Thessalonica. But Silas doesn’t just work with Paul, he also helps Peter. Peter affirms this in his second letter, where he regards Silas as a faithful brother.
We don’t see Silas taking a lead role in any of this, but he does serve in a loyal support position to both Paul and Peter.
Are we willing to serve God if we can’t play a lead role? God places us where he wants us, but do we do all we can to serve him in the best way possible?
[Discover more about Silas in Acts 15:22–Acts 18:5, 2 Corinthians 1:19, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 2 Thessalonians 1:1, and 1 Peter 5:12.]
Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
