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Acts 16:10-17

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

10. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. 11. Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next [day] to Neapolis; 12. 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. 13. 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]. 14. 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. 15. 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. 16. 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: 17. 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.

Acts 16:10-17 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Acts 16:10

Theological / Devotional

Immediately. Because of the urgency of the call, Paul made immediate preparations to enter Macedonia. Having been previously hindered from preaching, doubtless he was more than ordinarily eager to tell others of Christ.

We. The beginning of the first “we” passage in Acts (vs. 10-17). The other passages occur in chs. 20:5 to 21:18; 27:1 to 28:16. Mostly they concern journeys, and infer that the author was Paul’s traveling companion on those occasions (see Vol. V, p. 663). When a narrative is being related in the third person, and the first person of the pronoun is suddenly introduced, the inference is plain that the author has become an actor in the events recorded. Most commentators conclude that Luke, the author of the Acts (see Introduction), joined the missionary party at Troas, rather than that he wrote artificially from the point of view of Silas or Timothy. Since Luke does not mention his own conversion, it is reasonable to suppose that it had taken place some time before this junction at Troas. Since he includes himself in the phrase “the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel,” Luke must also be counted as one of the evangelists.

Endeavoured. Rather, “sought.” The seeking would be as to ways and means of getting across the Aegean to Europe.

To go. Literally, “to go out,” or “forth,” from Asia into Macedonia, which hitherto was unknown to the missionaries. It should be realized, however, that the distinction between Asia and Europe did not exist in Paul’s day. The same Greek culture covered both areas and produced a common mold.

Assuredly gathering. Gr. sumbibazo (see on ch. 9:22). Here sumbibazd may be translated “concluding.” The evangelists used sanctified reason to help decide what was God’s will for them.

By SdaBc