The Holy Ghost guides the company

Acts 16:6-10 the Holy Ghost guides the company

Verse 6: The company pushes further north into Phrygia (Acts 2:10, 18:23) and the region of Galatia (Acts 18:23; I Corinthians 16:1; Galatians 1:2, II Timothy 4:10; I Peter 1:1). The Holy Ghost forbids them to go further west into Asia, which seems to have been their initial impulse. “It appeared natural to the missionaries to move west into Asia and reach the big cities, e.g., Colosse and Ephesus…but the Holy Spirit forbade them from preaching in Asia.”[1] It is not that the gospel will not be preached there, but not by them now (cf. I Corinthians 16:19; Revelation 1:4; cf. Acts 19:1-10, et al.).

Verse 7: Mysia is mentioned only here (vs. 7-8). It seems to be a region further west of Phrygia and Galatia (in the northwest of present-day Turkey). From there they attempted to turn further north and east into Bithynia, but the Spirit of God did not allow it. We learn that (1) they were to go, generally, into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature; (2) they were to go, specifically, into the places the Spirit led them. God used both positive guidance and negative restraint in leading the preachers where they should go. The restraint did not stop them; it redirected them.

“Throughout Acts an emphasis is maintained on God’s prior purpose and action to bring salvation to the ends of the earth and gather believers in to churches. Consider the following examples. The Holy Spirit fills His people for bold witness (4:31; 6:10; 7:55). He sends persons in specific directions (8:29, 39; 11:12; 13:2-4) and sometimes stops them from going in the wrong direction (16:6-10) …Witness to Christ and the creation of churches do not happen because the people of God simply decide it should. God goes ahead of his people and prepares the way for us to follow Him into the community-making work He is doing in the world.”[2]

Verse 8: Troas can refer to both a city and a district.[3] It was a main seaport of the area, and the port of choice for most travelers from this region to Macedonia. Paul’s “Troas experience” is a place and time of determining the will of God.

Verses 9-10: Paul receives a vision. It occurs at night. The vision is of a Macedonian man pleading, “Come over into Macedonia, and help us.” Following the negative restraint of where he should not go, this clearly indicates to Paul where the Lord is leading them. The party did not delay but immediately “endeavoured to go into Macedonia” with confidence, because they were assured “that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.”

The first “We section” of the book of Acts occurs here in Acts 16:10-17.[4] Based on the language and references, Luke is now with Paul, Silas, and Timothy.[5] The writer includes himself in the events, beginning at Troas – we endeavoured, the Lord had called us, we came, we were in that city, we went out of the city, we sat down, heard us, she besought us, she constrained us, we went, met us, followed Paul and us. Luke joins the party in Troas, in God’s providence possibly already being there when they arrived. Though the last specific “we/us” reference is found in verse 17, Luke continued in Philippi throughout the time and events recorded in this chapter, through verse 40. It appears that Luke remains at Philippi until he travels with Paul back to Troas as recorded in Acts 20:6. The party departing from Philippi becomes “they” (cf. 16:40; 17:1) rather than “we.”

Two other “We sections” will follow:

• 20:5—21:18, Philippi to Jerusalem
• 27:1—28:16, Caesarea to Rome

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[1] Carlsen, Faith and Courage, p. 368. “Christ is still the one in charge of the Gospel and the spread of Christianity.” Since these disciples traveled from Phrygia and Galatia, they would have passed through the upper coasts of Asia. Paul would later preach in Asia. 

[2] Chambers. Exemplary Life, p. 144. 

[3] Troas was the land of the northwestern projection of Asia Minor/modern Turkey into the Aegean Sea; so perhaps a district in Mysia. However, in the Bible Troas seems primarily to refer to a city by that name (Acts 16:7-8; 20:5-6; II Corinthians 2:12; II Timothy 4:13). 

[4] See also the “We Sections” of Acts 20:5-21:18 and 27:1-28:16. 

[5] Speaking of the early belief of Luke as author of the Gospel, David E. Garland writes, “Were he not the actual author, Luke would have been an unlikely candidate to connect with the gospel. He was neither an apostle nor a prominent figure in the New Testament...” (Luke, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011 p. 22)