Note 3 at Ac 15:22: This is the only mention of Judas Barsabas in Scripture. We know that he was a prophet (Ac 15:32) and a leader in the Jerusalem church (Ac 15:22). He ministered briefly in Antioch before returning to Jerusalem (Ac 15:32-33).

Note 4 at Ac 15:22: This is the first mention of Silas in Scripture. From this verse we can tell that Silas had already become a leader in the Jerusalem church. He was chosen along with Judas Barsabas to carry the Jerusalem council's decision, about the qualifications for Gentile conversion, to the believers in Antioch, and he did (Ac 15:27). After fulfilling this mission, he stayed in Antioch for a while (Ac 15:33-34), ministering to the saints as a prophet (Ac 15:32).

After Paul and Barnabas split company (Ac 15:39), Paul chose Silas to accompany him on his second missionary journey (Ac 15:40). Silas was with Paul as he traveled back through the cities he had ministered in during his first missionary trip, and he was surely a friend of Timothy, who joined Paul at that time (Ac 16:1-3 and 17:14-15). Paul and Silas were thrown in prison at Philippi (Ac 16:19-34), but Silas remained in Berea with Timothy when Paul had to flee that city because of persecution (Ac 17:14).

While Paul was in Athens, he sent for Silas and Timothy (Ac 17:15), but Ac 18:5 would leave the impression that they didn't catch up with Paul until he was in Corinth. There is no further mention of Silas in the book of Acts, although Paul did mention in his letter to the Corinthians that Silas and Timothy ministered with him in that city (2Co 1:19). Paul's first and second letters to the Thessalonians were from Paul, Silas, and Timothy (1Th 1:1 and 2Th 1:1). Silas is called Silvanus in the Epistles.

Most people believe that Silas is the Silvanus who carried the first epistle of Peter to its readers (1Pe 5:12), thereby linking Silas with the Apostle Peter. Silas, like Paul, was a Roman citizen (Ac 16:37), and this was very useful in his travels.