Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

16:6-7 Paul's route is not altogether clear. After revisiting his earlier field, undoubtedly traveling on the Via Sebaste (a Roman military road), he proceeded farther west into Phrygia. Had he continued in that direction he would have traveled through Asia with its prosperous coastal cities like Ephesus. The Spirit of Jesus prevented this, and he went north through Mysia. He was also prevented from witnessing in Bithynia.

16:6 having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. From Antioch in Pisidia Paul and Timothy traveled far northward, and then westward. Natural human wisdom would have led them to think they should preach the gospel in all the cities that they passed through, but instead the Holy Spirit directed them on a 400-mile (644-km) journey by foot to Troas (v. 8). They must have had a strong sense of the Spirit's direct guidance and concluded that he would guide others to preach the gospel in the northern regions of Asia and in Bithynia (cf. 1 Pet. 1:1, where Peter writes to churches in that region).

16:7 the Spirit of Jesus. Another name for the Holy Spirit, who had been sent by Jesus to the church in new power at Pentecost (2:33; cf. John 15:26).

16:8 Troas was a major Aegean port 14 miles (23 km) south of ancient Troy, and the primary Asian harbor for ships destined for Macedonia. The harbor of Troas is still visible, although it is silted over. Ongoing excavations at the site of Troas have yielded a pagan temple and an adjacent agora (marketplace) from the time of Paul. Though not very distant in nautical miles, Macedonia was a different part of the world--Europe--instead of the East, to which the gospel had hitherto been confined.

16:9 a vision . . . a man. Some kind of visible image of a man came in such a forceful way, accompanied by such a strong sense of God's presence, that Paul concluded that God was guiding him. God also spoke to people in visions (Gk. horama) elsewhere, as recorded in both Acts and the rest of Scripture (see 7:31; 9:10; 10:3; 12:9; 18:9; cf. Gen. 15:1; 46:2; Ex. 3:3; Dan. 7:1, 13; Matt. 17:9).

16:10 The occurrence of we is the first time in the narrative that the first person plural occurs in Acts and most likely indicates that at this point Luke, the author of Acts, joined the missionary group as they set out for Macedonia.