In the previous chapter, we left the apostle Paul in Ephesus, and we saw that many people gathered around to hear what he was saying. However, many of them who were in attendance didn’t even know why they were there in the first place. And so after all the trouble had calmed down, the city official sent everyone home, Acts 19:8-12.
Luke begins this chapter by telling us that after the uproar had calmed down, Paul sent for the Ephesian disciples, encouraged them and then went on to Macedonia, Acts 20:1.
He built up the churches before he went on to Greece, where he stayed for some three months, Acts 20:2-3. He planned to sail to Syria, until the Jews plotted to kill him, Acts 20:4.
Williams, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It may have been planned to attack him on board ship, especially if the vessel was crowded with Jewish pilgrims for Passover or Pentecost.’
When Paul found out about the plot against his life, he headed north back into Macedonia instead, Acts 20:4. Although Luke doesn’t mention any contribution, most scholars agree that Paul was carrying a large contribution to Jerusalem to help the needy saints, Acts 11:27-30 / 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 / 2 Corinthians 8:1-9:15 / Romans 15:14-32.
And he took along several men with him who more than likely served as witnesses to the proper handling of the money, Acts 20:4. One commentator suggests it’s important to look at who these people are with Paul. He says the folowing.
‘You may observe that the Macedonian congregations were represented by Sopater, Aristarchus, and Secundus. The Galatian congregations were represented by Gaius of Derbe and Timothy of Lystra. The ones in Asia were represented by Tychicus and Trophimus. And according to 2 Corinthians 8:6ff, the Corinthians’ contribution was entrusted to Titus and two other brethren who were sent by Paul to Corinth to receive it.’
What’s so important about that? It’s interesting because it seems that they went around collecting the funds with the goal of meeting at a predetermined location, which would have been Troas, Acts 20:5-6.
The point is, they didn’t have banks like we have today, where they can just wire or transfer some funds from one account to another. They had to travel from congregation to congregation to collect the funds.
People gave, and the funds were collected for a reason; they were given to some saints in need at Jerusalem. These men who were sent on behalf of their home congregations would have seen the gratitude in the eyes of those at Jerusalem as they gave on behalf of their congregation.
But the encouragement doesn’t stop there. Can you imagine when they return to their home congregations? I would imagine that they would give a full report about how everyone in Jerusalem was doing and how their offerings blessed so many other people.
When we see the offering that we give every week through those eyes, then truly we can see how much of a blessing it is to give. That’s exactly how Paul saw giving, ‘it’s more blessed to give than to receive’, Acts 20:35.
Note that Luke uses the word ‘we’, Acts 20:6 / Acts 16:10-17 / Acts 21:1-18. It is also used from Acts 27:1 to Acts 28:16. Luke does this simply to let Theophilus know that Luke himself re-joined Paul at Philippi, Acts 16:40, and they both sailed for Troas after the Passover, Acts 20:6.
Coffman and Blaiklock, in their commentaries, say the following.
‘This seaport, situated at the western extremity of Asia, upon or near the site of ancient Troy, was rebuilt by the successors of Alexander the Great, who renamed the place Alexandria Troas. The importance of the place in New Testament history derives from its being: 1. the place where Paul met Luke, Acts 16:8-11, 2. the gateway from Asia to Europe where a “door opened” for Paul, 2 Corinthians 2:12, 3. the scene of the remarkably important Lord’s day services, Acts 20:7-12, and if Blaiklock’s deduction is correct, 4. the scene of Paul’s final arrest, 2 Timothy 4:13. Why did Paul leave his garment at Troas? Summary and inhuman arrest, apparently, denied him the comfort of adequate clothing.’
When Luke tells us that Paul and his company stayed seven days in Troas, Acts 20:6, this actually helps us a lot in our understanding of the custom of worship in New Testament times. Luke says, ‘they came together on the first day of the week to break bread’, Acts 20:7.
Some groups come together to worship on Saturdays, but that’s not what is happening here; this was happening on the first day of the week, Sunday, John 20:19 / John 20:26 / 1 Corinthians 16:2 / Revelation 1:10.
Even though they were busy doing other things for the Lord throughout the week, they knew that everything else takes a back seat to remembering the Lord’s death, Luke 22:19.
