Page 5 - Pauline Epistles Student Textbook

The fact that there is nothing written in the epistle about legalism strongly suggests that legalism
was not an issue among the newly found church.

In some other translations, the names Silas and Silvanus are often used interchangeably. Tenney
suggests that Silas (Σιλ�ας [Silas]) is the contraction of Silouanos (Σιλουανός [Silouanos]) who was a
famous member “of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:22, 23) and companion of Paul on his second
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missionary journey (Acts 15—18). “Silvanus,” however, “could be the Latinized form of Silas.” He
was sent to Antioch from Jerusalem together with Judas called Barsabbas as leading men among
brothers (Acts 15:21-23) to deliver the letter of verdict concerning authenticity of Gentiles’ salvation
“through the grace of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 15:11). Both Judas and Silas returned to Jerusalem (Acts
15:33). Silas, it appears, went back to Antioch and was commissioned by Paul (Acts 15:40) to come
with him during his missionary journeys (Acts15:36—18:22).

Background History
In the company of two co-workers and one special person, Silas, Timothy, and Luke (Acts 16:3,
[“we”11], 29; 17:14), Paul saw a vision of a man from Macedonia who said, “Come over to
Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9). Paul and his companions immediately obeyed and went to
Macedonia. Along the way souls were won for Christ (Acts 16:13, 15, 30-34). In Thessalonica, some
Jews and a large number of God-fearing Greeks were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas. But some
jealous Jews instigated an attack which forced Paul to go to Berea where many came to believe in
the Scriptures (Acts 17:12). After another attack in Berea instigated by Jews from Thessalonica, Paul
was sent as far as Athens and instructed that Silas and Timothy should rejoin him there (Acts 17:13,
15-16). While waiting for them, Paul proclaimed the good news in Areopagus and “some men joined
him and believed . . . Dionysius . . . and a woman named Damaris and others with them” (Acts 17:19,
34).

However, 1 Thessalonians 3:1-2 explains that Timothy and others were with Paul in Athens for a
st
time. Charles Wanamaker argues that the book of Acts did not emphasize the missionaries’

8 Tenney, The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible, 423-33.

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