9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Having completed visiting the churches on Paul’s first visit to the region, the team moves on to a new sphere of ministry beginning in Acts 16:9.
16:9
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night.
In Troas, Paul received a direct vision from God, which changed his mission plans.
A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
Paul’s vision was of a Macedonian pleading with him to come to Macedonia to “help” them. Macedonia was a Roman province consisting of the northern half of Greece.
16:10
Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Luke uses the word “we” for the first time, which includes himself as a team member on this mission. There is no indication of when Luke joined the team. The team immediately determined to go to Macedonia because they concluded that the Lord called them to preach the gospel there. Now the gospel team consisted of four members, Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke.
This section begins the first of four “we” sections in the book of Acts (Acts 16:10-17; 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1-28:16).
PRINCIPLE:
God leads in both negative and positive directions.
APPLICATION:
Paul’s team was to reach three cities in Macedonia, Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. They arrived there by divine guidance. The Holy Spirit forbade them to go to Asia and again to Bithynia. Then Paul received the vision of the Macedonian to come to his province to present the gospel. God leads in both negative and positive directions. God both closes and opens doors to the gospel.
