CRITICAL REMARKS
Acts 20:7. The first day of the week.—Lit., the first of the Sabbath, as in 1 Corinthians 16:2, meaning not on one of the Sabbaths or Jewish festivals, but on the first day of the week, the term “Sabbaths” being put for the period of seven days (compare Matthew 28:1).
Acts 20:8. Many lights.—Mentioned that all suspicion might be removed from the assembly (Calvin, Bengel); to account for the young man’s drowsiness (Alford); to show how his fall was observed (Meyer); but most likely to impart liveliness to the scene (Hackett).
Acts 20:9. In a window should be in the window of the upper chamber—i.e., on the seat of it. “The windows” of Oriental houses “had no glass. They were only latticed, and thus gave free passage to the air and admitted light, while birds and bats were excluded” (Kitto’s Cyclopædia: art. House). The third loft.—Or story. The middle classes usually lived in large houses in flats—the artizans in the third stories, just under the roofs—on the same plan as in some of our great cities (Stapfer, Palestine in the Time of Christ, pp. 172, 173). Taken up dead.—Not ὡσεὶ νεκρὸς (Mark 9:26) (Holtzmann), but νεκρός, dead.
Acts 20:10. Fell on him.—As formerly Elijah and Elisha acted in performing similar awakenings (1 Kings 17:17; 2 Kings 4:34). Trouble not yourselves.—Make ye no ado. Compare Christ’s words in Jairus’s house (Mark 5:39).
Acts 20:11. Broken (sc. the) bread.—Points to the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.
Acts 20:12. Brought the young man alive.—The miracle is certainly a parallel to Tabitha’s awakening by Peter (Acts 9:36-40), but yet not on that account an invented story. According to Ramsay, who in this follows Blass, this verse shows “a very harsh change of subject,” the persons who brought the youth alive, not being those who were comforted. But this is surely unmeaning criticism. One would naturally conclude that they who brought the lad alive were Paul and those who assisted him; and that these were greatly comforted as well as the other Christians present.
HOMILETICAL ANALYSIS.—Acts 20:7-12
A Communion Festival at Troas; or, the Story of the Young Man Eutychus
I. The crowded congregation.—
1. The persons composing it.
(1) The disciples at Troas (Acts 16:8), who must have been present in considerable numbers, since Eutychus could only obtain a seat in the window. The Troas Christians forsook not the assembling of themselves together (Hebrews 10:25).
(2) The apostle and his company (Acts 20:4) These, though parted at Corinth or Philippi had rejoined each other in Troas.
2. The time of meeting. On the first day of the week, the Lord’s day (Revelation 1:10), an intimation that thus early the practice of meeting for worship on Sunday was observed by the followers of Christ. In the evening, as is indicated by the “many lights” or lamps that are said to have been burning. The cessation of work on this day, though it may have been the custom with some, was manifestly not as yet common.
3. The place of assembly. Not the Jewish synagogue, which shows that a separation of the Christians from the Jewish community had here taken place. Not a public academy or school as in Ephesus (Acts 19:9), scarcely even a house of any pretensions like that of Justus at Corinth (Acts 18:7), which perhaps reveals that not many mighty or wise had been converted in Troas, but an upper chamber, doubtless a room in some obscure house, on the third story and next the roof (see Acts 1:18; Acts 9:37).
4. The business of the hour. Twofold.
(1) To break bread—i.e., to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, which consisted then, as now, in the breaking of bread and drinking of wine in remembrance of Christ, and was then, though not now, followed or accompanied by a lovefeast.
(2) To hear Paul preaching, or rather to hear the word discoursed by Paul, who doubtless sat at table while he talked, since the modern practice of formally orating on a text of Scripture had not then been introduced.
