6 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. 7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. 8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. 9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. 10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. 11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. 12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted. (Acts 20:6-12 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
The next journey of St. Paul is from Macedonia in Greece to Troas in Asia, where he abided for seven days. During his stay here, several things are to be remarked and observed.
Observe here, 1. How this great apostle became all things to all men, though he would not become sin to any man: To the Jews he became as a Jew, for he stopped his journey all the seven days of the Jewish Passover solemnity, and would not set forth to travel that time, because he would not offend the weak Jews; accordingly he sailed not from Philippi till after the days of unleavened bread. Thus did St. Paul comply with the Jewish rites, which, though dead by the death of Christ, yet were not buried; therefore his compliance was not sinful but managed with the intention to win the Jews.
Observe, 2. That the change of the sabbath from the seventh day to the first day of the week was of apostolical observation now, as it was before of Christ’s institution: on this day, the Lord arose; on this day, the disciples met and Christ honoured them with his presence, Joh 20:1; and on this day the collection for poor saints was made, 1Co 16:2.
Now this necessarily infers the abrogation of the Saturday sabbath: for six days they were commanded to labour, and if they rested the seventh day, and first too, they violated the law of God, which we cannot suppose they did, and consequently, the apostles and primitive Christians observed the first day of the week in remembrance of the work of redemption, as the Jews of old observed the seventh day in remembrance of the work of creation.
Observe, 3. The fervent zeal and unwearied diligence of the great apostle for the souls of men; and also the patience and complacency with which his auditors attended upon his sermon at this time: Paul preached till midnight, veres 7. A very long sermon upon a particular occasion is neither unscriptural nor unapostolical. We do not find that either the apostle was weary, or the auditory drowsy, at the dead time of the night; their wakefulness at midnight under a sermon, condemns our sleepiness at midday.
Observe, 4. The pious and prudential care which the apostle and his hearers took that their night meeting should not fall under any calumny, or their selves reproached, for doing anything indecently in the dead of the night; to prevent this, the 8th verse informs us that there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together; exposing themselves and what they did to the view of all.
Religious meetings in the night are not only lawful in times of persecution but necessary; yet special care ought to be taken to avoid all occasions of calumny, so that the least suspicion may not arise, concerning the honesty and holiness of those that do assemble at such unseasonable times.
Observe, 5. What a warning the Holy Ghost here leaves upon record for those who sleep under the preaching of the word: Eutychus, when asleep under St. Paul’s long sermon, falls from the third loft, and is taken up dead.
Here note, The time when he was overtaken with sleep: not at noonday, but at midnight; and it was not a sermon of an hour-long that he was asleep under, but after St. Paul had preached several hours. This is not the case for our common sermon sleepers, who at noonday sleep under the preaching of the word; nay, settle and compose themselves to sleep, and do what they can to invite sleep to them! What if with Eutychus any of them fall down dead? Here is no Paul to raise them up; or, what if this wretched contempt of the word provokes God to say, Sleep on, and be so stupified that no ordinances shall awake you! Sleep on, till hell flames awake you!
Observe, 6. Eutychus is raised to life by a miraculous power communicated to St. Paul, which was a matter of great consolation to the spirits of the disciples and great confirmation of the faith of the disciples, verse 12. They brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted; not only for the young man’s sake, but especially for their own sakes: for hereby God gave a convincing testimony to the word of his grace,– God did hereby bear witness to it, and many were thereby confirmed in the belief of it.