Bible Study Lesson for Acts 16:6-10: Paul's Vision of the Man of Macedonia

(Note: When I taught my Bible study on the Book of Acts I used a flannel map as a visual aid. In my lecture notes you will find reference to this flannel map. The primary commentary I used was Compton's Interactive Bible, a software CD; I sometimes refer to this as my Interactive Bible CD.)

Read Acts 16:6-7. { Point out the provinces of Phrygia, Galatia, Asia, Mysia, and Bithynia on the flannel map and groups' maps. } We don't know how exactly the Holy Spirit told Paul and his group that they were not to enter these areas, but somehow they knew. In fact Paul will never go into Bithynia - that area will become other believers mission fields, though he will travel in the south eastern corner of Asia during his third missionary journey. As we saw during the beginning of Paul's first missionary journey, they often relied on the Holy Spirit's leading when making travel plans. Read Acts 13:2-4.

In verse 7 it simply says "when the came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia." From on one of my maps, it sounds like it is believed they stopped at the city of Pessinus. Other maps mark the city of Dorylaeum as the stopping point, others don't mark any city, since no city is specifically mentioned in the scriptures. Paul's exact route, therefore, is unknown.

Read Acts 16:8. { Point out Troas on map } My commentary provides some important information about Troas. Located ten miles from ancient Troy. Alexandria Troas (its full name) was a Roman colony and an important seaport for connections between Macedonia and Greece on the one hand and Asia Minor on the other. { Point out these places on flannel map } Paul returned to Troas following his work in Ephesus on his third journey (see 2 Corinthians 2:12). At some time--on Paul's second journey or on his third--a church was started there, for Paul ministered to believers in Troas when he returned from his third journey on his way to Jerusalem. As we will see in chapter 20, it is in Troas, during this later journey, that Paul will raise a young man from the dead. Read Acts 20:5-12.

Read Acts 16:9-10. One of the ways that God speaks to people is through dreams and visions. I have a contemporary example from "Like a Mighty Wind" that I can share. { Read "Like a Mighty Wind" pg. 146 }

Here Paul sees a man of Macedonia begging him to come and help them. Macedonia became a Roman province around 148 BC. Something about the man's dress or speech, in the vision, would have told Paul that the man was from Macedonia. Notice here we have a change in pronouns. Luke changes from using "they" to "we." It is at this point, in Troas, that Luke joins Paul, Silas, and Timothy in their travels. { Put flannel symbol of man of Macedonia on map }

To be continued...

Sources
Editors. Compton's Interactive Bible (software)
Philip Yancey and Tim Stafford (notes). The Student Bible. NIV Version
Tari, Mel. Like a Mighty Wind