II. The protracted preaching.—Two things noticeable:
1. The preacher wearied not in speaking.
(1) A remarkable phenomenon. Though Paul appears to have commenced discoursing in the early hours of evening, midnight arrived, and still the stream of holy converse flowed on—yea, when the interruption which occurred through Eutychus’s death and resuscitation had passed, the talk was resumed and sustained through a sleepless night till dawn. As a mere physical effort it would have taxed the energies of a strong man; how much more then must it have tested the powers of one so infirm as the apostle! Besides, since a speaker like Paul cannot be supposed to have kept on repeating the same things over and over, what a demand must that midnight preaching have made on his mental resources! And if to this be added the tender emotions which constantly uprose within his bosom when he either spoke or wrote to his converts about his Lord and theirs, it will not be hard to see that the strain on the apostle’s body, soul, and spirit, must have been immense, must, in fact, have been almost unparalleled.
(2) A reasonable explanation. Three things must have contributed to enable Paul to undergo such a laborious performance. First, the circumstances in which he and his hearers were then assembled. It was a flying visit he had made to their town; it was the last time, probably, they would look each other in the face, it was a farewell sermon; and it was the most solemn of all occasions on which Christ’s people could meet. Second, the theme upon which he descanted to his hearers was one that inspired him with “thoughts that breathe and words that burn,” that drew him on from topic to topic with never-failing enthusiasm, that so lifted him out of himself that he never felt his weariness or weakness, and probably knew not whether he was in the body or out of the body (2 Corinthians 12:2). Thirdly, the grace of his glorified Master, which never failed him, would no doubt strongly support him that night, so that he could achieve what to common men would seem impossibilities (2 Corinthians 12:9; Philippians 4:13).
2. The audience wearied not in hearing. How different from modern congregations of Christ’s professed followers, who, so far from listening to the preached gospel from evening until midnight, and from midnight until dawn, cannot, without impatience, endure a thirty minutes’ sermon, and would almost clap their hands with joy if the preacher’s discourse could be huddled through in ten minutes, or perhaps dispensed with altogether. No doubt modern congregations have not Pauls for preachers; but if they had it is to be questioned whether their behaviour would be different. The present-day outcry against long sermons—by which are meant discourses of half an hour—has its origin not in the small ability of the preachers, but in the lack of religious zeal on the part of the hearers.
III. The alarming accident.—
1. The sleeper in the window. Eutychus (concerning whose antecedents nothing is known) has often been held up—unjustly and unkindly—to reproach on account of his unseemly conduct (as it is called) of sleeping in the church. But there are times when it is wholly inexcusable to yield to the “drowsy god” when engaged in Divine worship; on the other hand, there are occasions when it may be justified, and this it may be reasonably maintained was one.
(1) Eutychus was obviously a youth to whom sleep, especially at midnight, was a natural right, a physical necessity, a heaven-prepared boon which he could not be blamed for accepting.
(3) The upper chamber was as manifestly crowded, and the hot breaths must have speedily produced such an atmosphere that the wonder is not that Eutychus dropped over into slumber, but that many more did not follow his example.
(3) The strain of listening to Paul’s preaching—in which it may be assumed Eutychus was interested—could not fail to exhaust the young man’s nervous energy, and cause him to drop off through sheer weariness into a sound sleep. All who have as satisfactory excuses as Eutychus may sleep in church with easy consciences.
2. The fall into the court. How it happened is not explained. The window, after the manner of the eastern houses, opened into the area below. Most likely the shutter was closed when the young man ensconced himself in the recess. Perhaps the fastening gave way while he leant upon the shutter, or wakening with a start from his deep sleep he may have unwittingly pressed against and burst it open. In any case he fell from the third flat to the ground, a distance probably of twenty feet, and was taken up, not as, but really—dead.
IV. The gracious miracle.—
1. The young man’s restoration.
(1) By whom it was effected. Really, of course, by God, but instrumentally by Paul.
(2) How it was effected. Though not so mentioned, doubtless by prayer. Paul went down and fell upon the young man as Elijah (1 Kings 17:21) and Elisha (2 Kings 4:34) did, using, it may be supposed, words borrowed from the former, “Lord! let this young man’s soul come into him again.”
2. The credibility of the story. Baur and his disciples find in this miracle only a counterpart of the raising of Dorcas by Peter (Acts 9:36-42), and accordingly pronounce it unauthentic. But the reality of the miracle was attested by those who saw the young man after he had been restored to life while the truthfulness of the account is vouched for by the extreme likeliness of the narration, and can only be disputed by those who are unwilling to believe in the supernatural.
