Conviction of guidance

“When he had seen the vision, we immediately sought to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (1) Let’s pay attention to the word “we.” From this point on, the narrative shifts to the first-person plural, indicating that Luke had joined the missionary team. However, Luke does not provide any details about how he joined. This likely reflects Luke’s humble and reserved nature. (2) The so-called “we passages” appear in Acts 16:10-17, 20:5-15, 21:1-18, and 27:1-28:16. In these sections, Luke records the events from an eyewitness perspective. (3) Although Paul was the one who saw the vision, the entire missionary team was convinced that it was God’s guidance. This is an important principle to apply when discerning God’s direction. (4) They immediately set out for Macedonia. This decision is remarkable in the history of the church. By crossing the Aegean Sea and entering Macedonia, the gospel began its westward spread to the entire world.

The principle of God’s guidance seen in Acts

The principles of God’s guidance found in the Acts of the Apostles are as follows: (1) Guidance through Old Testament scriptures. For example, in the selection of a new apostle, Psalms (Psalm 69:25 and 109:8) was used (Acts 1:20). (2) Guidance through visions. Four individuals were guided by visions: (a) Ananias (Acts 9:10-16), (b) Cornelius (Acts 10:3), (c) Peter (Acts 10:10–11), (d) Paul (Acts 16:9-10 and 18:9). Paul had two visions: one of the Macedonian man and another in Corinth. (3) Guidance through prophets. This includes the prophecy of famine by Agabus (Acts 11:27-30) and the prophecy of Paul’s arrest (Acts 21:10-12). (4) Guidance through circumstances. Examples include: (a) the dispersion of believers due to persecution, (b) expulsion or imprisonment by political authorities, (c) shipwrecks caused by storms and the subsequent events. (5) Guidance through the advice of other believers. Examples include: (a) the sending of Barnabas and Paul to the Jerusalem church, (b) The sending of Judas and Silas to the Antioch church, (c) The inclusion of Timothy in the missionary team. (6) Guidance through direct communication from God. This is often an internal, subjective method. The guidance seen in Acts 16:6-8 (leading to Troas) is likely an example of direct communication from God. As an application for us, the following four methods of guidance can be considered: (a) Scripture, (b) circumstances, (c) advice from other believers, (d) inner conviction (peace). Rather than focusing on one specific method of guidance, we should remain open to multiple ways that God may lead us.