PAUL THE APOSTLE ( Part 21) | THE SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY | LESSON FROM TROAS ( PART 1 )

Pastor Christopher Choo

Lesson 3120

PAUL THE APOSTLE ( Part 21)

THE SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY
LESSON FROM TROAS ( PART 1 )

The Holy Spirit was actively involved in guiding Paul and his group of travelling companions:

1. They travelled throughout Phrygia having been “kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia“ (Acts 16:6 )

2. When they tried to enter Bithynia the Spirit of Jesus “would not allow them to.” (verses 6-7, NIV)

3. Paul travels west to the coast of the Aegean Sea and the busy port city of TROAS.  After so many refusals Paul finally receives a “yes” from the Holy Spirit in the form of a vision during the night.

In the vision, a man from Macedonia stands before Paul begging him to come to Macedonia and help.  The next morning Paul concludes that God had called them to preach the Gospel in Macedonia.

N.B. TROAS is also known as ALEXANDRIA TROAS. It was founded by Antigonus, one of Alexander the Great’s commanders, in 310BC. TROAS became a Roman ‘Colonia’ – a colony populated by veteran soldiers and their families – during the reign of Emperor Augustus. It would have been a place of fascination and mystery to an educated Greek-speaking man such as Paul, as it was close to the site of the fabled ancient city of Ilium (Troy).

Abba Father, Paul is a great example of someone who submitted his life to Your will.  It was, after all, Your mission and not his.

Paul’s group now includes Paul, Silas, and Timothy.  

Upon leaving TROAS the author of the Book of Acts, Luke, begins to use the pronoun “we” instead of “them” (verse 10).  For this reason, we can assume Luke has now joined Paul’s travel group at TROAS.