Acts 20, Part 1
Notes
Transcript
1 After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia.
2 When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece.
3 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.
4 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.
5 These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas,
6 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.
Minister—Church, Care for: the faithful minister considered the church above all. There had been a terrible uproar and riot in Ephesus, an attack launched primarily against Paul, but which had also involved the believers. It was a narrow escape (cp. Acts 19:21–41). The point is this: Paul sensed that if he continued in Ephesus, he would endanger the believers. He thought first and foremost of the church, not wishing to bring any harm whatsoever to the believers. Therefore, he called them together and embraced them and left to undertake a ministry in Europe.
Thought 1. Every minister, in fact every believer, must consider the church and its welfare above all. No doubt Paul desired to minister in Ephesus a while longer. But he knew he was the center of controversy, and it would be better for the church if he left. He put the welfare of the church before his own desires.
Exhortation—Minister—Faithfulness: the faithful minister serves quietly, exhorting much. So much happened in Paul’s life and ministry that will never be known. In fact, if it were not for Luke, the author of Acts, we would know very little about this extraordinary servant of God. He says little about himself in the letters to the churches which he wrote. Paul served quietly, without boasting and publicizing his own efforts for the Lord. He was interested in one thing: reaching people for Christ, not in promoting himself. In fact, this was the spirit of all the servants of the early church. Even Luke, when writing of Paul, does not glorify Paul because of his work but he glorifies the Lord as the source and power lying behind Paul’s work. In other words, even Luke presents the service of Paul in a quiet way, symbolizing that Paul served the Lord quietly, glorifying the Lord’s name and not lifting up his own weak efforts (weak efforts that were made strong in the Lord).
A good example of Paul serving quietly and exhorting much is in these two verses. Paul’s ministry in Macedonia (Europe) lasted almost a year and involved some outstanding events. Yet we know nothing about them except what little we can glean from Paul’s own writing.
⇒ There was Paul waiting in Troas for Titus. Titus had been sent from Ephesus to Corinth to work out the problems there and to deliver The Letter of First Corinthians from Paul. Titus was supposed to meet and report back to Paul in Troas. But he was not there when Paul arrived. Paul, therefore, began to “preach Christ’s gospel” and to minister while waiting for Titus (2 Cor. 2:12–13).
⇒ There was Paul apparently suffering some serious illness or some awful burden while in Troas (2 Cor. 1:8–10).
⇒ There was Paul leaving Troas because he had “no rest in his spirit.” This refers at least in part to his concern over the problems in the Galatian and Corinthian churches. Titus was running way behind schedule and Paul was concerned. So he traveled on into Macedonia (Europe) (2 Cor. 7:5–6).
⇒ There was Paul also meeting up with Timothy in Macedonia, probably at Thessalonica. He received reports on the welfare of all the churches Timothy had been visiting (Acts 19:22).
⇒ There was Paul finally meeting up with Titus in Macedonia, probably Philippi, and receiving news about the Corinthian church (2 Cor. 7:5–6).
⇒ There was Paul sitting down immediately to write Second Corinthians and sending Titus right back to Corinth to complete the work of straightening out the church (2 Cor. 8:16–24). Note that Timothy remained with Paul (1 Cor. 1:1), but someone else was sent with Titus, perhaps Luke (2 Cor. 8:18).
⇒ There was Paul refusing to visit Corinth, waiting until his letter and Titus had time to settle the problems in the church. While waiting he evangelized Illyricum (Ro. 15:19; 2 Cor. 13:1–2, 10).
Now just imagine—all these events and many, many more took place in one year, yet they were never mentioned. All Luke said was that Paul went into Macedonia and exhorted much. The point is this: the faithful minister serves quietly and exhorts much. He does not blow his own horn. He honors Christ and Him alone. He does not serve by concentrating on building himself up, but by reaching and evangelizing people for Christ and exhorting them in the faith.
Persecution: the faithful minister faced constant threats courageously, but intelligently. What happened to Paul was this: he had been ministering in Greece for three months and was about to sail for Antioch in Syria to visit his home church. Somehow he discovered a plot against his life. Apparently the Jews in Corinth had never gotten over the ruler’s (Gallio’s) judgment against them and had been waiting over the years for an opportunity to get rid of Paul. They were either going to throw him overboard or else kill him someplace on the dock. Paul immediately changed his plans and fled back into Macedonia.
Thought 1. The faithful minister faces constant threat because of the gospel and God’s will. The faithful minister is constantly pressing for the church and its believers to live for Christ. He is constantly carrying the Lord’s message to his own neighborhood and to the world. Righteousness and evangelism disturb people, even carnal believers. They are always a constant threat to genuine believers. The believer must live courageously, but intelligently; he must always be ready to change his plans under God’s direction, even as Paul did.
