Redirected by the Spirit: A Biblical Theology of Mission from Acts 16:6–10

Abstract

This article offers a narrative-theological reading of Acts 16:6–10, arguing that Luke integrates negative and positive guidance—spiritual prohibitions (16:6–7) and a nocturnal vision (16:9)—with communal discernment (16:10) to redirect Paul's second missionary journey into Macedonia. Thus, the opening of the first “we” passage draws readers into a critical moment of missional discernment while validating the new evangelistic frontier. Drawing on a close reading of the Macedonian Call pericope, the essay proposes criteria for contemporary missional discernment, including attentiveness to providential constraints, communal interpretation of revelatory experiences, and readiness to carry the gospel into new theaters. The conclusion sketches several implications for contemporary mission praxis.