Acts 20:1-17

20:1 After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.

On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. 10 But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” 11 And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. 12 And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.

13 But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. 15 And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after that we went to Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.

(ESV)

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After the riot in the theatre at Ephesus was finished, Paul gathered the believers there and encouraged them. Then he bid them farewell and headed for Macedonia. He again encouraged the churches as he passed through those regions ending up in Greece. He spent three months in Greece which is where he wrote the letter to the Romans from Corinth (Rom 15:23–16:2). When he was preparing to set sail for Syria, they learned of a plot against Paul—probably to assassinate him on board his ship—so he decided to return through Macedonia instead. Paul had seven men traveling with him because he was carrying funds on a relief mission to the church in Jerusalem (Rom 15:25-27). These seven men were representatives from the various Gentile churches. The seven men were sent ahead to Troas. At this time Luke rejoined Paul in his travels.

In Troas on the first day of the week, the believers met together to break bread. This is the clearest verse in the New Testament that indicates the church met on Sundays. Paul intended to leave the next day so he spoke with them late into the night. With the late hour and lamps burning, a young man named Eutychus, whose name means Fortunate, fell asleep in a window and fell three stories to his death. Paul went and bent over him and then lifted him in his arms and told them not to be alarmed because his soul was in him. Luke, the physician, is clear here that Paul had raised him from the dead. When Paul returned to the upper room, they broke bread and shared the Lord’s supper together. Then Paul continued to speak with them until daybreak. In the morning Paul departed and they left with Eutychus alive and they were comforted.

Luke traveled with the rest of the group by sea to Assos and picked up Paul who had traveled there by foot. The journey from Troas to Assos was shorter by land than by sea and so Paul was able to stay a little longer in Troas. They sailed from Assos to Miletus via Mitylene, Chios, and Samos. Paul avoided a stop in Ephesus because he was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem, hoping to get there by Pentecost. Instead, he sent for the elders in Ephesus to come down to the port of Miletus where he said his farewell.

The joke is that Paul spoke for so long that Eutychus fell asleep from boredom. But those gathered there eagerly listened to Paul all through the night until daybreak. How hungry are you to know God’s word? Would you sit through the night listening and discussing the word of God, or is your life too full of other priorities?


Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan

Fight the Good Fight: 1 Timothy 5-6