On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul was holding a discussion with them; since he intended to leave the next day, he continued speaking until midnight. There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were meeting. A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, began to sink off into a deep sleep while Paul talked still longer. Overcome by sleep, he fell to the ground three floors below and was picked up dead. But Paul went down, and bending over him took him in his arms, and said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” Then Paul went upstairs, and after he had broken bread and eaten, he continued to converse with them until dawn; then he left. Meanwhile they had taken the boy away alive and were not a little comforted. Acts 20:7-10
Paul has now completed his third missionary journey and spends seven days in Troas, which includes the service of Holy Communion. The Host is Jesus Christ and the server is Apostle Paul. Can you imagine participating in Worship and Holy Communion with Apostle Paul as leader? Awesome.
Paul stays with the believers for seven days to teach, give correction, and bring more believers into the fold with his revival preaching. Through the Holy Spirit Paul realizes that he will never return there and so he gives them his all. One evening with the lamps brightly lit to prevent scandal Paul preaches late into the night.
During Paul’s fervent discourse to the believers gathered in that upper room brightly lit by lamps a young man falls asleep and falls backwards three stories to his death. For those who have allowed themselves to sleep during preaching, the hope is to awaken and catch something from the spoken Word. Yet how sad it is for those who are awake and their minds asleep, for to these is the great loss unto eternal death.
While Paul has been preaching with an uncommon fervor of the Holy Spirit the windows have been open to receive the cool evening breeze. The young man’s sleep is his downfall. Calmly Paul goes down and outside to the dead young man and bends over him, takes him in Paul’s arms, and then Paul announces that Christ’s Life is in the young man. Now the young man is alive! Resurrected!! More awesome.
Amazingly Paul continues to preach and answer questions all night and in the morning does not stop to rest but Paul makes a foot journey to Assos, a difficult and dangerous to access by land. Others go to Assos by ship.
