Acts 16:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Where persuasion was easy, He appears in a more human manner. Where it was more difficult, He appears in a more divine manner.

Thus, when he was merely being drawn to preach, for this a dream was given him. But when he had to be restrained from preaching, the Holy Spirit reveals it.

So it was also with Peter, when the Spirit said to him, “Rise, go down”; Acts 10:20.

The Spirit did not perform the easier matters, for a dream was sufficient for this. So also with Joseph: when he was easy to persuade, there was a dream; to others, a vision; Mt 2:13.

So also with Cornelius and with Paul himself.

And behold, says the writer, “a certain man, a Macedonian, stood and begged him, saying.” He did not say, “commanding,” but “begging,” concerning those who needed healing.

It was the image of a Macedonian man in the vision. Perhaps it was the angel of the Macedonian people in the image of a Macedonian man; Dan 10:13; Dan 10:20; Dan 12:1.

Paul knew that the one who appeared to him was a Macedonian from his own words: “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

Perhaps Paul was also not unfamiliar with the national costume of the Macedonians, in which the Macedonian of course appeared before him.

Although the apostle had not yet been in Macedonia, Tarsus, Paul’s birthplace, was a large trading city where different nationalities met. Macedonian merchants could have been there.

Macedonia was at that time a region of the Greco-Roman Empire, adjoining from the northwest the sea then called the Aegean, now the Archipelago.

“Help us.” The Macedonian does not state in what he asks help for this people, whose representative he is.

But the apostles understood this as a request for the proclamation of the Gospel in Macedonia.

Humanity without Christ is doomed to perdition, and in this respect is in a helpless state.

To preach Christ to a humanity or people that does not know Christ means to help it be delivered from perdition and enter the Kingdom of Christ.

Macedonia, as part of Greece, was distinguished by culture. In particular, the search for the true God was as strong there as throughout Greece.

There was the same powerlessness both to know God and to serve Him in truth. Therefore the help of the preachers of the true faith was urgent there.

It is therefore no wonder that not only Paul, but all who were with him, unanimously resolved to depart for Macedonia. Even the writer of Acts himself, who until now had modestly given no sign of himself, says: "we resolved to depart for Macedonia."

Bishop Michael, however, supposes that the writer of Acts probably joined the companions of the Apostle Paul precisely there, in Troas.

Saint John Chrysostom, noting the special character of the revelation, says: "Where persuasion was easy, God appears in a more human manner. Where there was greater difficulty, He appears in a more divine manner.

"Thus, when Paul needed to preach, a dream was given to him for this. But when he needed to be restrained from preaching, the Holy Spirit revealed this.

"So it was with Peter, when the Spirit said to him: 'Rise and go' (Acts 10:20). For the Spirit did not perform easy things, but a dream was sufficient for this.

"So also with Joseph, when it was easy to persuade him, there was a dream. But for others there was a vision (see Mt 2:13). So also with Cornelius and with Paul himself."

The Holy Spirit now led the apostles into Europe. They did not yet know exactly where they would have to sow the word of the Gospel.

They only surmised that, in the near future, an entirely different sphere would open for their activity. Therefore they went directly westward toward the maritime harbor of Troas.

They finally arrived there, proceeding along the border between Mysia and Lydia. The city of Troas was rich and flourishing.

Traces of its prosperity remain to this day. There one can see remains of the harbor, ruins of temples and theaters, and an aqueduct from Mount Ida, rich in springs according to Homer.

Entering Troas and seeing the sea before him, Saint Paul could foresee that he would soon have to sail upon its waves. But where? This remained unknown.

And then, one night soon after Paul's arrival in Troas, a vision appeared to him. A Macedonian man stood before him and said: "Come over to Macedonia and help us."

Although this vision occurred at night, Saint Paul did not receive it in sleep. In all probability, he was counted worthy of the vision during prayer, while asking that his further path be directed.

On the basis of the book of the Prophet Daniel, one may think that the Angel of Macedonia, zealous for the good of the people under his protection, asked God to send Paul to him.

And the prayer of the Angel was heard. "By the action of His almighty power, God brought Saint Paul into a special ecstatic state.

"In such a state a man becomes capable of perceiving manifestations of the higher spiritual world. The apostle understood the desire of the Angel, which in this case expressed the will of God."