Acts 16:6-10

Acts 16:6-10

[6] Now  when they had gone throughout  Phrygia  and  the region  of Galatia,  and were forbidden  of  the Holy  Ghost  to preach  the word  in  Asia,  [7] After they were come  to  Mysia,  they assayed  to go  into  Bithynia:  but  the Spirit  suffered  them  not.  [8] And  they passing by  Mysia  came down  to  Troas.  [9] And  a vision  to Paul  in  the night;  a man  of Macedonia,  and prayed  him,  saying,  Come over  into  Macedonia,  and help  [10] And  after  the vision,  immediately  we endeavoured  to go  into  Macedonia,  assuredly gathering  that  had called  for to preach the gospel  unto them. 

What does Acts 16:6-10 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Luke recorded Paul"s vision of the Macedonian man to explain God"s initiative in encouraging Paul and his companions to carry the gospel farther west into what is now Europe.
". . . this section [1] makes it overwhelmingly clear that Paul"s progress was directed by God in a variety of ways, so that the missionaries were led into new areas of work." [2]
"His [3] subject is the rapid extension of Christianity among the Gentiles, especially in three great provinces of the empire, Macedonia, Achaia, and Asia; and he describes the firm establishment of the church in their capitals, Thessalonica, Corinth, and Ephesus ... These three great provinces embraced respectively the northern, western and eastern coasts of the Aegean Sea, and they were all members of one great Roman empire, and all enjoyed one great Hellenic civilization ...
"The foundation of the churches of Macedonia, Achaia, and Asia was the work of S. Paul, and it was his greatest achievement. Ch. xvi11-xix19 is really the record of his life work. It filled a period of five years from49 to54; and in the composition of the book it corresponds to the ministry of the Lord in the Gospel (Lk iv16 to xvii10 or xviii30) and of S. Peter in the church of Jerusalem in the first part of the Acts (ii14-xi26)." [4]