God spread the gospel to Europe by using the Holy Spirit to block Paul's eastern routes and then calling him westward through the Macedonian vision.
In Acts 16, Paul passed through Phrygia and Galatia but was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach in Asia, and when he tried Bithynia the Spirit prevented him. At Troas a man of Macedonia appeared in a vision, saying, 'Come over into Macedonia, and help us,' so Paul and Luke immediately headed for Greece. Les Feldick teaches that this was God's long-planned direction: the gospel of grace was to go west to Europe, not east to the Orient.
Acts 16:6-12 — This is the passage where the Holy Spirit redirects Paul from Asia and calls him to Macedonia, carrying the gospel into Europe.
Acts 16 records the moment the gospel shifted from Asia into Europe. Paul had been traveling through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, but "were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia." When he tried to go into Bithynia, "the Spirit suffered them not." Passing by Mysia, Paul and his companions came down to Troas. There a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia prayed, saying, "Come over into Macedonia, and help us." After seeing the vision, they "immediately endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them." The account shows the gospel entering the continent of Europe through Macedonia.
Les Feldick points out that God had a plan for the gospel to move west. Up until Acts 16, the Japhethite or Caucasian peoples of Europe had been "for the most part barbarian." He describes the scene: Paul had been ministering in western Turkey, which was then Asia Minor, and intended to go back to northern Turkey and on into Asia. But once the Holy Spirit blocked those doors, Paul came to Troas and saw the Macedonian vision. Les highlights that Paul did not argue — he immediately responded. For Les, this was no accident: "God had long before ordained that this gospel of grace should not go east to the Orient, but it should go west to Europe." He encourages believers to thank God that Paul went to Europe rather than back to Asia, because Europe was our forefathers, and "it was the gospel that set everything moving in Europe" — including the Reformations, the Industrial Revolution, and all the technology that came out of Europe.
Paul had been ministering in western Turkey, which was then Asia Minor, and had gone up to Troas from the area of Derbe and Lystra. According to Acts 16, after passing through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, the Holy Spirit forbade him from preaching the word in Asia. He then intended to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit it. As Les says, passing by Mysia they came down to Troas on the seacoast. There a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia stood and prayed, "Come over into Macedonia, and help us." Paul didn't argue; he and Luke immediately endeavored to go into Macedonia.
Les emphasizes that this was not an accident. "God had long before ordained that this gospel of grace should not go east to the Orient, but it should go west to Europe." Up until this time, the Japhethite / Caucasian peoples of Europe had been "for the most part barbarian." But when the gospel went to Europe, it was going to their forefathers. Les says the gospel "set everything moving in Europe" — all the Reformations, the Industrial Revolution, and all the technology that came out of Europe.
Les explains that God began moving the gospel toward the Gentile world earlier, when He saved Saul of Tarsus, and then sped it up when He sent Peter to Cornelius. After Saul returned from his three years of learning the revelations of the mysteries, Jewish believers in Antioch were no longer preaching only to Jews — they began speaking to Greeks and preaching the Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed. This was the movement that prepared the way for Paul's call to Macedonia.
Europeans Before the Gospel
Les explains that the Japhethite/Caucasian peoples of Europe were 'for the most part barbarian' before the gospel went west, which highlights the significance of Paul's turn to Macedonia.
Gospel Went West to Europe
Les says God had long before ordained the gospel should go west to Europe, not east to the Orient; that gospel 'set everything moving in Europe,' including the Reformations and the Industrial Revolution.
The Macedonian Vision
Les walks through Acts 16, showing how the Holy Spirit forbade Paul from Asia, led him to Troas, and gave him the vision of the man of Macedonia — and Paul went immediately.
Why Paul Is THE Apostle to the Gentiles — Romans 1 Explained
All right, reading on. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. First I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. Now remember at the time that Paul was writing, the Roman Empire was pretty much the then known world.
Why Paul Is THE Apostle to the Gentiles — Romans 1 Explained
These Roman GIs would go from Paul's place of duty in their Army duty, maybe to the palace of the Emperor. Maybe they went to India. Maybe they went to Spain. But wherever these men who had been the prisoner keepers of Rome, would get the Gospel from Paul and take it to the ends of the earth.
First European Soil
Les maps the route from Troas into Macedonia — Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth — emphasizing that this was the continent of Europe, the land we now call Greece.
Paul's Intended Detour Blocked
Les explains Paul had intended to go back north and east through Bithynia and Asia, but the Holy Spirit shut those doors, leading him to Troas.
Gospel Moving Toward Gentiles
Les shows the earlier momentum God had already started — saving Saul, sending Peter to Cornelius, and having Jewish believers in Antioch speak to Greeks — which set the stage for the gospel to reach the Gentile world.
Acts 16:6: Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
This shows the Holy Spirit closing the door to Asia, pushing Paul west toward Europe.
Acts 16:7: After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
Confirms another eastern route was shut, leaving only the western path to Macedonia.
Acts 16:9: And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
The Macedonian vision gave Paul the explicit call to bring the gospel to Europe.
Acts 16:10: 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.
Paul and Luke's immediate response carried the gospel across the Aegean to the European continent.
Acts 11:21: And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.
Les cites this as part of the earlier Gentile movement that prepared the way for the gospel to reach Europe.
No. Acts 16 says the Holy Spirit forbade him from preaching in Asia and prevented him from entering Bithynia. Then a vision of a man of Macedonia appeared to Paul in the night. Les says Paul didn't argue, but immediately the group prepared to go to Macedonia.
Les Feldick says God had long before ordained that the gospel of grace should not go east to the Orient, but west to Europe. When it reached Europe, the gospel set everything moving — the Reformations and all the technology of the Industrial Revolution came out of Europe.
Les notes that up until the gospel went west, the Caucasian peoples — the descendants of Japheth — were for the most part barbarian. But once the gospel entered Europe, those same people became the forefathers of the nations that carried the gospel and its influence forward.
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