Acts 16:6

Paul’s Vision of the Macedonian Man

16:6 They went through the region of Phrygia ¹  and Galatia, ²  having been prevented ³  by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message ⁴  in the province of Asia. ⁵ 

Acts 16:1

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16:1 He also came to Derbe ⁶  and to Lystra. ⁷  A disciple ⁸  named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, ⁹  but whose father was a Greek. ¹⁰ 

Colossians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ¹¹  an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Galatians 1:2

1:2 and all the brothers with me, to the churches of Galatia.

Galatians 4:14

4:14 and though my physical condition put you to the test, you did not despise or reject me. ¹²  Instead, you welcomed me as though I were an angel of God, ¹³  as though I were Christ Jesus himself! ¹⁴ 

[16:6]  ¹ sn Phrygia was a district in central Asia Minor west of Pisidia.

[16:6]  ² sn Galatia refers to either (1) the region of the old kingdom of Galatia in the central part of Asia Minor (North Galatia), or (2) the Roman province of Galatia, whose principal cities in the 1st century were Ancyra and Pisidian Antioch (South Galatia). The exact extent and meaning of this area has been a subject of considerable controversy in modern NT studies.

[16:6]  ³ tn Or “forbidden.”

[16:6]  ⁴ tn Or “word.”

[16:6]  ⁵ tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.

[16:1]  ⁶ sn Derbe was a city in Lycaonia about 35 mi (60 km) southeast of Lystra. It was about 90 mi (145 km) from Tarsus.

[16:1]  ⁷ sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 25 mi (40 km) south of Iconium.

[16:1]  ⁸ tn Grk “And behold, a disciple.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.

[16:1]  ⁹ tn L&N 31.103 translates this phrase “the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer.”

[16:1]  ¹⁰ sn His father was a Greek. Timothy was the offspring of a mixed marriage between a Jewish woman (see 2 Tim 1:5) and a Gentile man. On mixed marriages in Judaism, see Neh 13:23-27; Ezra 9:1-10:44; Mal 2:10-16; Jub. 30:7-17; m. Qiddushin 3.12; m. Yevamot 7.5.

[1:1]  ¹¹ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[4:14]  ¹² tn Grk “your trial in my flesh you did not despise or reject.”

[4:14]  ¹³ tn Or “the angel of God.” Linguistically, “angel of God” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of God” or “the angel of God” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.

[4:14]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “as an angel of God…as Christ Jesus.” This could be understood to mean either “you welcomed me like an angel of God would,” or “you welcomed me as though I were an angel of God.” In context only the second is accurate, so the translation has been phrased to indicate this.