Learn.—
1. The duty of Christians to assemble for worship on the Lord’s day.
2. The place assigned to both the preaching of the word and the administration of the sacraments in the edification of believers.
3. The justification accorded to long sermons, at least on special—e.g., sacramental occasions.
4. The danger of sleeping in church, since if not always sinful it may sometimes be hurtful.
5. The inferiority of modern preachers, who, if they excel Paul in the art of setting men to sleep, fall immeasurably below him in the power of working miracles.
6. The reality of the communion of saints.
7. The solemnity and sadness of earth’s farewells.
HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS
Acts 20:7. Light from Early Christian Practice.
I. On the sanctity of the Lord’s day.—That they kept the first day of the week as a memorial of Christ’s resurrection is apparent, though it is more than likely Jewish Christians, for a considerable time after, continued also to observe the seventh day as a day of rest. Gentile Christians may not have been able to devote the first day entirely to rest; the narrative shows they consecrated its evening hours to worship.
II. On the nature of Christian worship.—This consisted:
1. In the administration of the Lord’s Supper—which perhaps has not so high a place as properly belongs to it in modern Christian worship.
2. In listening to edifying discourse upon the gospel—which also in some modern Churches is not accorded the place to which it is entitled.
3. In the enjoyment of Christian fellowship—which, again, is largely overlooked in modem congregations of believers. Without reviving the love-feasts of those early times, that which they pointed to and promoted, the spirit of love and the sense of brotherhood, should be diligently cultivated.
III. On the length of gospel sermons.—These should be:
1. Neither so short as to admit no room for the utterance of any valuable doctrine, or the expression of any holy feeling.
2. Nor so long as to exhaust the physical, mental, and spiritual energies of either preacher or hearer.
3. But always suited to the audience and the occasion. Some audiences and occasions require long, and others short discourses.
The First Day of the Week
I. A solemn religions assembly.—
1. The time was the first day of the week.
2. The occasion was the observance of the Lord’s Supper.
3. The place was an upper room with many lights—obscure, but not secret.
II. The preacher.—
1. The preacher was Paul.
2. He preached a farewell sermon.
3. He preached a long sermon.
III. A careless hearer.—
1. His infirmity.
2. His death.
3. His restoration to life.—G. Brooks.
Acts 20:7-12. Communion at Troas.
I. The congregation.—The disciples at Troas. Who were:
1. Probably many. May be inferred from the fact that Paul had previously visited and preached in Troas.
2. Certainly poor. Their meeting place, an upper chamber or room in a top story, showed this.
3. Obviously eager. Longed to hear the word, not afraid of long sermons. Not a good sign when Christians are impatient of preaching.
4. Intensely sympathetic. Their hearts beat in unison with both the service and the preacher.
II. The preacher.—Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles. An object of interest from:
1. His personal character and history. A man of feeble body but of tremendous spiritual power.
2. His missionary labours and travels. No doubt full information about these would have been imparted during the week, if not by Paul himself, at least by his companions.
3. His previous visit and preaching. Most likely all regarded him in the light of an old friend, while many would behold in him their spiritual father.
III. The sermon.—About which many things were worth noting; as, e.g., that it was:
1. A spoken sermon. Not read, but delivered face to face. Read discourses neither unlawful nor unprofitable; but not the best for either preacher or hearer.
2. A farewell sermon. Therefore without doubt uttered with much tender and solemn feeling, and listened to with avidity. Compare farewell address to elders at Miletus (Acts 20:17).
3. A communion sermon. Whence the subject may be guessed. Not the story of his travels, but the story of the cross. Not himself the hero but Christ.
4. A long sermon. Probably three hours to begin with. And yet the Troans wearied not, but heard for three hours more. Short sermons may be often best; but occasions surely arise when long discourses are befitting.
IV. The miracle.—The raising of Eutychus.
1. The accident.
(1) The subject of it—a young man, Eutychus, otherwise unknown.
