Acts 16:6-15
Lesson 257
Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."
In this lesson:
"Help us."
Lydia, the hostess.
By French artist Constant-Joseph Brochart (1816-1889)
By French artist Constant-Joseph Brochart (1816-1889)
Where was -
Phrygia -
Phrygia was a land-locked Roman province in present-day west-central Turkey. It was an agricultural area known for its fertile soil and cattle breeding. Paul traveled through Phrygia twice on his missionary journeys. The important cities of Antioch, Colosse, Hierapolis, Iconium, and Laodicea were in Phrygia.
Galatia -
Galatia was a Roman province located in central Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Populated mostly by displaced Gauls (from modern-day France) and Greeks, it was incorporated into the Roman empire after the death of their king in 25 BC. The Galatia Gauls were descendants of the ancient Gauls who were forced to immigrate to Asia Minor. When Paul arrived in Galatia to introduce Christianity on his second missionary tour (Acts 16:6), he found the people worshipping idols and various pagan gods. After Paul left Galatia, the Judaizers went to work on the new Christian converts and falsely taught them that they had to convert to Judaism and follow the old Mosaic Law to be saved. Paul responded to this dangerous doctrine in this epistle (letter) to the Galatians. "The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians" addressed the freedom found in Christ and the way to salvation, faith in Christ. Paul returned on his third missionary journey to tend to and strengthen "the disciples" (Acts 18:23).
Mysia -
Mysia is a Roman province in the northwest corner of modern-day Turkey, near Bulgaria. Troas, a vital seaport, was located in Mysia.
Bithynia -
Bithynia is a heavily forested mountain region with fertile land located in Asia Minor northeast of Mysia and south of the Black Sea. It became a Roman province in 75 BC. Although Paul never preached in Bithynia (16:7), by AD 107, Christians were so numerous the Roman proconsul sought Rome's advice on what to do with them all.
Troas -
Troas was a seaport and Roman outpost located on the Aegean Sea north of Ephesus and east of Macedonia in the Mysia province (northwestern part of modern-day Turkey). Originally called Dardania, Troas was renamed after the ancient city of Troy, which once stood four miles north. In this passage, Paul was in Troas when he had a vision of the "man of Macedonia" pleading for spiritual help (16:9-10). Besides this brief stop, Paul visited Troas several other times (Acts 20:5; 2 Corinthians 2:12). Perhaps out of forgetfulness, Paul once left his coat, books, and important parchments behind in Troas (2 Timothy 4:13).
Macedonia -
Another Roman province located in modern-day northern Greece on the Aegean Sea north of Achaia. It became part of the Roman empire in 168 BC. This important province included the cities of Amphipolis, Apollonia, Neapolis, Thessalonica, Berea, Illyricum, Epirus, Philippi, and Ephesus. Mount Olympus is also in Macedonia. Paul visited Macedonia twice, here during his second missionary journey and again in Acts 20:1-6. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians near the end of his three-year stay in Ephesus, Macedonia.
Samothracia -
An eight-mile long and six-mile wide island located in the Aegean Sea midway between Troas and Neapolis. Paul and Silas stopped here overnight on their sail to Macedonia. Today's population is 3,100 people.
Neapolis -
A Macedonian Seaport located in northern Greece ten miles south-west of Philippi. Neapolis was a two or three-day sail across the Aegean Sea from Troas. It was the first European city Paul visited. Today, the city is called Kavalla. Its ancient ruins, including an aqueduct, can still be seen.
Philippi -
Philippi was located in north-eastern Greece, ten miles from the Aegean Sea and the modern port city of Kavalla (ancient Neapolis). It was the "chief city of that part of Macedonia" (16:12). Known for its gold mines, Phillippi was the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia. Because Philippi was conveniently located on the Roman highway, the "Egnatian Way," it became a bustling trade and political center. The "Egnatian Way" connected Philippi and Neapolis and carried people, trade goods, and the Gospel from east to west. Without busy cities like Philippi, the Gospel would have taken longer to spread. The city was initially named Crenides (Little Fountains), after Alexander the Great's father. But King Phillip II (356-336 BC) captured the city from ancient Thrace and renamed it in honor of himself. Philippi was also the scene of the well-known 42 BC battle in which Mark Antony defeated Marcus Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus. By Paul's day, Philippi was a Roman colony (16:12) governed by a panel of military officers, called duumviri, and had a large population of retired Roman soldiers. As a colony, Philippi's citizens enjoyed the same rights and privileges as Roman citizens. Despite being treated "shamefully" (1 Thessalonians 2:2), Paul founded the church in Philippi about AD 51 on his Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16:11-40) and addressed "The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Philippians" to its church. The church in Philippi was the first one established in Europe. The population of Philippi today is less than one thousand people.
Thyatira -
An important city in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Thyatira sat on the Lycus River and had a large, primarily Greek population. With its manufacturing and numerous trade guilds (unions), Thyatira would be considered a blue-collar town today. Its most profitable products were dyes (made from local roots), linens, and pottery. We see in Acts 16:14 that Lydia, a Christian businesswoman was from Thyatira. To every Christian tradesman's horror, many of the worker's guilds in Thyatira worshipped their own patron god. The church in Thyatira was long on faith, Christian service, and patience (Revelation 2:19) but had trouble resisting false prophets, pagan rituals, and immorality (Revelation 2:20). The Bible only mentions Thyatira in Acts 16:14 and Revelation 1:11, 2:18, and 2:24.
