God of Miracles
God of the Miracles
20:10 The story belongs to the category of resurrection miracles, such as Jesus’ raising of the widow’s son at Nain (Luke 7:11–15), of Jairus’s daughter (Luke 8:49–56), and of Lazarus (John 11:38–44), and of the restoration of Dorcas through Peter (Acts 9:36–41). There is even a striking correspondence to the raising of lads by Elijah and Elisha (1 Kgs 17:21; 2 Kgs 4:34f.) when Paul threw himself over the boy’s body (v. 10), just as the prophets had done. In the New Testament, miracles of raising from the dead present an implicit symbolism of the resurrection. In the case of Lazarus it is quite explicit. Indeed, in the present case there are some rather strong linkages with the resurrection. It was Easter time. The Passover had just ended, the season of Jesus’ death and resurrection (v. 6). It was the first day of the week, the day of Jesus’ resurrection (v. 7); and, given the season, Paul may well have been expounding on that event. The restoration of Eutychus’s life was a vivid reminder to the Christians of Troas that the Jesus whom Paul had been preaching was indeed the resurrection and the life.
20:11–12 We could draw two conclusions to the Eutychus incident. One focuses on Paul, the other on the lad. The first serves to connect the incident to the larger narrative of Paul’s journey (v. 11). Assured of the youth’s recovery, Paul returned to the upper room, partook of the Lord’s Supper with the other Christians, and evidently shared a larger meal with them. He then continued his discourse with them until daybreak. Afterwards he departed, since he would soon need to hasten to Assos to catch his ship (v. 13f.). The second conclusion focuses on Eutychus (v. 12). He was taken home fully recovered. Everyone was immeasurably comforted. It was more than comfort. They were encouraged and strengthened in their faith by what they had witnessed that night.