Bruce, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The breaking of the bread probably denotes a fellowship meal in the course of which the Eucharist was celebrated, Acts 2:42.’
Think about it? Jesus Christ was raised from the dead on a Sunday, the first day of the week, Mark 16:9. And very early on, Jesus’ disciples began meeting together on the Lord’s Day, which was one week later, another Sunday, John 20:6.
The church was established on what day? Sunday, Acts 2:1. The congregation in Troas were meeting on the first day of the week, which is a Sunday, Acts 20:7. There was a regular contribution to the church treasury when? ‘Every first day of the week’, 1 Corinthians 16:2.
For the first several centuries of the church’s existence, the written testimony is uniform that Christians met for worship on Sunday. Although Sunday was a workday in the ancient world, the disciples set it apart for worship, and it became known as ‘the Lord’s day,’ as John would tell us in Revelation 1:10.
One commentator says, ‘all Christians were unanimous in setting apart the first day of the week, on which the triumphant Saviour arose from the dead, for the solemn celebration of public worship.’
In other words, the reason these early Christians assembled was to partake of the Lord’s Supper, 1 Corinthians 11:20-22. We know they assembled not only to break bread every first day of the week, but also as Paul tells them to give on every first day of the week.
Luke tells us that when the church assembled in a third-story room, Paul’s lesson continued until midnight, Acts 20:7-8. And it was here we find a young man who needed more than a cup of coffee to stay awake. A young man, named Eutychus, who was sitting in a window listening, went to sleep and fell out of the window, Acts 29:9.
They went down straight away to see the young man and after he was pronounced dead, Paul took him up in his arms and announced that his life was still in him, Acts 20:9-10 / 1 Kings 17:21-22 / 2 Kings 4:34-35 / Matthew 9:23-25 / Mark 5:39. The power of God was being used through the apostle Paul who brought him back to life, Acts 9:36-42.
And to me, this text is almost unbelievable, not the miracle, but what they did next. Luke says that after the miraculous restoration of this young man’s life, the Christians again assembled in their upper room to eat a meal together, Acts 20:11. It’s as though raising someone back to life was the most normal event in a person’s life.
Notice they went upstairs again and broke bread and ate; this is a reference to a common meal, Acts 2:46, not the ‘breaking of the bread,’ the Lord’s Supper, Acts 2:42.
The talking lasted until daybreak, the next day, Acts 20:11, which tells us just how highly the brethren thought of the apostle Paul. And they, along with the young man who was raised just hours before, walked home and greatly comforted, Acts 20:12.
Can we be sure that Eutychus was dead in the first place? We need to remember that if anyone knows whether a person is alive or dead more than anyone else, it’s a doctor. And Luke, the writer of Acts, who is present with Paul at this moment in time, is a doctor, Colossians 4:14.
And it’s Luke who tells us that Eutychus was 100% ‘dead’ in Acts 20:9. When Paul addressed the situation, he did not say, ‘his life is ‘still’ in him,’ or ‘his life is ‘yet’ in him,’ he simply said, ‘his life is in him’. Luke later comments that Eutychus was brought ‘alive’ in Acts 20:12.
One usage of this term is to describe ‘dead persons who return to life become alive again.’ If the young man had merely been injured, why would Luke stress that he was ‘brought alive’? To merely mention that he was brought alive again to the assembly would have been entirely sufficient.
After all, weren’t they ‘all’ alive who returned to the upper room? What was so special about this young man? What was so special was the fact that ‘he had been dead!’ And now he’s alive. No wonder Luke tells us that everyone was comforted, Acts 20:12.
Marshall, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Paul’s comment that the boy’s life was in him refers to his condition after he had ministered to him. Luke would not have devoted space to the raising up of somebody who was merely apparently dead.’
The resurrection of Eutychus brought ‘comfort’ to the saints in Troas, Acts 20:12, for two reasons. First of all, it let them know that their religion was genuine. They understood that only God can perform a resurrection.
The miracle of raising Lazarus from the grave was performed so that the people around would come to the belief that Jesus was the Christ. And when the people believe that fact, then they would trust that the message which Christ came with was true and genuinely from God Himself, John 11:40-42.
