Act 16:6 | KingComments | STEP | Because the field of gospel service covers all creation, guidance is needed to know which way to go. For his first missionary journey, Paul can point to a clear commission from the Holy Spirit ( ). His second missionary journey he undertakes without such a commission, but with clear instructions. The reason for this second missionary journey is the desire to provide aftercare in the areas where he went on his first missionary journey ( ). There is no need for a special commission from the Spirit because this work is in accordance with the general command in Scripture that there must be care for the newly converted, the lambs of the flock. Paul is concerned for the welfare of the believers. That brings him to take action. Such action bears witness to spiritual maturity. It is the normal way of being led by the Holy Spirit, because among other things, He dwells in the believer to always lead him ( ). On the second missionary journey, Paul travels through the Phrygian and Galatian region, where he also speaks the Word and through which churches come into being. They continue to the west, to Asia. Asia is a part of Asia Minor with Ephesus as its capital. There they are forbidden “by the Holy Spirit” from speaking the Word. Later on he will work there for several years and proclaim the gospel extensively, with Ephesus as the headquarters of his work, but it is not God’s time yet ( ). By speaking about the Holy Spirit, Luke seems to emphasize that Paul and his people are surrounded by unholy spirits who want to bring them to unholy acts. Those unholy acts can be the result of all kinds of good intentions, but they are not the result of the Holy Spirit. It is a warning that we should not let ourselves be led by ‘wishful thinking’. The Lord can lead our lives in different ways. He can lead by Scripture, circumstances, fellow believers, the Holy Spirit, sober thinking. After having been prevented from speaking the Word in Asia, they move north and try to go via Mysia to Bithynia. That road is blocked by “the Spirit of Jesus”. The Spirit of Jesus is of course none other than the Holy Spirit. The fact that He is now called “the Spirit of Jesus” makes us think of the life of the Lord Jesus in humiliation on earth, because that is what His Name reminds us of. The Lord Jesus has been guided on earth in everything and always by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit and the Lord Jesus are so closely connected that can be spoken of the ”Spirit of Jesus”. As dependent as the Lord Jesus was on the Father, so dependent must Paul also learn to be on God. Nobody can teach him this better than the Spirit of Jesus. We do not know how the Spirit blocked the road to Bithynia. Now that the road to Bithynia is closed, they are heading west. We see that Paul wants to travel for the Lord, but that he does not get a whole itinerary from the Lord. He has to learn to be dependent from step to step. That is how they end up in Troas. In Troas Paul receives new marching orders in the silence of the night. For this God uses a dream (cf. ). The man visible to Paul in a vision can be seen as a symbolic appearance. In this man the whole of Europe looms up in the spirit of Paul. The man does not call out to come to proclaim the gospel, but calls for help. There is a continent in need. An evangelist is a helper in need. He is a helper of people who are burdened by their sins to take that burden off their shoulders and offer the relief of faith. The vision gives no further details about the journey and the destiny. It is a global indication of God’s guidance. They still have to get clarity about the details. That clarity comes by talking about what has to be made up from the vision. They come to the conclusion that God has called them, and not only Paul, to preach the gospel to the Macedonians. The writer of Acts, Luke, participates in this discussion. He joined the group unobtrusively. Until now, Luke has always written about ‘they’. From onward he speaks about ‘us’. He becomes a participant of the company and an eyewitness to the events. The company now consists of four persons.

‏ Acts 16:6

Come Over ... and Help Us

Because the field of gospel service covers all creation, guidance is needed to know which way to go. For his first missionary journey, Paul can point to a clear commission from the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:2). His second missionary journey he undertakes without such a commission, but with clear instructions.

The reason for this second missionary journey is the desire to provide aftercare in the areas where he went on his first missionary journey (Acts 15:36). There is no need for a special commission from the Spirit because this work is in accordance with the general command in Scripture that there must be care for the newly converted, the lambs of the flock. Paul is concerned for the welfare of the believers. That brings him to take action. Such action bears witness to spiritual maturity. It is the normal way of being led by the Holy Spirit, because among other things, He dwells in the believer to always lead him (Rom 8:14).

On the second missionary journey, Paul travels through the Phrygian and Galatian region, where he also speaks the Word and through which churches come into being. They continue to the west, to Asia. Asia is a part of Asia Minor with Ephesus as its capital. There they are forbidden “by the Holy Spirit” from speaking the Word. Later on he will work there for several years and proclaim the gospel extensively, with Ephesus as the headquarters of his work, but it is not God’s time yet (Acts 20:31).

By speaking about the Holy Spirit, Luke seems to emphasize that Paul and his people are surrounded by unholy spirits who want to bring them to unholy acts. Those unholy acts can be the result of all kinds of good intentions, but they are not the result of the Holy Spirit. It is a warning that we should not let ourselves be led by ‘wishful thinking’. The Lord can lead our lives in different ways. He can lead by Scripture, circumstances, fellow believers, the Holy Spirit, sober thinking.

After having been prevented from speaking the Word in Asia, they move north and try to go via Mysia to Bithynia. That road is blocked by “the Spirit of Jesus”. The Spirit of Jesus is of course none other than the Holy Spirit. The fact that He is now called “the Spirit of Jesus” makes us think of the life of the Lord Jesus in humiliation on earth, because that is what His Name reminds us of. The Lord Jesus has been guided on earth in everything and always by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit and the Lord Jesus are so closely connected that can be spoken of the ”Spirit of Jesus”. As dependent as the Lord Jesus was on the Father, so dependent must Paul also learn to be on God. Nobody can teach him this better than the Spirit of Jesus.

We do not know how the Spirit blocked the road to Bithynia. Now that the road to Bithynia is closed, they are heading west. We see that Paul wants to travel for the Lord, but that he does not get a whole itinerary from the Lord. He has to learn to be dependent from step to step. That is how they end up in Troas.

In Troas Paul receives new marching orders in the silence of the night. For this God uses a dream (cf. Job 33:14-15). The man visible to Paul in a vision can be seen as a symbolic appearance. In this man the whole of Europe looms up in the spirit of Paul. The man does not call out to come to proclaim the gospel, but calls for help. There is a continent in need. An evangelist is a helper in need. He is a helper of people who are burdened by their sins to take that burden off their shoulders and offer the relief of faith.

The vision gives no further details about the journey and the destiny. It is a global indication of God’s guidance. They still have to get clarity about the details. That clarity comes by talking about what has to be made up from the vision. They come to the conclusion that God has called them, and not only Paul, to preach the gospel to the Macedonians.

The writer of Acts, Luke, participates in this discussion. He joined the group unobtrusively. Until now, Luke has always written about ‘they’. From Acts 16:10 onward he speaks about ‘us’. He becomes a participant of the company and an eyewitness to the events. The company now consists of four persons.