(2) The manner of it. Falling from a window (see “Critical Remarks”).
(3) The issue of it. Death. Sad that he should have met his death through attending Church; but better that he died so than in a drunken brawl.
(4) The effect of it. Produced great commotion in the meeting. Many lamentations over the poor boy’s untimely fate, and much sympathy for his mother if she was present.
2. The restoration.
(1) Effected by Paul, who, in recalling the lad to life, followed the example of Elijah and Elisha.
(2) Attested by the people, who witnessed the miracle, saw the young man alive again, and were comforted.
V. The communion.—
1. The solemn impressions under which it was celebrated. Those who took part in it had just been listening to a discourse about the risen Saviour, and had just witnessed a display of that Saviour’s power. What must have been their emotions when they returned to the upper room to celebrate their memorial feast?
2. The sacramental actions were unquestionably those of the Lord’s Supper. “Breaking of bread” alone mentioned; but “drinking of wine” implied. The narrative affords no countenance to the idea of Communion in one kind.
3. The post communion address was not omitted. Paul talked with his hearers a long while till break of day, about the significance of the meal, and its foreshadowing of heaven, about how they should live and walk in the world, and about their impending separation. And so the sacred service ended. With the dawning of the day the apostle departed.
Acts 20:8-12. The Night Service at Troas.
I. An admonitory example of Christian zeal for God’s word.—
1. On the part of the apostle, who wearies not of preaching.
2. On the part of the congregation, who grow not tired of hearing.
II. A warning example of human weakness and sloth.—The sleep and the fall of Eutychus. “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.” “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
III A consolatory example of Divine grace and faithfulness.—The resuscitation of the young man, the comfort of the Church.—Gerok.
Acts 20:9. On sleeping in Church.
I. Pardonable.—When it results from physical causes, over which one has no control; such as:
1. Exhaustion through previous labour.
2. The imperative demands of nature which call for such repose as sleep gives.
3. The soporific atmosphere of the church through defective ventilation.
4. The weariness induced by a too constant strain upon the mental faculties in listening to the preacher.
II. Inexcusable.—When it springs either:
1. From indifference to the truth that is preached; or
2. From dislike to the preacher by whom it is spoken; or
3. From lack of interest in the object which the preacher by his preaching seeks to attain.
III. Hurtful.—
1. It disconcerts and discourages the preacher.
2. It infects and contaminates the hearers. Sleeping in Church is contagious.
3. It inflicts loss and sometimes positive hurt upon the sleeper.
IV. Preventable.—By removing its causes.
1. Providing comfortable and well-ventilated churches.
2. Preaching interesting and not too long sermons.
3. Preparing the heart by previous prayer and meditation, for the reception of the truth.
The young man Eutychus; an example to all the unsteadfast in the Church.
I. By his dangerous sleep.—In the midst of the assembled congregation, during the hearing of the divine word, the heart may be overpowered by the sleep of false security.
II. By his terrible fall.—From the third storey to the street pavement; an admonitory representation of the great fall from an imaginary height of faith to sin and perdition.
III. By his miraculous deliverance.—In the arms of a Paul, who penetrates him with his power of life and warmth of love, even the deeply fallen, he who is thought dead, may by the wonderful grace of God again become living.—Gerok.
The Accident at Troas. Thoughts suggested.
I. The uncertainty of life.—Even to the good, and the consequent necessity of preparing for death. Eutychus, a young man, full of life, hope, and promise, employed also at the best of work, and yet he died suddenly as the result of an accident.
II. The moral and spiritual uses of accidents.—This accident at Troas was fitted to remind the Christians there of the propriety and duty of exercising common prudence and foresight even when engaged about the things of religion and eternal life.
III. The power of a great calamity to open the flood-gates of human sympathy.—How deeply the congregation was moved by the young man’s death is revealed by the comfort they experienced in his resuscitation (Acts 20:12).
IV. The mission and the power of the gospel.—To quicken dead souls as Paul restored Eutychus to life. As God’s power flowing through Paul’s body reanimated the dead youth, so the might of God’s grace streaming through the gospel can revive dead souls.