seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Acts 20:1 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. 2 He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, 3 where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5 These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” 11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.
13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,[a] which he bought with his own blood.[b] 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
a. Acts 20:28 Many manuscripts of the Lord
b. Acts 20:28 Or with the blood of his own Son.
I don't know about anyone else.... but when I run into a long list of names of people who are related to other people..... who's names I can't pronounce or spell... it just throws the whole story off..... I am so grateful there are commentaries to depend on.... this morning I am using bible-studys.org.
The apostle would have been an easy target on a small ship packed with Jewish pilgrims. Because of that danger, Paul canceled his plans to sail from Greece to Syria. Instead, he decided to go north into Macedonia, cross the Aegean Sea to Asia Minor, and catch another ship from there.
That delay cost Paul his opportunity to reach Palestine in time for Passover, but he hurried to be there in time for Pentecost.
We do know that Paul was very interested in these people, and he stayed three months preaching there. These Jews are probably the angry ones from Corinth, and they really are plotting to kill Paul. Somehow Paul finds out their evil plan, and changes his plan to sail to Syria. It will be safer to go by Macedonia, so Paul changes his plans.
We see here, that Paul's message was a long one. It lengthened into the night, even unto midnight. They just did not want to let go of Paul. In these early days of the church, there was much time spent in teaching the newcomers the doctrine of Christianity.
“Young man”: The Greek word suggests he was between 7 and 14 years old. His youth, the fumes from the lamps, and the lateness of the hour, gradually overcame his resistance. He dozed off, fell out of the open window and was killed.
This fall would have been 24 feet or more. This young man falling asleep, while Paul was preaching, might encourage ministers today, who have people fall asleep while they are preaching. It is not so bad, if they did this to Paul. Probably, he was sitting in the window to get a breath of fresh air. Eutychus means good fortune. We will find that he is fortunate.
“For his life is in him”: This does not mean that he had not died, but that his life and been restored. As a physician, Luke knew whether someone had died, as he plainly states (verse 9), was the case with Eutychus.
We see here, that his fall was to glorify God. Paul falls on him (to pray with great power), and then announces that he is alive. God restored the man completely.
Paul says; I have not adjusted the message of Jesus. It is the same message to the Jew and to the Greek. The message is the same (repent and be baptized), for all have sinned and need to repent. The repentance toward God, because they have broken His law, and faith in Jesus being their Savior.
Paul is bidding them farewell, because he knows that this will be his last time to see them. It is kind of like leaving your family forever. These are, in a way, his children in the Lord, because he led them to Jesus. This is a sad parting.
This is a warning from Paul, that the enemy will send liars and deceivers among them to destroy the flock. The good shepherd will protect their sheep from false doctrines and lies. Keep your people in the Truth of God, is what Paul is saying to them.
The commentaries say that there were a lot of lanterns in the room... so the fumes from the lanterns probably caused that guy to fall asleep..... I don't think so... why would a young kid be overcome by the fumes when the rest of the people in the same room were unaffected. Come on... admit it... the great orator Paul.... bored that boy so much... he dozed off and fell out the third story window! The commentary also calls Paul an Apostle..... I haven't seen Paul become an Apostle yet.... He's still a disciple.... a really good disciple... apparently willing to work 24/7 even if it bores young men to sleep..... and willing to go wherever he was sent..... but still a disciple.
Paul made an interesting statement in this chapter.... He warned them that liars from right there in the church would try to deceive them.....
If you ask me... the liars and deceivers were already working.... when they decided that being circumcised might keep men out of the church..... so they let that pass but still harped on morality..... so they could control them.... right? IMHO.... it's as if part of the church said "they can't sit here" and the other side of the church said "they can sit here but only if they obey all the other rules". But Paul warned them..... and those same people who Paul was warning.... are the very ones who will deceive.....
Some will not get the whole story.... and they won't study.... they won't know it was only a commentary that decided to start calling him an Apostle when so far... he's still a disciple..... I haven't seen him promoted to Apostle.....
So Paul..... IMHO.... is a great example of "read it and study it for yourself".... so I can stay grounded in the the truth...not what someone else decided is a tastier version.
Still not a big fan of Paul or Peter.... but I can see God using them..... At least Paul stopped preaching long enough to heal the young man he bored to sleep.....