And that’s the second reason why the resurrection of Eutychus brought ‘comfort’ to the saints in Troas. It brought them comfort because it showed them that the grave is not the end of human existence. The Creator is able to bring life out of death. In other words, death is not the end, but in many ways, it’s just the beginning.
Now we can understand why the saints in Troas were comforted. We were all just as dead in our sins spiritually as Eutychus was dead physically. And just like Paul brought Eutychus back to life physically, Jesus Christ has brought you back to life spiritually, Ephesians 2:1-5.
Luke tells us that after the resurrection of Eutychus, the rest of the apostles’ company travelled by ship to Assos, while Paul went on foot, Acts 20:13.
Bruce, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Paul stayed till the last possible moment, probably to be assured of Eutychus’s complete restoration to consciousness and health, and then took a shortcut by land to join the ship at Assos.’
Paul joined them on the ship at Assos and went on with them to Mitylene, then by Chios, a brief stop at Samos, staying for a time at Trogyllium and had a more extended stay at Miletus, Acts 20:14-15. Remember that Paul intended to sail by Ephesus in the hope of reaching Jerusalem before Pentecost, Acts 20:16.
While he was in Miletus, he called for the elders of the church at Ephesus to meet him there, Acts 20:17 / Acts 14:23 / Acts 20:28. When Luke tells us that the elders from Ephesus arrived to meet Paul, he reminded them of the struggles he faced while in he was in Asia, Acts 20:18 / 2 Corinthians 11:23-33.
Paul had served the Lord with a humble attitude, Ephesians 4:1-2, even to the point of being moved to tears at times, Acts 29:19 / Acts 20:31, and surviving more than one Jewish plot against his life, Acts 20:19 / Acts 19:9 / Acts 20:1.
Despite all that heartache and tears, he continued faithfully to declare the truth to them, both publicly in the synagogue and the school of Tyrannus and teaching in one house, then another, Acts 19:20.
Notice also that his preaching had extended to the Jews as well as the Greeks, Acts 20:21 / John 17:3. His preaching included the need for repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following concerning repentance.
‘Repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Acts 20:21, is a beautifully balanced way of expressing what is essential for justification, Acts 26:20-23 / Romans 10:9-10 / 2 Corinthians 5:20 to 2 Corinthians 6:2. One must change his or her mind Godward and place trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.’
After reminding them of his time working among them, Paul goes and tells the elders that he was compelled by the Holy Spirit, Acts 21:10-11, to go on to Jerusalem, despite the knowledge of what awaited him there, Acts 20:22.
It’s one thing not knowing what lies ahead of us, but it’s another knowing exactly what lies ahead. It’s during those difficult times of uncertainty of what lies ahead that things like worry and anxiety creep into our lives, 1 Peter 5:7. But that’s where genuine faith in God helps us through those difficult, uncertain times, Philippians 1:20.
Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit had testified to Paul, through the voices of prophets and other inspired men, concerning his impending arrest and the other trials he would confront in Jerusalem, Acts 20:23. In other words, Paul knew exactly what was going to happen in his life; he knew what lay around the corner.
Most of us usually run away from difficult times, and we try to avoid those times at any cost. And instead of embracing those times when they come and seeing them as an opportunity to grow in our faith, we avoid them instead, James 1:2-4.
Paul’s greatest concern was not for his own personal safety; Paul’s greatest concern was with completing the special ministry Jesus had given him or preaching the kingdom, which is the same thing, Acts 20:24.
Make no mistake about it, Paul knew exactly what lay ahead of him, Psalm 16:8. He did not expect to ever see the faces of those elders again, Acts 20:25 / Romans 15:23-29. That’s why he called upon them to faithfully witness the content of his preaching among those at Ephesus, Acts 19:10.
He knew within himself that he was free from any responsibility for those who might have remained in their sin, Acts 20:26 / Jeremiah 23:1-2 / Ezekiel 33:1-6 / Acts 19:9-10. He knew because he had preached the whole truth, Acts 2:27 / 2 Timothy 4:3 / Matthew 4:4.
In other words, his job was finished in Ephesus, and he knew he was not responsible for those who didn’t respond to the good news. Paul didn’t see his mission with Christ as a problem; he saw it as a challenge.
Yes, there were times when he was beaten up and flogged, yes, there were times when he was tired, thirsty, and hungry. But his real challenge was to simply trust his God with that genuine faith, Philippians 3:10.
