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Acts 16

Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:

Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.

Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.

And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.

And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

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,

After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;

And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.

And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.

And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.

But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.

And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.

And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.

And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

What does Acts 16:6 mean?

Explanation

The verse Acts 16:6 describes an event during Paul the Apostle's second missionary journey along with his companions, which included Silas and likely Timothy, who joined them in Lystra.

As they traveled through the regions of Phrygia and Galatia, the Holy Spirit actively intervened to steer their evangelism efforts away from the province of Asia, which at that time referred to a region in modern-day Turkey.

The verse suggests not a mere change of plans, but a direct divine prohibition against preaching the word in Asia at that moment.

The deeper meaning of this verse implies the sovereignty of God in missional work, suggesting that the spread of the Gospel is under divine direction and not solely determined by human intent or understanding.

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

During the time Acts of the Apostles was written, the term 'Asia' was used to denote the Roman province of Asia, which is now the western part of modern-day Turkey.

The region of Galatia was also in modern-day Turkey, while Phrygia was part of the Roman province of Asia but often mentioned separately due to its distinctive cultural identity.

The travel narrative in Acts 16 occurs during the early spread of Christianity, probably around 50 A.D.

This was a time when the Christian faith was predominantly spreading through the Roman Empire, and Paul's missionary journeys were crucial to this expansion.

Theological Insights

This verse offers various theological insights:

Providential Guidance: The idea that God, through the Holy Spirit, guides and restricts the movements of his messengers to ensure that the Gospel is spread according to divine timing and strategy.
Divine Will and Human Ministry: The verse reflects a tension between human initiative in ministry and the priority of divine will, emphasizing that successful ministry is dependent on following the leading of the Spirit, not just human plans.
Responsibility and Reliance: The verse implicitly encourages Christians to actively engage in ministry while also relying on the spiritual discernment to recognize when to advance or pause, trusting in God's overarching plan.

Practical Applications

From Acts 16:6, modern believers can draw practical applications such as:

Being sensitive to and seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit in making decisions, particularly in ministry contexts.
Understanding that closed doors and apparent setbacks can be part of God's guidance and should be received with faith and trust.
Embracing flexibility in plans and strategies, holding them loosely in favor of God's leading, even if it means a sudden change in direction.

Cross-References

Related verses include:

Acts 8:29 - "Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot."
Acts 10:19-20 - "While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.

Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them."

Acts 13:2 - "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them."
Romans 8:14 - "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

Language Study

The key phrases in this verse include:

"forbidden of the Holy Ghost": The original Greek phrase is "κωλυθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος" (kolythentes hypo tou hagiou pneumatos), which implies being actively prevented or restrained by the Holy Spirit.
"preach the word": From the Greek "λαλῆσαι τὸν λόγον" (lalēsai ton logon), indicating the proclamation or speaking of the message of the Gospel.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In the ancient world, it was not uncommon for deities to be thought of as guiding or directing the actions of individuals, as seen in various myths and epic tales like Homer's Odyssey.

However, the Christian concept of the Holy Spirit is distinctive in its personal and relational aspect, wherein God interacts with His followers not just to dictate but to form a relationship and partnership in the mission.

Scientific Perspectives

While Acts 16:6 does not explicitly engage with scientific discourse, it does touch on the topic of discernment and decision-making, which can be studied from psychological and neurological perspectives.

Modern science explores how humans make choices and perceive guidance, but the concept of spiritual discernment as described in the verse does not lend itself to empirical analysis due to its supernatural dimension.

Commentaries

Commentary on this verse spans diverse perspectives:

John Calvin saw the prohibition of preaching in Asia as an example of how God often works in mysterious ways that are not immediately understandable to us.
Matthew Henry highlighted the obedience of Paul and his companions to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, suggesting a model for Christian conduct.
More contemporary commentaries emphasize the strategic movements of early Christian missions, suggesting that the Holy Spirit had a specific plan for the timing and location of Gospel proclamation.

Acts 16

Acts 16

What does Acts 16:6 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Acts 16:6 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?