Troparion in Tone 3
O holy apostle,
Entreat the merciful God,
To grant our souls forgiveness of transgressions.
Kontakion in Tone 4
You were disciples of the Lord, O Silas and Silvanus:
Two vines in His vineyard, yielding a fruitful harvest.
You poured out for us the wine of salvation
that makes glad the hearts of the faithful,
And brings them to celebrate your worthy memory.
Obtain for us the remission of our sins and transgressions!
The Holy Apostles of the Seventy Silas,
Silvanus, Crescens, Epenetus and Andronicus were disciples of the
Savior.
St Silas was a respected figure in the original
Church at Jerusalem, one of the "chief men among the brethren" (Acts
15:22). The Council of the Apostles was convened at Jerusalem in the
year 51 to deal with the question of whether Gentile Christian converts
should be required to observe the Mosaic Law. The Apostles sent a
message with Paul and Barnabas to the Christians of Antioch, giving the
decision of the Council that Christians of Gentile origin did not have
to observe the prescriptions of the Mosaic Law. Nonetheless, they were
told that they must refrain from partaking of foods offered to idols,
from things strangled and from blood, to refrain from fornication (Acts
15:20-29). Together with Sts Paul and Barnabas, the Council of the
Apostles sent Sts Silas and Jude to explain the message in greater
detail, since they both were filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Saint Jude was later sent back to Jerusalem, but Saint Silas remained at
Antioch and zealously assisted Saint Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, on
his missionary journeys preaching the Gospel. They visited Syria,
Cilicia, Macedonia.
In the city of Philippi they were accused of
inciting unrest among the people, and for this they were arrested,
beaten with rods, and then thrown into prison. At midnight, when the
saints were at prayer, suddenly there was a strong earthquake, their
chains fell off from them and the doors of the prison opened. The prison
guard, supposing that the prisoners had fled, wanted to kill himself,
but was stopped by the Apostle Paul. Then, he fell down trembling at the
feet of the saints, and with faith accepted their preaching about
Christ. He then led them out of the prison and took them to his own
home, where he washed their wounds, and was baptized together with all
his household.
From Philippi Sts Paul and Silas proceeded on
to the cities of Amphipolis, Apollonia and Thessalonica. In each city
they made new converts to Christ and built up the Church.
At Corinth the holy Apostle Silas was
consecrated as bishop, and worked many miracles and signs, and there he
finished his life.
