Silas to Zenas
People Connected to Apostle Paul

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This page lists information on individuals who have Biblical links to the Apostle Paul. These people include Silas, Stephen (the first Christian martyr), Timothy, Titus, Urbane and others.

Silas (Silvanus)
Acts 15:22 - 40, 16:19 - 29, 17:4 - 15, 18:5
1Thessalonians 1:1, 2Thessalonians 1:1
2Corinthians 1:19, 1Peter 5:12

Silas was a Jewish Christian, living in Jerusalem, who was considered a prophet.

We are introduced to Silas as one of the church's "leading men" sent to go with Paul and Barnabas to Syrian Antioch. The purpose of the trip was to distribute the decision of the Jerusalem Conference among the brethren. Silas, after the task completed, stayed in Antioch.

Silas, after a disagreement between Paul and Barnabas split the two apostles up, teams up with him on his second evangelistic journey through Galatia and parts westward. Barnabas decided to take his relative John Mark and revisit the people on Cyprus.

Silas accompanies Paul and shares in his hardships as they visit Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. He stays in Berea for an extended period to aid the fledgling church then rejoins Paul in Corinth.

Almost nothing is known of Silas after the second missionary journey. The last mention of him, around 65 A.D., states that he delivered Peter's first epistle "to the elect strangers scattered in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia" (1Peter 1:1).

Simeon (Niger)
Acts 13:1

Simeon, called Niger (a Greek word meaning "black"), is labeled by Luke as one of several prophets and teachers that attend church in Syrian Antioch (Acts 13). Nothing more is known about him.

Sopater
Acts 20:4

Sopater, who lived in Berea, as well as several others, traveled with Paul during his third missionary journey. Sopater accompanied the apostle on his eastward journey through Macedonia to Asia. It is unclear if he went on the remaining part of the trip to Tyre and Jerusalem.

Sosipater
Romans 16:21

Sosipater was a Jewish Christian who sent his greetings to Christians in Rome through Paul's letter to the Romans. Evidence suggests Sosipater may have been one of Apostle Paul's distant relatives living in Corinth when Paul wrote his letter from the city in 57 A.D.

Sosthenes
Acts 18:17, 1Corinthians 1:1

A man named Sosthenes is mentioned twice in Scripture. The first mention, in Acts, states that a Jew named Sosthenes was the chief ruler of a synagogue in Corinth (Acts 18:17). He was likely the replacement for Crispus, the previous ruler, who had converted to Christianity after hearing Paul preach (verse 8).

After Proconsul Gallio flatly refused to hear the charges against the Apostle Paul brought by angry Jews, the Greeks (Gentiles) beat up Sosthenes (Acts 18:17). The Greeks, many of whom did not like the Jews, may have seen their rejection as an opportunity for revenge.

The second time a Sosthenes is mentioned is in the opening statement to the book 1Corinthians. Written from Ephesus, Paul greets those in Corinth and links his greeting with Sosthenes who is with him. It is unclear whether the Sosthenes of Acts and 1Corinthians are the same person.

Stachys
Romans 16:9

Stachys is one of the many Roman Christians Paul salutes in his letter sent to Rome. The apostle considers Stachys "beloved." Nothing more is known about him.

Stephanas
1Corinthians 1:16, 16:15, 17

Stephanas and his family are noteworthy as being the earliest converts to Christianity in the province of Achaia (which includes Athens and Corinth). They were also some of the few people Paul personally baptized in Corinth (1Corinthians 1:16). After their conversion, they dedicated themselves to serving the church of God.

Stephanas, as well as Fortunatus and Achaicus, visited Paul in Ephesus during his extended stay in the city (54 to 57 A.D.). The notation at the end of 1Corinthians, found in some Bible translations, asserts that Stephanas helped write down this epistle dictated to him.

Stephen
Acts 6, 7:59, 8:2, 11:19, 22:20

Stephen is consider the first recorded martyr for the Christian faith. He was an early Jewish convert to Christianity who possessed a high level of wisdom and spiritual maturity. He was chosen, with six others, to be the first specially designated servants (other than the apostles) of the fledgling Jerusalem church (Acts 6:1 - 6).

Stephen and Philip the Evangelist are the only two of seven special church servants or deacons (Acts 6) that had any recorded connection with Paul.

Before Stephen is stoned the witnesses against him lay down their outer garments at the feet of a young Saul (Paul) who was about thirty at the time (Acts 7:58). Saul was an up and coming Pharisee whose zeal and dedication distinguished him from the rest of his peers. Saul's approval and oversight of Stephen's death (Acts 8:1) would further elevate his standing among the Jews.

The death of Stephen emboldened the Jews, and Saul, to carry out a campaign to persecute, imprison, cause to blaspheme, and even put to death anyone who professed faith in Christ (Acts 26:9 - 12, 1Timothy 1:13). Years later, Paul would lament his evil behavior against the church and consider himself one of the worst sinners granted grace and repentance by God (Galatians 1:13, 1Timothy 1:13 - 16).

Syntyche
Philippians 4:2

Syntyche was a prominent female Christian living in Philippi, a place where the church first took root among the city's females (Acts 16:13 - 15). Paul, in his letter to the church, asked her and Euodia, another Christian woman, to settle their differences. Both of them had helped Paul in the work of the gospel. It is unknown what the nature of their disagreement was.

