Phrygia, Bithynia, Mysia

Phrygia, Bithynia and Mysia

Acts 16:6-10 Phrygia, Bithynia, Mysia

Acts 16:11-15 Samothrace, Neapolis, Philippi

ACTS 16:6-8 6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. 7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. 8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

Where are "Phrygia," "Galatia" (Acts 16:6), "Mysia," and "Bithynia" (Acts 16:7)?
Phrygia and Galatia were landlocked Roman provinces in the interior of present day Turkey. Phrygia lay west of Galatia. Bithynia was the Roman province north of Phrygia and on the Black Sea in what is northern Turkey today. Mysia was the coastal Roman province that lay west of Bithynia and northwest of Phrygia. Paul and Silas had in effect traversed the present day Turkey from its southeast corner to its northwest corner.

From Mysia, in which direction did they try to go?
East "into Bithynia" (Acts 16:7)

Who stopped them?
The "Holy Spirit" (Acts 16:6)

What else did the Holy Spirit stop them from doing?
"Preaching the word in Asia" (Acts 16:6), and "Asia" in this context refers to the western one-third of what is Turkey today (see Asia), including the Roman provinces of Phrygia and Mysia. So the Holy Spirit forbade Paul, Silas and Timothy from sharing the Gospel even in the region that they were traversing.

ACTS 16:9-10 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.

Where is "Macedonia" (Acts 16:9)?
It is north of Greece in Europe, across the Aegean Sea and northwest of "Troas" (Acts 16:8), which is located on the northwest coast of what is Turkey today and where Paul and his companions had arrived.

So why did Holy Spirit forbid the Gospel being preached in Asia?
The Gospel was preached in "Asia" - i.e., western Turkey today - a few years later when Paul "came to Ephesus" (Acts 18:19) during the return leg of this missionary journey. And about a decade thereafter, it had spread to the rest of what is Turkey today, including Bithynia: "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia" (1 Peter 1:1). But before that, God intended the Gospel to move westward and first begin to be preached in Europe.

Why?
It was as per the times that God "preappointed" for them (see Lord of Heaven and Earth).

Who came to Mysia, and then "down to Troas" (Acts 16:8)?
"They" (Acts 16:8)

Who "sought to go to Macedonia" (Acts 16:9) from Troas?
"We" (Acts 16:9)

What happened?
Luke, whom God used as His writing instrument to write The Acts of the Apostles, joined Paul, Silas and Timothy at Troas.