The Silas Diary
by Gene Edwards
The Silas Diary is the first in a series of journals of first century figures, as imagined by Gene Edwards. Later installments include diaries of Timothy and Titus. Put together, these men who were close to the apostle Paul during his missionary journeys string together an interesting take on the missionary's first century adventures. We get a personal view of what those journeys might have looked like to the men who were a part of them, and this makes for fun reading.
The events in The Silas Diary are told in first person, stylistically what you would expect from a diary, and closely parallel the book of Acts. Tracing Paul's journeys as he went about preaching the (then) new message of Jesus, the diary brings to life the dangers faced by Paul, Silas, and the other companions who traveled with them. In the journal, Silas says that he writes for believers, as a sort of personal memoir that will reaffirm what we can read in Acts. The book does a nice job of doing exactly that, and is a fun read for those who would like to have a feel of what it might have been like to have traveled with Paul as he went about his mission.
As the journal comes to a close, Silas mentions that Titus has said that he might like to try his hand at writing a similar diary, sharing his own experiences with Paul. This sets us up for the next book in the series, The Titus Diary, and it is a series that offers a fun look into the journeys of these men in the earliest days of the church.
reviewed by Shelly Bryant ©2009
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