Discipleship: the faithful minister grew disciples. These men were chosen by the various churches to help Paul deliver the relief offerings being sent to the Jerusalem church.
1. Sopater was from Berea. He may be the same person mentioned by Paul as being with him when he wrote Romans (Ro. 16:21). He was a servant of the Lord who was held in high esteem by the church at Berea. He was the one trusted with their offerings to the church of Jerusalem.
2. Aristarchus (see note—Phile. 24 for discussion).
3. Secundus. This is the only reference to him. He was a disciple of Paul, a man highly esteemed by his church at Thessalonica, being entrusted with the offering to the poor.
4. Gaius was a common name, and there are several possibilities as to who he was. Note that he was accompanying Paul.
⇒ There was Gaius, a native of Macedonia and a disciple of Paul who was seized in the riot at Ephesus (Acts 19:29).
⇒ There was Gaius, a native of Derbe and a disciple of Paul (Acts 20:4). This Gaius is most likely the same as the Gaius of Corinth.
⇒ There was Gaius who was led to the Lord and baptized by Paul in Corinth (Ro. 16:23; 1 Cor. 1:14).
5. Timothy (see DEEPER STUDY # 1—Acts 16:1–3).
6. Tychicus (see DEEPER STUDY # 1—Eph. 6:21).
7. Trophimus was from Ephesus. There are only three references to him. He was the highly esteemed leader in the church at Ephesus who was entrusted with their offerings to the poor at Jerusalem (Acts 20:4–5). He was the reason why the Jews of Jerusalem rioted and arrested Paul. He was left sick by Paul in Miletus (2 Tim. 4:20). (Note Paul was unable to heal him. It is not always God’s will to heal. But we must always remember: God does will to heal sometimes.)
Thought 1. Paul was constantly making disciples, attaching men to himself and growing them in the Lord (see note, Discipleship—Acts 13:5–6 for discussion).
7 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.
Worship: the faithful minister worshipped with believers wherever he was. Note this: Paul was in Troas on the oceanfront for seven days, which means he was there for one Sunday. He was tired, exhausted, apparently having had no break for years. Instead of taking Sunday off and strolling out on the beach, praying and meditating, note where he was: worshipping with the believers. He was faithful …
• in worshipping on the first day of the week
• in observing the day the Lord arose (the first day of the week)
• in observing the Lord’s Supper, the breaking of bread weekly
• in having fellowship with other believers no matter who they were or where they were nor how poor their facilities (note they had to meet in a house)
• in honoring the Lord with other believers on the Lord’s Day
• in being where the world expected him to be on the Lord’s Day
Preaching: the faithful minister preached long and fervently. He grabbed every opportunity he could to preach despite tiredness and the need for rest. Note he preached until midnight.
Thought 1. There is a lesson here for us all. There is a place for long messages and the need for much learning, which means alert and rapt attention.
8 There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered.
9 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.
Minister: the faithful minister served tenderly and warmly. The story speaks for itself. Note several points.
1. The boy’s name was Eutychus.
2. The boy’s accident was his own fault. He was sitting in a dangerous place, on a window sill three stories high. He went to sleep when he should have been listening and learning.
Thought 1. Too many miss too much by not staying awake and alert.
Thought 2. Note: there were many lights to help the people stay alert. Churches need to pay attention to the need for well lighted buildings.
3. Luke the physician says explicitly the boy “was taken up dead.” The words “taken up” indicate the boy was examined and moved someplace, perhaps into a bedroom or the first floor of the house.
4. Paul “fell upon” and “embraced” the boy. This is a picture of …
• compassion
• being determined to help the boy
• being an instrument for the power of God’s life to flow through him into the boy
Thought 1. Symbolically, every believer should throw himself upon the lost of the world to impart the life of God to them (Jn. 20:21; cp. Lk. 19:10).
5. Paul fellowshipped all night with the believers. Note they celebrated the Lord’s Supper.
Thought 1. What a beautiful picture of sweet fellowship between believers and a visiting preacher! This scene says much to churches about the welcome and fellowship in the Lord that should be extended to visiting preachers.
6. The boy and his family and the church were all comforted by the wonderful restoration of the young boy. The scene is that of a most joyful occasion.
Thought 1. When the life of God is breathed into the life of a person, a great comfort results.
LEADERSHIP MINISTRIES WORLDWIDE: The Acts of the Apostles, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN : Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2003
