Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 16:6

"And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden of the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;" — Acts 16:6 (ASV)

The missionary journeys of Paul reveal an extraordinary combination of strategic planning and sensitivity to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in working out the details of the main goals. This is especially noticeable here. Having revisited the churches at Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch, Paul evidently expected to follow the Via Sebaste westward to the important coastal city and capital of the Roman province of Asia, Ephesus. But he was “kept by the Holy Spirit” from entering Asia and so continued to travel throughout “the region of Phrygia and Galatia.” There is some uncertainty as to what Luke meant by this region. Some think that Paul journeyed into northern Galatia, but there is no linguistic support here for a so-called North Galatian theory. Rather, the juxtaposition of “Phrygia” and “Galatia” must be understood either (1) politically, meaning not the entire province of Galatia but only its Phrygic region, or, possibly, (2) ethnologically and popularly, meaning a district adjoining the region of Phrygia in the southern portion of the Roman province of Galatia where both Phrygian and Celtic dialects could be heard. The heightening of terminology in vv.6–10 from “the Holy Spirit” to “the Spirit of Jesus” to “God” is not just stylistic but an unconscious expression of the early church’s embryonic trinitarian faith. All three terms refer to God by his Spirit giving direction to the mission. But just how the Holy Spirit revealed his will we are not told. Perhaps in one or more instances Silas had a part, for he was a prophet (15:32).