The Call to Paul & Silas
Pastor Zubeda Sing · 2 min read
“Then the apostles and the elders, together with the whole church, decided to select some of their men to go to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas, who was called Barsabbas, and Silas [also called Silvanus, both], leading men among the brothers.”
We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Silas became a partner with the apostle Paul in preaching the gospel to the gentiles as they travelled along into the various regions. Silas was promoted from his position of official representative of the Jerusalem council, to Paul’s right hand man. He was a man filled with the holy Spirit who should honour in serving. When the disciples were sent out to preach the gospel, for most part, the church leadership always paired them together for unity and strength so the gospel was preached whereever they went.
The contingent from Jerusalem together with Judas and Silas went down to Antioch (Antioch is on a lower elevation than Jerusalem) and delivered the letter. The brothers in Antioch were encouraged by the letter, and also by Judas and Silas, the prophets, who encouraged the church still further and strengthened them by a lengthy message.
The saints in Antioch appreciated the ministry of Judas and Silas and sent them off with blessings. The call may be costly and sometimes tedious, yet in all of that God worked mightily through them all.
From the October 2026 issue, themed THE MANDATE & MISSION OF A THRIVER.
