Silvanus

Biblical Record

The name Silvanus appears four times in the New Testament.

• 2 Corinthians 1:19: Paul tells the Corinthian believers that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, "was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus." According to this verse, Silvanus was among those who proclaimed the gospel when the church in Corinth was first founded.
• 1 Thessalonians 1:1 and 2 Thessalonians 1:1: Both letters were sent to the church in Thessalonica in the name of "Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus." Silvanus is thus named as a co-sender of the letters.
• 1 Peter 5:12: Peter states, "By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly."

Significance in Scripture

Silvanus is generally identified with the Silas who appears in the Book of Acts. Silas is regarded as a short Greek form of the name, while Silvanus is considered its Latin form (Silvanus). Both names appear alongside Paul and Timothy, and both men are associated with ministry in Thessalonica and Corinth. For these reasons the two are regarded as the same person. Acts 18:5 records that Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia to Corinth and rejoined Paul, which is consistent with 2 Corinthians 1:19. The life of Silas and his role as a companion on Paul's missionary journeys are covered in the article Silas.

Interpretations and Debates

• Identity with Silas: Most commentators regard Silas and Silvanus as one individual. Some traditions of the Eastern Church, however, are known to have commemorated them as two distinct people.
• Role in 1 Peter: Interpretations of the phrase "by Silvanus" in 1 Peter 5:12 differ. Some hold that Silvanus served as an amanuensis who took down the letter or refined its wording, while others hold that he was the one who delivered it. As to whether the Silvanus of this verse is the same as Paul's coworker, many scholars consider them the same person, though some refrain from drawing a firm conclusion.
• Accounts that he later became bishop of a particular region, or that describe how his life ended, derive from later tradition; the biblical text records nothing of the kind.

In the Korean Church

Both the Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Revised Version render this name as "Silluano," the Korean form of Silvanus. In sermons and Sunday school, he is usually discussed under the name Silas, and the account of his singing praises with Paul in the Philippian jail (Acts 16) is told especially often. The name Silvanus is most often mentioned when preachers expound the Thessalonian letters or 1 Peter and explain their opening greetings and closing passages.