Acts 20: Eutychus Raised at Troas
1 After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself, embraced them, and departed to go to Macedonia. 2 Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to Greece 3 and stayed three months. And when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia—also Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. 5 These men, going ahead, waited for us at Troas. 6 But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
"All events divinely dispensed for the confirmation of the young Church at Troas." (Whedon's Commentary) After the uproar instigated by Demetrius- the silversmith, Paul called the disciples to himself and embraced them or lifted them up spiritually. The event "apparently induced Paul to leave Ephesus sooner than he had intended. He had written to the Corinthians that he should leave that place after Pentecost, 1 Cor 16:8;...” (Clarke)-- spring of the next year, but he headed out before even winter of this year.
He embraced disciples wherever he went. "Tumults or opposition may constrain a Christian to remove from his station or alter his purpose, but his work and his pleasure will be the same, wherever he goes." (Henry)
Then he came to Greece where he stayed for three months. “Many conservative Bible scholars believe that this three-month stay in Greece was the winter season (Dec-Jan-Feb) when much shipping in the Mediterranean comes to a halt because of the hazards on the sea. When the winter had passed, he determined to make his way to Jerusalem with the contribution of the saints. However, because of threats upon his life, Paul did not sail from the port of Cenchrea a short distance from the city of Corinth. Rather, he chose the unlikely route of returning through Macedonia in order to minister to the saints in Philippi, Troas and Ephesus.” (Gary H. Everett)
He stopped at Philippi to keep the Days of Unleavened Bread, "the seven days of the Passover, in which they ate unleavened bread" (Adam Clarke) "The Passover rite took place the 14th [of Nisan] evening (Lv 23:5), and this was followed by a seven-day period during which nothing leavened was to be eaten." (Tyndale) It is a time of soul searching in which believers focus on ridding themselves of sin to keep the Passover in truth.
But WE sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread… “It is evident, from the manner in which St. Luke writes here, that he had not been with St. Paul since the time he accompanied him to Philippi, Acts 16:10-12; but he now embarks at Philippi with the apostle, and accompanies him to Troas, and continues with him through the rest of his journey.” (Adam Clarke) Perhaps the Spirit lead Dr. Luke to join Paul to witness and testify about what was about to happen at Troas.
And after a five day journey on the sea, they joined the rest of the party at Troas. "Luke's journey to Troas took five days, a slow trip compared to that from Troas to Philippi some time earlier (Acts 16:11-12)," (L. M. Grant) The divine appointment was for a certain time period; so, the winds and waves on the sea, at the command of the Master, caused them to sail longer.
7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together. 9 And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. 10 But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, “Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.” 11 Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed. 12 And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.
Paul observed the Sabbath, as always, and then on the first day the week, he desired to fellowship with the Christians gathered in Troas. They broke bread together. He was going to leave the next day and had many things to say to them. And he continued speaking until midnight. Many carnal men make this into a lesson against long sermons. "Speech— rather, converse; implying an interchange of discourse." (Whedon's Commentary) This was Christian fellowship and the events unfolding were of God.
Luke, who was an eyewitness, said that there were many "lights"- lampas- oil burning vessels where they met in a room that was on the third floor "to prevent any possible scandal." (John Wesley)
And the window was "doubtless kept open, to prevent heat, both from the lamps and the number of people." (John Wesley) And nothing to hide!
And perhaps, for His glory, the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon Eutychus, causing him to fall from the upper window. They rushed down, but alas the lad was dead. And Paul - "fell on him" - "Επεπεσεν αυτῳ, stretched himself upon him, in the same manner as Elisha did on the Shunammite's son, 2 Kings 4:33-35." (Adam Clarke) And embracing him... “Ormmig: from 4862 and a compound of 4012 and 2983; to take [up] by enclosing altogether" (Strong’s)— perhaps, raising him up from the dead. And said, “Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.”
