THEME:
- Fortunate: In Acts 20, Luke records the story of Eutychus, the young man who falls asleep at Paul’s teaching and dies because he fell out of the window he was resting on. We can assume that Paul is preaching the gospel of Jesus to the believers in Troas, and he was most likely using personal stories of the great miracles Jesus had done on earth and through the apostles after he ascended. Eutychus nods off listening to Paul preach these great wonders, and in his sleep his weight naturally shifts him to fall out of the window he sat in and caused his death. Eutychus’ name means “Fortunate,” and fortunate he was. Because Paul then through the power of Jesus breathes life back into him. Eutychus becomes himself a miracle of Jesus’ power and mercy. Straight away afterwards, the church in Troas goes back upstairs to their meeting room and takes communion. What a beautiful symbol of the resurrection! The church is breaking bread to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the fact that the church has that same power in them, and they do it with a sign and symbol from God of that very power. God rose Eutychus from death and symbolically shows the church of Troas and us that we are all “fortunate” in Jesus Christ alone!
- In the following section of chapter 20 Paul goes to Ephesus, gathers the elders, and exhorts them one last time. These two stories seem disconnected but a further look shows the connecting theme. Paul in his exhortation to the Ephesian elders warns them to be vigilant for the coming attacks of false teaching. It is almost like Paul is telling them, don’t nod off, don’t fall asleep. Eutychus fell asleep and fell to his death, and Paul is letting the Ephesian church know that if you aren’t vigilant and awake, the false teachers will cause your death. Paul concludes his exhortation by saying, “Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Paul is letting the elders at Ephesus know that they are fortunate to be in the ownership of God. For it is only by the power of God that his church is kept safe, it is only by the Word of God, Jesus Chirst, that we have new life and resurrection power!
PEOPLE:
- Eutychus: “His name means “Fortunate,” (Acts 20:9-12), a young man of Troas who fell through drowsiness from the open window of the third floor of the house where Paul was preaching, and was "taken up dead." The lattice-work of the window being open to admit the air, the lad fell out and down to the court below. Paul restored him to life again. (Comp. 1 Kings 17:21; 2 Kings 4:34.)”
CULTURE:
Places
- V 14 - Assos - a sea-port town of Proconsular Asia, in the district of Mysia, on the north shore of the Gulf of Adramyttium. Paul came hither on foot along the Roman road from Troas (Acts 20:13, 14), a distance of 20 miles. It was about 30 miles distant from Troas by sea.
- V 14 - Mitylene - This was the capital of the island of Lesbos. It was distinguished by the beauty of its situation, and the splendor and magnificence of its edifices. The island on which it stood, Lesbos, was one of the largest in the Aegean Sea, and the seventh in the Mediterranean. It is a few miles distant from the coast of Aeolia, and is about 168 miles in circumference. The name of the city now is Castro.
- V 15 - Chios - This was a very celebrated island between Lesbos and Samos, famous in antiquity for its extraordinary wines. At this island the apostle did not touch.
- V 15 - Samos - This was another island of the Aegean Sea, or Archipelago. It does not appear that they landed at Samos: they passed close by it, and anchored at Trogyllium. This was a promontory of Ionia, which gave name to some small islands in the vicinity of Samos.
- V 15 - Miletus - A celebrated city in the province of Caria, about twelve or fifteen leagues from Ephesus, according to Calmet. Miletus is famous for being the birthplace of Thales, one of the seven wise men of Greece, and founder of the Ionic sect of philosophers.
Cultural Background
- Innocent of their blood: v. 26-27 For Paul’s claim to be “innocent” of their “blood”, (see Ezek. 33:1-6, Acts 18:6), Paul is saying that he is not accountable before God for any doctrinal or moral error that might come to the Ephesian Church. “for” (giving the reason why he is not culpable) he “did not shrink from declaring” any part of the teaching of the Word of God. The “whole counsel of God” refers to the entirety of God’s redemptive plan unfolded in Scripture. Even though some parts of God’s Word were unpopular or difficult, Paul did not omit any of them in his preaching. In refusing to pass over teachings that might offend some, Paul gave a courageous example that is a model for all who would teach God’s Word after him.
CONTEMPLATING GOD:
Voices of the Past:
- A Slothful Soul by Arator: “Eutychus, alone, banished from the wakeful ones keeping watch, entrusted to a window with limbs sunk in heavy sleep. O rest wrongly taken! O hearts always given over to spiritual sleep, unprotected by good! How great the disasters Eutychus lies open to...who doesn’t raise his own head to the better things of Paul! He who allows himself to fall asleep on God, he does not know how to be watchful for danger. Why do you seek the emptiness of the window young man, why do you sleep where you may fall, where death may befall you?”
- We eat to Preach, We do not Preach so that we may Eat by St. Augustine: “For if one preaches the gospel to attain money to eat, we reckon that the gospel is of less value than food to him; and in this case one put’s their own good in eating food, but what is truly necessary, even more than food, is preaching the gospel.”
Footnotes:
Easton Bible Dictionary, “Eutychus.”
http://eastonsbibledictionary.org/351-Assos.php
https://www.godtube.com/bible/acts/20-14
https://www.godtube.com/bible/acts/20-15
ESV Study Bible, p. 2130.
Arator. On the Acts of the Apostles. II.
St. Augustine. Sermon on the Mount. 2.16.54.