lessing, Paul chose Silas and set out upon his first missionary tour.
He was Paul's companion in the prison and stripes at Philippi, and in
the troubles at Thessalonica; and, though they were parted for a little
while, he rejoined the Apostle in the city of Corinth. From thence Paul
wrote the two letters to the Thessalonians, both of which are sent in
the name of himself and Silas or Sylvanus. There is one more reference
to Sylvanus in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, which mentions him
as having been associated with Paul in the evangelisation of the church
there.

Then he drops out of the book altogether, and we never hear anything
more about him, except this one passing reference, which shows us to him
in an altogether new relation. He is no longer attached to Paul, but to
Peter. Paul was probably either in prison, or, possibly, martyred. At
all events, Sylvanus now stood to Peter in a relationship similar to
that in which he formerly stood to Paul. He was evidently acquainted
with and known to the churches to whom this letter was addressed, and,
therefore, is chosen to carry Peter's message to them.

Now I would suggest, in passing, how Sylvanus' relations to the two
Apostles throws light upon the perfectly cordial alliance between them,
and how it shatters into fragments the theory which was thought to be
such a wonderful discovery some years ago, as to the 'great schism' in
the early church between one section, led by Peter, and the more liberal
party, headed by Paul. Instead of that, we find the two men working
together, and the only division between them was not as to the sort of
gospel they preached, but as to the people to whom they preached. This
little incident helps us to realise how natural it was for a man steeped
in Paul's teaching to attach himself, if circumstances suggested it, to
the person who has been said to have been antagonistic in the whole
drift of his conceptions of Christianity to that Apostle.

But I do not wish to speak about that now. I take this figure of a man
who so contentedly and continually took such a subordinate place--played
second fiddle quite willingly all his days, and who toiled on without
any notice or record, and ask whether it does not teach one or two
things.

I. First, then, I think we may see here a hint as to the worth and
importance of subordinate work.

Not a syllable that Silas ever said is recorded in Scripture. He had
been a chief man among the brethren