2 Routes from Mysia to Macedonia
Where have Paul, Silas and Timothy been?
Traveling with the Gospel through several towns in the central plain of Turkiye, an area unfamiliar to most Europeans (and distant from US).
These apostles could have continued from Derbe as before as they had journeyed through SYRIA & CILICIA.
Acts 16:
5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.
And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.
Acts of the Apostles 16:6 ESV – Journey of Paul, Silas & Timothy sent out with the Gospel to the central plain of Turkiye
Last time we mentioned the beginning of their land journey, but these few verses provide no account of which towns or how long these men stayed in this part of the central plain beyond Lystra, Derbe and Iconium before sailing to Europe from Troas.
7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.
8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.
the leading of the Spirit
You may have thought that Paul, Silas and Timothy had wandered from town to town in the mountains aimlessly proclaiming the Gospel wherever they happened on a town or small city. NOT SO.
Here is how 21st century Christians (having to know every reason for every act of any 1st c. apostle of Jesus) will often trip over the mysterious leading of the Spirit.
And just a reminder from the Greek that an apostle is a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders, especially orders from the triune God.
WHY did Paul, Silas and Timothy end up in Troas (perhaps ready to sail back to Antioch or to Cypress once more where Paul could meet up with Barnabas and John Mark)?
How is it that Paul did NOT choose a land route to Europe to begin proclaiming the Gospel to all the world?
Luke tells us:
- ACTS 16:6 ..having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.
- ἁγίου πνεύματος – hagios pneuma – Holy Spirit
- ACTS 16:7 ..but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.
CHRISTIAN, do YOU obey the ALL-KNOWING and ETERNAL power of the risen JESUS?
Do you allow the HOLY SPIRIT to direct YOU in directions GOD plans so different from the paths YOU would take?
PAUL not only has encountered the risen JESUS some years back when Christ REDIRECTED this apostle to the gentiles in an entirely different direction,
but Saul of Tarsus AND ALL of these apostles were “sent out” by the HOLY SPIRIT, as well as from their local Church back in Antioch.
The Lord Jesus continues to order his 21st c. disciples of the church into unknown, even mysterious places — into a world unfamiliar to their former witness of God.
Taking the Gospel into a Greco-Roman world
The Lord Jesus continues to order his disciples of the church into unknown, even mysterious places — into a world unfamiliar to their former witness of God.
The increasing presence of Rome in so many strategic ports of the Aegean in Paul’s day dominated all travel in and between the major cities of Eurasia.
The Apostles might have sailed back to Antioch from the Roman-occupied towered town and port of Troas. Yet by the command of the Spirit they took the commercial ferry routes toward Philippi near the north-western shore of the Aegean – a leading Greek city in Europe.
A vision in Troas
ACTS 16:9
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying,
“Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
What will Silas and Timothy think of this sudden change of tickets for an entirely different journey ahead?
And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Sailing from Troas to Neapolis
11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace,
and the following day to Neapolis,
You'll have difficulty finding 'Nea polis' on a map because it's Greek for "new city." Even on Cypress Paul had been to Nea Paphos, built after an earthquake had destroyed much of Paphos. Nowadays the city's nickname is "the cyan city" (Η γαλάζια πόλη) and the symbol of the municipality of Kavala is the head of goddess Parthenos, the patron goddess of ancient Neapolis, as depicted in the coinage of the ancient Greek city. - source: Wikipedia
12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days.
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The Second Missionary Journey of Christ’s apostles Paul, Silas and Timothy
To be continued…
in Europe.
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