"It was not until after Paul’s miraculous embrace that it became true that his life was in him." (Whedon's Commentary)
"He is alive again." (John Wesley) Yet, many commentators doubt the fact that Eutychus died. The language is questionable indeed, but the following observations are quite in order. "A DOCTOR TESTIFIED- Luke, a physician (Col. 4:14) on the scene, unequivocally says that Eutychus was ‘dead’ (v. 9). Was he not, as an eye-witness, in a better position to judge the matter than a modern commentator, some nineteen centuries removed from the event? DON'T ADD WORDS TO THE TEXT— When Paul addressed the situation, he simply said: ‘His life is in him.’ He did not say: ‘His life is still in him,’ or ‘His life is yet in him.’ To add those words to the sacred text manifests a tampering with the word of God. ALIVE AGAIN— Luke later comments that Eutychus was brought ‘alive’ (Acts 20:12). One usage of this term is to describe ‘dead persons who return to life, become alive again’ (Arndt, p. 336; cf. Mt. 9:18; Mk. 16:11; Acts 9:41,etc.). If the lad had merely been injured, why stress that he was ‘brought alive’? To merely mention that the youth was brought again to the assembly would have been entirely sufficient. Weren’t they all alive who returned to the upper room? What was special about this youth? He had been dead! LUKE KNEW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEAD AND SUPPOSEDLY DEAD— When Paul was stoned at Lystra on his first missionary journey, Luke records that the apostle was dragged out of the city. He adds that the Jews were ‘supposing that he was dead’ (Acts 14:19). Here’s the point. Had Luke wanted to present the idea that the saints in Troas merely ‘supposed’ that Eutychus was dead, when in fact he was only injured, he certainly was capable of expressing that concept, as he did in chapter 14. But that is not what he wrote in chapter 20.” (Jackson, Wayne. "The Case of Eutychus.”)
Quickened by the miracle, Paul went back up to the upper room and continued the fellowship with them until daybreak, but then he left. After his departure, "they brought in the young man alive", "not carried the young man out. He was not at all enfeebled by his fall.— ζῶντα, alive) Not even by the accident did they receive any damage from Paul: 2 Cor 7:9." (Johann Albrecht Bengal's Gnomon) And they were not a little comforted.
Acts 20: Paul’s Burden for the Church in Ephesus Surrounded by Wolves
13 Then we went ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, there intending to take Paul on board; for so he had given orders, intending himself to go on foot. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. 15 We sailed from there, and the next day came opposite Chios. The following day we arrived at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium. The next day we came to Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost. 17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.
The company then took ship to sail to Assos, but Paul chose to make the journey of over twenty miles on foot. We do not know his motive but: "the passage by sea to this place was much longer than by land." (Clarke) So he might have just wanted to be alone like Elijah and others. Or like Jesus, “St. Paul might desire to go alone thus on foot, that he might enjoy more free and full communion with God…” (Poole) “What thoughts must have passed through his mind! What burdens must have been upon his heart! what anxieties…” (Gaebelein) He had just been instrumental in raising a young man from the dead, but I feel that it becomes evident that his brethren in Ephesus were heavy on his heart. And I believe that on the trip by foot, he turned this burden for the Church in Ephesus over to the Lord and resolved only to speak to the elders of the Church one more time.
Remember that Paul had been refrained from participating in the religious dialogue with the worshippers of Diana. (Acts 19:30) Enmity had been incited by Demetrius, the silversmith. And it was primarily directed at him. So, his presence would not help and would likely hurt the situation.
And Paul knew that resolution would take more time than he had for he had vowed to go to Jerusalem and then Rome to suffer… if needful, die for Jesus’ sake. He was “hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost.” He could not affect the situation in Ephesus but if he “could get to Jerusalem by Pentecost he could present the gifts from the Gentile churches in the presence of the great crowd of foreign Jews who would assemble in Jerusalem and thus spread abroad in all lands the great fact that the Gentile Christians were one with their Jewish brethren; this would impress them that the disciples of the Lord were one body.” (Boles) Moreover, at Jerusalem he would “have the opportunity of preaching the kingdom of God to multitudes of Jews from different places, who would come up to Jerusalem at that feast (Acts 2:1); and then he no doubt expected to see there a renewal of that day of Pentecost in which the Spirit was poured out on the disciples, and in consequence of which so many were converted to God.” (Clarke) So, it could result in the salvation of more of his Jewish brethren. And then, “St. Paul was contemplating a journey from Syria to Rome after his visit, and that would hardly have been feasible had he waited for [another Jewish ingathering--] the Feast of the Tabernacles” (Ellicott’s Commentary) Winter would set in along the way.
So, “Paul sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church. The remaining part of this chapter contains his great farewell address to the Ephesian elders and through them to the church located there… He speaks of himself, his own integrity and recalls to them his ministry. He declares his own coming sufferings and his determination not to count his life dear, but to finish his course with joy. He warns the church concerning the future apostasy and the appearance in their midst of false teachers." (Arno Gaebelein)
18 And when they had come to him, he said to them:
“You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, 19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; 20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. 24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
25 “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
32 “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. 35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, 38 sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.