Tertius
Romans 16:22

Tertius is the person who wrote down the epistle to the Romans dictated to him. In the book, He sends greetings to his fellow Christians living in the empire's capital. Nothing more is known about him.

Sacrifice to Paul in Lystra
Sacrifice to Paul in Lystra
Raphael, 1515

Tertullus
Acts 24:1 - 2

Tertullus was an orator who was likely a well-seasoned lawyer familiar with trying cases in Roman courts. He was chosen by the Jewish Sanhedrin to present their case against Paul before Roman procurator Felix in Caesarea. Paul was being kept in protective custody after a riot broke out in Jerusalem's temple that he was (wrongly) accused of starting.

The charges argued by Tertullus were, "we have found this man to be a pest, and a mover of insurrection among the Jews in the whole world, and a leader of the sect of the Nazareans; Who also attempted to profane the temple, and whom also we seized, desiring to judge him according to our laws" (Acts 24:5 - 6).

Timothy (Timotheus)
Acts 16 to 20, 1Thessalonians 1, 3
2Thessalonians 1, 1Corinthians 4, 16
2Corinthians 1, Romans 16, Hebrews 13
Philippians 1, 2, Colossians 1, Philemon 1
1Timothy 1, 6, 2Timothy 1

Timothy is born in Lystra to a father who is a Gentile but a mother who is a Jewess (Acts 16:1). Although his mother's lineage makes him a Jew, he is not circumcised at birth. This situation would later be rectified by Paul (verse 3).

Timothy first meets Paul during his second missionary journey visit to Lystra. When they meet, the apostle is about forty-eight years old while Tim is about thirty-three. He accompanies him on most of his remaining stops on this evangelistic tour.

Timothy also meets Paul in Ephesus during his third journey (Acts 19:22) where he will be sent to minister to churches in Macedonia. He is with the apostle during his first imprisonment in Rome.

Timothy, over time, became Paul's most trusted and closest friend in the gospel. The apostle treated him like a son (2Timothy 2:2 - 6) and firmly believed he was the only person he could trust to care for the churches with the same heart he possessed (Philippians 2:19 - 22).

The notation found at the end of 1Corinthians credits Timothy with helping to copy the epistle down on parchment. Timothy is also credited, in the endnotes of the book of Hebrews, with delivering this epistle to its destination.

Timothy, unlike many others, stayed faithful to Paul until the very end of his life. The book of 2Timothy, the last letter the apostle wrote, shows the faith and love he had for his friend and fellow laborer.

Titus
Galatians 2:1, 3, 2Corinthians 2:13, 7:6,
13 - 14, 8:6, 16, 23, 12:18, 13:14
Titus 1:4, 3:15, 2Timothy 4:10

Titus was a Greek (Gentile) convert to Christianity who was one of Paul's most trusted fellow laborers in the gospel. Interestingly, although he worked closely with the apostle, his name is not mentioned at all in the book of Acts.

His first recorded appearance connecting him with the apostle occurs when he accompanies him and Barnabas to the Jerusalem Conference (Galatians 2:1).

Titus, during Paul's extended stay in Ephesus, is sent to Corinth to handle the church's growing distrust and hostility toward the apostle. He meets back up with him in Macedonia to report their respect for him has been restored (2Corinthians 7:6 - 7).

Paul, after he is freed from his first imprisonment in Rome, reconnects with Titus to give him instructions regarding the church on Crete (Titus 1:4 - 5). Titus seems to have been loyal to the apostle to the end, evangelizing Dalmatia (Illyricum) during his final stay in Rome before martyrdom. Catholic tradition states Titus died sometime after he turned ninety.

Trophimus
Acts 20:4, 21:29, 2Timothy 4:20

Trophimus, a Gentile convert to Christianity, was one of a few people who accompanied Paul on his return trip from Corinth to Jerusalem during his third missionary journey.

Trophimus' arrival in Jerusalem was noticed by some of the city's Jews who knew he was not Jewish. When Paul visited the temple, the Jews thought he was bringing him into the temple, an act that was strictly forbidden. Their mistake, coupled with their already existing hatred of the gospel, was the catalyst for a riot that got the apostle arrested by the Romans.

Tryphena
Romans 16:12

Tryphena was one of the many Christians in Rome greeted by Paul in his epistle to the Romans. Both Tryphena and Tryphosa, who are females, are commended for their service to God.

Tryphosa
Romans 16:12

Tryphosa was one of many important people in Rome greeted in the last chapter of Romans. Both Tryphosa and Tryphena, who are females, are commended for their service to God.

Tychicus
Acts 20:4, Ephesians 6:21, Colossians 4:7
2Timothy 4:12, Titus 3:12

The endnotes of the book of Ephesians state that Tychicus delivered the book to Ephesus. He also, along with Onesimus, took the book of Colossians to Colosse.

Urbane
Romans 16:9

Urbane, who is a Christian living in Rome, is saluted as a fellow worker in the gospel. His name was commonly found among slaves. Nothing more is known of him.

Zenas
Titus 3:13

Zenas was a Christian lawyer. Paul requested Titus, who was on Crete, to help Zenas with what he needed while traversing the island. Nothing more is known about him.

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List of People Linked to Paul

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