There is also a visit to Troas on the return to Jerusalem recorded in Acts 20: 5, 6.

Having heard the account of Paul's vision, we read that they "gathered assuredly" that

the Lord had called them to preach the gospel in Macedonia. Sumbibazo, "to gather

assuredly", is an interesting word, made up of sum "with", and baino "to go"--the idea

being that these men of God "put two and two together", and made the vision "walk

with" its interpretation. The word is used of the Apostle himself in Acts 9: 22, where,

after his conversion, he was able, with the knowledge he already possessed of O.T.

prophecy, to "prove" that the "Jesus" he had formerly persecuted was "the very Christ".

He was enabled so to marshal his O.T. prophecies and made them "walk together" with

the actual facts of the life of Jesus of Nazareth that many were convinced. There are

three occurrences of the word in the epistles (Eph. 4: 16, Col. ii 2 and 19), in which

the Apostle uses it with reference to the members of the body being "compacted" or

"knit-together", but the same underlying thought of "going together" is evident upon

examination. Here, therefore, as earlier, the Apostle and his companions exercised the

"sound mind" that had been given them, and we can well imagine the surprise with which

they would have listened to the idea sometimes put forward that "faith" and "reason"

should be kept apart.

Hesitation and uncertainly now give place to directness and activity. "Immediately we

endeavoured to go into Macedonia", says Luke; and this endeavour being successful,

they loosed from Troas, and coming by a straight course to Samothracia, arrived on the

next day at Neapolis (Acts 16: 11). The "straight course" here must not be regarded as

obvious and inevitable, for we learn from Acts 20: 6 that the return journey from

Philippi to Troas occupied five days.  The word translated "a straight course" is

euthudromeo, which, according to Conybeare and Howson, is a technical expression

meaning "to sail before the wind". The passage between Tenedos and Lemnos was not

without some risk, owing to the proximity of very dangerous shoals (Purdy's Sailing

Dictionary), and the hand of the Lord can be seen in giving a favourable passage.

At Neapolis, the Apostle set foot for the first time on European soil. This town is the

modern Kavala, and served as a port for Philippi. As a port it left much to be desired, but

as the great Via Egnatia (the military road through Macedonia) began here, it was the

invariable landing-place for travelers crossing from the shores of Asia Minor.

The next section of the Acts opens with the words:

We have heard the cry of the man of Macedonia, and we have seen the response to it.

Everything is now ready for the first great proclamation of the gospel in Europe. An

examination of this epoch-making visit must occupy our attention in the next article.