Apostles Silas, Silvanus, Crescens, Epenetus, and Andronicus of the Seventy

Silas, Silvanus, Crescens, Epenetus, and Andronicus were five of the Seventy whom the Lord sent forth (Luke 10:1), all named by the Apostle Paul in his letters. Silas, who is called Silvanus in the Greek of the letters, was Paul's principal companion on the second missionary journey, sharing the imprisonment at Philippi recorded in Acts 16 and the labors at Thessalonica and Corinth. Tradition makes him the first bishop of Corinth.

Silvanus — whom some traditions identify with Silas and others distinguish — served as bishop of Thessalonica, where he had been one of Paul's first converts. Crescens was sent by Paul to Galatia in his final imprisonment (2 Timothy 4:10) and afterward became bishop in Gaul, the apostle of those lands. Epenetus, whom Paul calls "the firstfruits of Achaia" (Romans 16:5), served as bishop of Carthage. Andronicus, whom Paul calls "of note among the apostles" (Romans 16:7), labored in Pannonia as bishop of Sirmium and is also commemorated on May 17.

All five sealed their testimony with martyrdom in various places. Their joint feast is kept on July 30, with the Synaxis of the Seventy on January 4.