Silas

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Saint Silas
Bishop and Martyr
Died c. 50 AD, Macedonia
Venerated in Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, and Lutheranism
Feast January 26 (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)
February 10 (Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod)
July 13 (Roman Martyrology)
July 30 (Eastern Orthodoxy)
Attributes First Bishop of Corinth; Martyr
Saints Portal

Saint Silas or Saint Silvanus (flourished 1st century) was a leading member of the first Christian community in Jerusalem and later became a companion of Paul in his first missionary journey to Antioch, and also in Paul's second missionary journey to Galatia.

St. Silas is listed as a co-author or co-sender of Paul's First and Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, a part of the canon of the New Testament. Later in his ministry, Silas teamed with Peter on missions in Pontus and Cappadocia. He also served as Peter’s scribe, as 1 Pet. 5:12, indicates that Silas wrote the First Epistle of Peter. He is currently commemorated in the Calendar of Saints of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on January 26 with Timothy and the Apostle Titus and separately on February 10 by the Roman Catholic Church and by the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.

The name Silas is a Greek nickname for the Latin Silvanus, which means "of the forest." Although a Roman in the Bible, the name "Silas" may be derived from pre-Roman Italian languages (see, e.g., the character "Asilas", an Etruscan leader and warrior-prophet who plays a prominent role in assisting Aeneas in Virgil's epic poem the Aeneid).

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