Paul’s Journey to Troas

Acts 20:1–12
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After the riot in Ephesus, Paul gathered the disciples to say farewell and to encourage them (v. 1). He then departed for Macedonia. It’s likely that this was when he evangelized the province of Illyricum, on the Adriatic Sea across from Italy (Rom. 15:19). From Macedonia, Paul traveled down to Greece, likely staying in Corinth (vv. 2-3a). It was during this time that he wrote his masterpiece, the epistle to the Romans. It seems Paul had intended to sail on a pilgrim ship from Cenchreae to Caesarea along with his fellow Jews traveling to Jerusalem for the annual festivals. But some of the Jews hatched a plot against him, forcing him to make other travel arrangements (v. 3b). Paul’s journey took him back through Macedonia to the places he had visited on his 2^nd missionary journey. Paul’s traveling companions included disciples from many of the churches he had started: Sopater from Berea, Aristarchus and Secondus from Thessalonica, Gaius and Timothy from Derbe, and Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia (Ephesus) (v. 4). At some point, Luke joined the group aswell (likely at Philippi) (v. 5). The chief reason for Paul’s traveling with such an escort was the collection of money that he had been accumulating from his various Gentile churches for the poor in the Jerusalem church. These men undoubtedly came from the various churches that had contributed to this project. 

After Paul arrived in Troas, he met with believers on Sunday to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, and after that he spoke to them until midnight because he was leaving the next morning (v.7). In many churches today Paul would have been told what time to finish, but this was not the case here, and he spoke to them until midnight. The combination of the lateness of the hour, a hard day’s work beforehand, the crowd, and the atmosphere caused by the burning of many candles and lamps caused Eutychus to go to sleep and fall out a third-floor window (vv. 8-9). The fall killed him but when Paul lifted him up his life returned (v. 10). After Paul had gone back upstairs, he broke bread, and ate with the people (v. 11). He then spoke until dawn and left. Then the followers took the young man home alive and were very happy (v. 12).

Application

If my pastor this Sunday announced that the service was going to go a little longer than usual, how would that make me feel? Am I in a rush to leave after every church meeting or am I always left hungry for more? The Lord isn’t pleased with me attending church every week if my heart isn’t really in it.