Acts 16:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Then the writer, as one narrating history, speaks of the places and shows where Paul stopped, namely in the great cities, while he passed through the others.

By an inner voice, or in a vision, the command of the Spirit of God was announced to him, restraining him from this direction.

With his companions he attempted to go through Mysia into Bithynia, but on this road also they were stopped.

All their steps, so to speak, were numbered by their almighty Guide. Everywhere they were to be at their proper time.

These nearer provinces, which offered more conveniences for preaching, he had to leave to others. In some of them he would labor only later.

Now the path left to him was through Mysia to Troas, and then across the Hellespont into Europe.

Scarcely had Paul arrived in Troas with this disposition when a Macedonian appeared to him in a dream, calling him to himself on the other shore.

There also in Troas Paul found Luke, the future narrator of his deeds.

Here the vision to Paul of the Macedonian man, who begged him to come to Macedonia and help its inhabitants, called the apostle of the Gentiles to transfer his preaching into Europe.

From Troas he set out. Here the evangelist and writer of Acts, Luke, also joined the number of the Apostle Paul’s companions.

As a result, from this point onward he most often designates the company of travelers, the preachers of Christ, by the word “we.”

Paul sailed to the island of Samothrace in the Aegean Sea. From there, through Neapolis, a coastal city by the Strymonic Gulf, he came to Philippi.

Philippi was the first Macedonian city to which, following the call, the Apostle Paul came with his companions; verses 10-12.

“Setting sail from Troas.” With this begins the description of the second half of Paul’s second journey with his companions, the journey properly through Europe.

Directly and quickly, with favorable sailing, the preachers arrived at Samothrace, a well-known island in the Aegean Sea.

It lies northwest of Troas, thirty-eight Roman miles, about fifty-five to sixty versts, from the Thracian, that is, European, shore.

From there, on the next day, they arrived at Neapolis, a coastal city by the Strymonic Gulf. At that time it was reckoned to Thrace, and from the time of Vespasian to Macedonia.

Thus it was the first European city in which Paul landed with his companions. It is now Kavala.

Paul’s arrival in Europe took place through the island of Samothrace, in the Aegean Sea, and the small city of Neapolis, by the Strymonic Gulf.

At that time Neapolis was reckoned to Thrace, and later to Macedonia. It is now Kavala.

Hastening into Macedonia, the apostles arrived in one of its chief cities, Philippi, founded by Philip, the father of the famous Macedonian king Alexander.

Here there were many settlers from all parts of the Roman Empire, since it was a good colony not far from the sea, about fifteen versts away.

For this reason the writer of Acts called this city first, in the geographical sense.