Acts 16:6–10

 ⁶ Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. ⁷ After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. ⁸ So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. ⁹ And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. 

Commentary 

Vs. 6 “Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.” 

Once again, the Holy Spirit comes to the forefront as the One who was directing the ministry of not only the church at Jerusalem, but also the work of the Apostle Paul, which is a given seeing that the Lord had chosen Paul for this very work. And so, when Paul and his entourage had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia revisiting the churches there and preaching the word there, the Holy Spirit forbid him to preach the Word in Asia. Were not told why they were not permitted to preach the Word there, (but one may safely assume it was simply not in God’s timing to do so at that time), for He alone knows the effects of their doing so, if they had tried at that time. And so we do not need to know all the whys of the counsel of God, we simply need to trust and obey Him, if we hope to be used effectively by Him. 

Vs. 7 “After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.” 

And so, passing through the Asia they first come to the district of Mysia, and from there they thought to go into Bithynia, (which was along the coast of the Black Sea). But once again the Spirit did not permit them, for as we will see it seems there was an even more pressing need ahead of them. It is to be noted that later both Asia and Bithynia would have the Word preached to them, and they would become a place for disciples (1 Peter 1:1-2). 

Vs. 8 “So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.” 

And so, moving quickly through the province of Mysia, they came down to Troas, a prominent city on its seacoast, and for there they would’ve been looking across the Aegean Sea towards Greece and Continental Europe. 

Vs. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 

This vision given Paul at night then will be the catalyst for his taking the Gospel into the region of Macedonia, which was part of the Roman Empire and was located in what we would consider southeast Europe. Now Macedonia itself was once a mighty ancient nation and Empire which was conquered by Alexander the Great and then later the Romans. Back then it was considered a part of northern Greece. Today it would be bordered by Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, and Kosovo/Serbia (northwest), with Greece to the south. And so, in answering this call the Apostle Paul would then be effectively bringing the Gospel to Continental Europe, which would not only save countless souls, but also help form the development of European thought and beliefs for centuries to come. 

Vs. 10 “Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.” 

Therefore, after seeing the vision the Apostle Paul recognized it as the Will of the Lord for them, and so they sought to go and preach the Gospel in Macedonia. Now it has been noted by others that at this point the personal pronouns change from I to we which many believe indicate that the Apostle Luke had now joined the Apostle Paul along with Timothy and Silas (see Believers Bible Commentary). And so, he will now record everything from an eyewitness firsthand account.  

Scripture Quotations 

New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.