Before Paul leaves the Ephesian elders, he warns them because he did not anticipate seeing them again, Acts 20:26. He charged those overseers, elders, who had been selected on the basis of the qualifications listed by the Holy Spirit, to watch out for their own spiritual wellbeing, Acts 20:28 / Ezekiel 34:12-16 / 1 Peter 5:1-4 / Acts 14:23 / 1 Timothy 3:1-7 / Titus 1:6-9.
Stott, in his commentary, says the following.
‘They are to be shepherds of God’s church, poimanino meaning in general to tend a flock and in particular to lead a flock to pasture and so to feed it. This is the first duty of shepherds.’
He also reminds them that they were commanded to watch out for every sheep in God’s flock at Ephesus. Why? Because they had been given oversight, or made bishops, over the flock which was purchased with Jesus’ blood, Acts 20:28 / Romans 3:25 / Romans 5:9 / Ephesians 1:7 / Ephesians 2:13 / Colossians 1:20.
These false teachers, or savage wolves as Paul calls them, will come from among them and destroy the flock by distorting the truth, Acts 20:29-30. False teachers were a problem in Paul’s day, and they are still a real problem in the world today. I believe all of us must be able to identify them and watch out for them, 2 Timothy 4:2-4 / 1 John 4:1-6.
The New Testament is filled with examples concerning false teachers and apostasy, Matthew 7:15-23 / 2 Corinthians 11:3 / 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 / 1 Timothy 4:1-5 / 2 Timothy 3:1-8 / 2 Timothy 4:1-5 / 2 Peter 2:1-3 / 2 Peter 3:1-7 / Revelation 17:3-6 / Revelation 18:1-5.
Paul warned the Ephesians elders to watch out for false teachers but he wasn’t finished with them just yet. Paul urged the elders to remember his own watchful service of three years as he had been warning them day and night, even with tears in his eyes, Acts 20:31 / John 11:35.
Paul recommended that the shepherds trust God and His Word, which would help them grow stronger and inherit eternal life, Acts 20:32 / 1 Peter 5:1-4 / Philippians 1:6 / Colossians 3:24.
He reminded them that he worked with his own hands to support himself and did not covet anyone’s money, Acts 20:33-34. He also urged them to labour to support themselves and help the weak, while reminding them that Jesus said, ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive’, Acts 20:35.
Although we have no record of Jesus saying these words, this doesn’t mean He didn’t say them, John 21:25, especially since Paul spent time with Him in Arabia, Galatians 1:17.
When we think of giving, we often just think about giving money, but giving money isn’t going to help the man who has just lost his wife in a train crash; giving him time and a shoulder to cry on will.
Giving money isn’t going to help the woman whose husband has just walked out on her for someone else, giving time and understanding will. Giving money isn’t going to help the child who’s just failed one of their exams at school; encouraging them to keep going will.
It’s more blessed to give than to receive because genuine faith has learned to trust that God will meet all our needs. It’s more blessed to give than to receive because genuine faith has learned to put other people first.
It’s more blessed to give than to receive because genuine faith has learned that giving really does bring happiness into someone else’s life. It’s more blessed to give than to receive because genuine faith has learned that when we give, we’re giving on behalf of God, Proverbs 21:25-26.
After kneeling with them in prayer, Acts 20:36 / Luke 22:41 / Acts 7:60, everyone and probably Paul shed more tears, Acts 20:37. They also shared a kiss, Acts 20:37 / Genesis 33:4 / Genesis 45:14 / Genesis 46:29 / Romans 16:16 / 1 Corinthians 16:20 / 2 Corinthians 13:12 / 1 Thessalonians 5:26 / 1 Peter 5:14.
They knew they wouldn’t see each other face to face again, Acts 20:38, and so, after an emotional farewell, they accompanied Paul to a ship, Acts 20:39.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Paul may have left Timothy in Ephesus at this time. However, it seems more likely that that took place after Paul’s release from Rome, his departure from that city, and his return to Ephesus, 1 Timothy 1:3 / 1 Timothy 3:14 / 1 Timothy 4:13.’
It’s sad to think that the church in Ephesus continued to do many great things, but they forgot their first love, Revelation 2:4.