#1598 Acts 20 Part 1 The Third Floor

 

Now after the uproar had ceased, Paul having summoned and exhorted the disciples, said farewell and left to go to Macedonia. 2 And when he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece. 3 And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. 5 But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas. 6 And we sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; and there we stayed seven days.

Eutychus Raised from the Dead in Troas

7 And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began speaking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight. 8 Now there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together. 9 And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the windowsill, sinking into a deep sleep. And as Paul kept on talking, he sunk into that sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. 10 But Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him, he said, “Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.” 11 And when he had gone back up and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left. 12 And they took away the boy alive, and were not a little comforted. Acts 20: 1-12 LSB

Acts 20: 1-12

Vs. 1-3 After the uproar had ceased - This goes back to the previous chapter, the riot that broke out in Ephesus because of Paul's preaching against idols. It struck a nerve especially with the silversmiths who would lose trade if people stopped worshiping Artemis. Not just the silversmith guilds though, it was a place of pilgrimage as well because there was a large temple built where a meteor had fallen out of the sky, which apparently looked like a woman with many breasts. So there was also a tourist aspect about it, and people from all over Rome traveled there to worship Artemis, especially in the spring. If that went away then the food trucks, the idol makers, the temple prostitutes and so many others would become starving artists and there would be no one to buy the shawarmas. So Paul and his companions get through this without the loss of life and he is now exhorting, as in comforting and encouraging, commanding them to stand fast, hold to the faith. They had seen debate turn into revival, and then into persecution. The truth puts you at odds with the world, and then you need faithful brothers and sisters to exhort you not to change, not to water down the message, but to keep teaching the word soundly, and hold to the pure gospel. He later writes the Ephesians, in chapter 6 of that letter to them, about putting on the whole armor of God, so that they would be able to stand.

Kent Hughes illustrates the root idea of parakaleo "to come alongside and encourage" with the following example - I see this exemplified every time my church has a roller skating party, and the parents put their little ones on skates for the first time. Mom and Dad skate with their child, holding on to his or her hands, sometimes with the child’s feet on the ground and sometimes in the air. But all the time the parents are alongside encouraging....[exhortation] is a wonderful gift, and we are to place it at Christ’s feet and be willing to be worn out in its use. - Precept Austin

…27To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me.… Colossians 1: 27-29

…2As you are aware, we had already endured suffering and shameful treatment in Philippi. But in the face of strong opposition, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God. 3For our appeal does not arise from deceit or ulterior motives or trickery. 4Instead, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, not in order to please men but God, who examines our hearts.… 1 Thessalonians 2: 2-4

…10You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous, and blameless our conduct was among you who believed. 11For you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children— 12encouraging you, comforting you, and urging you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.… 1 Thessalonians 2: 10-12

Vs. 4-5 And he was accompanied by - Quite a list:

• Sopater of Berea - Some associate this with Sosipater in Romans 16:21. The Bereans were referred to as noble, for they searched the Scriptures to examine the things that Paul said about Christ. 
• Aristarchus - name means "best ruler", Paul notes him as a fellow prisoner in Col. 4:10.
• Secundus - name means "fortunate". 
• Gaius - In Romans 16:23 he is not only host to Paul, but the whole church.
• Timothy - Timothy - Personal name meaning, “honoring God.” Friend and trusted coworker of Paul. When Timothy was a child, his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois taught him the Scriptures (2 Timothy 1:5 ; 2 Timothy 3:15 ). A native of Lystra, he may have been converted on Paul's first missionary journey (Acts 14:6-23 ). Paul referred to Timothy as his child in the faith (1 Corinthians 4:17 ; 1 Timothy 1:2 ; 2 Timothy 1:2 ). This probably means that Paul was instrumental in Timothy's conversion. When Paul came to Lystra on his second journey, Timothy was a disciple who was well-respected by the believers (Acts 16:1-2 ). - PA
• Tychicus - Eph. 6:21 he is noted as Paul's brother and a faithful minister.
• Trophimus - This name stands out to me because I am a fish nerd, do I always think of Tropheus. The fish name meaning is from the ancient Greek, meaning "to nurse, one who rears, brings up, educates", because instead of being egg scatterers, they are actually a mouth brooding cichlid that holds onto their eggs, and raises their young. So Trophimus personal name meaning, being Greek, fits with this. It means "nutritious". 

Secundus (second or fortunate) - only mention. Secundus was a common name for a slave because they were often not called by their true names, and the first-ranking slave in a household would often be called Primus. The second-ranking slave was often called Secundus. - PA

V. 6 After the days of unleavened bread - This was in observance of the Passover. This was a shadow in the Old Testament pointing to Jesus, our Passover Lamb. 

…17So you are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt. You must keep this day as a permanent statute for the generations to come. 18In the first month you are to eat unleavened bread, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19For seven days there must be no leaven found in your houses. If anyone eats something leavened, that person, whether a foreigner or native of the land, must be cut off from the congregation of Israel.… Exodus 12: 17-19

More on the Passover

V. 7 Gathered together to break bread - This was on a Sunday, and wow, Paul spoke till midnight.

And on the first day of the week - Sunday, the day the church gathered for worship, because it was the day of Christ’s resurrection. Cf. Mt 28:1; Mk 16:2, 9; Lu 24:1; Jn 20:1, 19; 1Co 16:2. The writings of the early church Fathers confirm that the church continued to meet on Sunday after the close of the NT period. Scripture does not require Christians to observe the Saturday Sabbath:

1) the Sabbath was the sign of the Mosaic Covenant (Ex 31:16, 17; Neh 9:14; Eze 20:12), whereas Christians are under the New Covenant (2 Co 3; Heb 8);

2) there is no NT command to keep the Sabbath;

3) the first command to keep the Sabbath was not until the time of Moses (Ex 20:8);

4) the Jerusalem Council (chap15) did not order Gentile believers to keep the Sabbath;

5) Paul never cautioned Christians about breaking the Sabbath; and

6) the NT explicitly teaches that Sabbath keeping was not a requirement (Ro 14:5; Ga 4:10, 11; Col 2:16, 17). - PA

…18For I tell you that I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” 19And He took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.… Luke 22: 18-20

Vs. 9-10 Eutychus...fell from the third floor and was picked up dead - This is probably one of the reasons Baptist limit sermons to thirty minutes - cause of death - preaching too long. It also falls in the same vein of the ministries of Elijah and Elisha.

…18“O man of God,” said the woman to Elijah, “what have you done to me? Have you come to remind me of my iniquity and cause the death of my son?” 19But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on this widow who has opened her home to me, by causing her son to die?”… 1 Kings 17: 18-20

…31Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.” 32When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his bed. 33So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.…

…34Then Elisha got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eye to eye, and hand to hand. As he stretched himself out over him, the boy’s body became warm. 35Elisha turned away and paced back and forth across the room. Then he got on the bed and stretched himself out over the boy again, and the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. 36Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite woman.” So he called her and she came. Then Elisha said, “Pick up your son.”… 2 Kings 4: 31-36

Vs. 11-12 Talked with them a long while until day break - He keeps on talking. It says that they were not a little comforted. They were a lot comforted, so now when they face trials, if it continues, if someone dies, then they can know that it was in God's sovereign will. Death is not over God. Death came into the world by sin, but Christ has conquered sin and death, so there is nothing for the Christian to fear in that. I worry more about living, but God is sovereign in that as well.  

1“Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God. 2“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her forced labor has been completed; her iniquity has been pardoned. For she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.” 3A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.… Isaiah 40: 1-3

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.… 2 Corinthians 1: 3-5