Acs 20:7-12 7On 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. 8And there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. 9And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked longer, fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. 10But getting down, Paul bent over him, and embracing him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” 11And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. 12And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.
Paul was in troas with the other travel companions, including Luke, the author of Acts. The first day of the week would be Sunday. This passage is the earliest historical reference that suggests how early Christians began to meet on Sunday, the day of the Lord’s resurrection. This day had become special to Christians. Jewish Christians, like Paul, likely continued some form of Sabbath observance, especially in their ministry and outreach in synagogues. The believers met to break bread. This was likely more than sharing a meal but could have included remembering Jesus’ death and resurrection through what is called the Lord’s Supper.
What is clear in this passage is that this was an important time of reflection, doctrinal reinforcement, spiritual encouragement, and farewell. Paul spent all day training the believers through a long lecture that lasted until midnight. He must have had a lot to say. He may have had a sense that he might not return that way again, so this was his last opportunity to build up the church there and make sure the local leaders were firmly grounded in the gospel.
Luke describes all this background in order to set up for a great miracle. Eutychus, a young man possibly in his teen years, eager to listen and learn from the great apostle, just could not keep his eyes open as the even grew late and past his bedtime. Even with one of the greatest preachers of all time, he could not stay awake as midnight drew near. The room where the group was meeting was quite high at the third level, at least 25-35 feet. A fall from this height could break a person’s neck, back, or cause a deadly head injury, which is apparently what happened to Eutychus. Luke gives no graphic details of what exactly happened, simply that Eutychus was picked up dead. This tragedy would have been a terrible ending to such a great day of training and fellowship. No one wants to end a revival service with an emergency situation.
God used Paul to bring life back to Eutychus’ broken body. This would have been the Sunday after the week of Passover, the very same day Jesus rose from the dead. Eutychus’ healing must have been a powerful testimony and living proof of the power of resurrection. This incident did not stop Paul’s time of fellowship and teaching. He returned upstairs and continued talking until dawn. Everything he said had been reinforced by Eutychus’ miracle. Luke’s last statement about the group being not a little comforted is a bit understated. This was one of the great miracles of history. We wish we knew what happened to Eutychus after this, but he was a changed person as was everyone gathered that night.