Phrygia -
Phrygia was a land-locked Roman province in present-day west-central Turkey. It was an agricultural area known for its fertile soil and cattle breeding. Paul traveled through Phrygia twice on his missionary journeys. The important cities of Antioch, Colosse, Hierapolis, Iconium, and Laodicea were in Phrygia.
Galatia -
Galatia was a Roman province located in central Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Populated mostly by displaced Gauls (from modern-day France) and Greeks, it was incorporated into the Roman empire after the death of their king in 25 BC. The Galatia Gauls were descendants of the ancient Gauls who were forced to immigrate to Asia Minor. When Paul arrived in Galatia to introduce Christianity on his second missionary tour (Acts 16:6), he found the people worshipping idols and various pagan gods. After Paul left Galatia, the Judaizers went to work on the new Christian converts and falsely taught them that they had to convert to Judaism and follow the old Mosaic Law to be saved. Paul responded to this dangerous doctrine in this epistle (letter) to the Galatians. "The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians" addressed the freedom found in Christ and the way to salvation, faith in Christ. Paul returned on his third missionary journey to tend to and strengthen "the disciples" (Acts 18:23).
Mysia -
Mysia is a Roman province in the northwest corner of modern-day Turkey, near Bulgaria. Troas, a vital seaport, was located in Mysia.
Bithynia -
Bithynia is a heavily forested mountain region with fertile land located in Asia Minor northeast of Mysia and south of the Black Sea. It became a Roman province in 75 BC. Although Paul never preached in Bithynia (16:7), by AD 107, Christians were so numerous the Roman proconsul sought Rome's advice on what to do with them all.
Troas -
Troas was a seaport and Roman outpost located on the Aegean Sea north of Ephesus and east of Macedonia in the Mysia province (northwestern part of modern-day Turkey). Originally called Dardania, Troas was renamed after the ancient city of Troy, which once stood four miles north. In this passage, Paul was in Troas when he had a vision of the "man of Macedonia" pleading for spiritual help (16:9-10). Besides this brief stop, Paul visited Troas several other times (Acts 20:5; 2 Corinthians 2:12). Perhaps out of forgetfulness, Paul once left his coat, books, and important parchments behind in Troas (2 Timothy 4:13).
Macedonia -
Another Roman province located in modern-day northern Greece on the Aegean Sea north of Achaia. It became part of the Roman empire in 168 BC. This important province included the cities of Amphipolis, Apollonia, Neapolis, Thessalonica, Berea, Illyricum, Epirus, Philippi, and Ephesus. Mount Olympus is also in Macedonia. Paul visited Macedonia twice, here during his second missionary journey and again in Acts 20:1-6. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians near the end of his three-year stay in Ephesus, Macedonia.
Samothracia -
An eight-mile long and six-mile wide island located in the Aegean Sea midway between Troas and Neapolis. Paul and Silas stopped here overnight on their sail to Macedonia. Today's population is 3,100 people.
Neapolis -
A Macedonian Seaport located in northern Greece ten miles south-west of Philippi. Neapolis was a two or three-day sail across the Aegean Sea from Troas. It was the first European city Paul visited. Today, the city is called Kavalla. Its ancient ruins, including an aqueduct, can still be seen.
Philippi -
Philippi was located in north-eastern Greece, ten miles from the Aegean Sea and the modern port city of Kavalla (ancient Neapolis). It was the "chief city of that part of Macedonia" (16:12). Known for its gold mines, Phillippi was the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia. Because Philippi was conveniently located on the Roman highway, the "Egnatian Way," it became a bustling trade and political center. The "Egnatian Way" connected Philippi and Neapolis and carried people, trade goods, and the Gospel from east to west. Without busy cities like Philippi, the Gospel would have taken longer to spread. The city was initially named Crenides (Little Fountains), after Alexander the Great's father. But King Phillip II (356-336 BC) captured the city from ancient Thrace and renamed it in honor of himself. Philippi was also the scene of the well-known 42 BC battle in which Mark Antony defeated Marcus Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus. By Paul's day, Philippi was a Roman colony (16:12) governed by a panel of military officers, called duumviri, and had a large population of retired Roman soldiers. As a colony, Philippi's citizens enjoyed the same rights and privileges as Roman citizens. Despite being treated "shamefully" (1 Thessalonians 2:2), Paul founded the church in Philippi about AD 51 on his Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16:11-40) and addressed "The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Philippians" to its church. The church in Philippi was the first one established in Europe. The population of Philippi today is less than one thousand people.
Thyatira -
An important city in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Thyatira sat on the Lycus River and had a large, primarily Greek population. With its manufacturing and numerous trade guilds (unions), Thyatira would be considered a blue-collar town today. Its most profitable products were dyes (made from local roots), linens, and pottery. We see in Acts 16:14 that Lydia, a Christian businesswoman was from Thyatira. To every Christian tradesman's horror, many of the worker's guilds in Thyatira worshipped their own patron god. The church in Thyatira was long on faith, Christian service, and patience (Revelation 2:19) but had trouble resisting false prophets, pagan rituals, and immorality (Revelation 2:20). The Bible only mentions Thyatira in Acts 16:14 and Revelation 1:11, 2:18, and 2:24.
Study Tip:
To get more out of your studies, use the five w's approach employed by investigative journalists.
Ask yourself who, what, when, where, and why as you read each passage.
To get more out of your studies, use the five w's approach employed by investigative journalists.
Ask yourself who, what, when, where, and why as you read each passage.
