Acts (Written)

Pointy peak in the Cascades.

Sunday, 10 September 2023

And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. Acts 20:9

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The translation is more precisely rendered, “And a certain youth named Eutychus, sitting upon the window, deep sleep overpowering him – Paul discoursing on more – having been overpowered from the sleep, fell from the third story down, and was taken up dead” (CG).

The previous verse curiously noted that there were many lamps in the upper room where the church was gathered. One main reason for including that observation is now seen. Luke’s use of participles gives action to the events as they occur. His words begin with, “And a certain youth.”

The word “youth” signifies a young man, but it can extend to someone even forty years of age. He is a man in the prime of life. Luke next says, “named Eutychus.” The name comes from eu, well or good, and tuché, fortune or fate. Hence, his name means Well Fated. This Eutychus is “sitting upon the window.”

Luke uses a present participle. He is sitting there during the gathering. Vincent’s Word Studies says, “The windows of an Eastern house are closed with lattice-work, and usually reach down to the floor, resembling a door rather than a window. They open, for the most part, to the court, and not to the street, and are usually kept open on account of the heat.”

It is in this location that he is sitting “upon” the window, meaning directly upon the frame. But more, the use of the article before “window” implies it is the one (or main) window to the entire room. Certainly because of this, as will be explained, there was “deep sleep overpowering him.”

The word translated as overpowering, katapheró, is also a present participle. It is used for the first of four times, all in Acts. It signifies to bear down, overpower, oppress, etc. Its second use will be in this verse as well. Being another present participle, Luke is drawing the reader into the narrative with one quick thought after another. Eutychus is sitting upon the window, and he is being overpowered by sleep.

With that, Luke provides the next words in another present participle to provide a reason for why he was being overpowered, saying, “Paul discoursing on more.”

The night is wearing on, Eutychus is sitting upon the window, there are many lamps in the room, all of which are burning, and Paul is talking on and on. Being in the window, he was in the spot where all of the heat and smoke of the “many lamps” would exhaust from the room. Breathing this in would make anyone sleepy, no matter how exciting the words of Paul. Thus, Luke switches to an aorist participle, saying, “having been overpowered from the sleep.”

It is the second use of katapheró. Eutychus was being overpowered, and then he is overpowered. He could not bear up with the long hours sitting directly in the spot where all of the lamp fumes, heat mixed with smoke, were exiting. And so, he “fell from the third story down.”

This is the only use of the word tristegon, or third story, in the Bible. It means that Eutychus probably fell somewhere about 18-25 feet, maybe a bit more if the window was elevated. Being asleep when he fell, he would have been unable to keep himself from damage. Rather, he would have plunked down in whatever form his body slumped over in. Therefore, Luke next notes, “and was taken up dead.”

Luke, being a competent physician, notes with all certainty that Eutychus had expired from the fall. Goodbye, Eutychus.

Life application: When something unusual is stated in Scripture, such as noting “many lamps” in the previous verse, there will be a reason for it. The reason may escape us. But in thinking through the times, situations, and circumstances of the event being described, we can usually come to a conclusion concerning the reason.

Further, there are two thousand years’ worth of commentary available to us. A simple search on the internet will bring up many of them. Be careful with such things because, quite often, the most sensational comments are the ones that are more commonly read. Because of this, they will come up first on internet searches. So be sure to read several commentaries. The initial one may be sensational, but it also may be wrong.

Take the time and effort necessary to find out the reason for things that you find curious. Quite often, you will discover that real human events are connected to real human circumstances. From there, and built upon that foundation, the miraculous will then come forth, such as what will next be stated by Luke in the ongoing narrative.

Heavenly Father, it is a treasure to search out Your word and to find out why things are stated there. The cultures described are different and the circumstances vary, but the human element remains the same. We can identify with what happened thousands of years ago because we are humans that You have created to know You and Your intents for us personally. Thank You for this precious word. Amen.

Beautiful Cascade mountains.

Saturday, 9 September 2023

There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together. Acts 20:8

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

In the previous verse, it noted that the church in Troas had come together to break bread and that Paul, being ready to depart the next day, continued his message until midnight. With that remembered, it now says, “There were many lamps in the upper room.”

At first, it seems like something entirely superfluous to say. However, there are probably several reasons for Luke’s inclusion of these words. The first was probably unintentional by him, but it shows the minuteness of the details.

The room was well lit, maybe more than usual, to mark the joyous nature of the first day of the week. It would show that the Christians met not in secrecy but in open fellowship.

Also, it would dispel the lie against the early church that Christians would turn out all the lights and proceed to commit all kinds of abominable acts. Also, the mentioning of it would explain what occurs in the coming verses.

As for noting that it is in the upper room, Charles Ellicott says –

“…the upper storey is often chosen for social or devotional purposes, partly as more removed from the noise of the street, partly as giving access to the roof of the house. Such a room in a good sized house might well hold two or three hundred people.”

It is in this large upper room “where they were gathered together.” In these words, some manuscripts say, “where we were gathered.” That would then be inclusive of Luke. Saying “we” would bolster the point about Luke’s careful attention to the details from a personal perspective, but even if the original is “they,” the note of many lamps would still probably have been told to Luke – even if he was not physically present – in order to explain what occurs in the ongoing narrative.

Life application: As has been explained previously in Acts, small differences in source Texts do not mean we do not have a sure word, as some claim. The argument in such a case would be that God failed to preserve His word. This is incorrect.

The original is contained in the manuscripts, even if scribes have made mistakes in various parts of it during the copying process. If there are 100 texts that say “how” and one that says “who,” and if the context demands “how,” then it is rather obvious the scribe had a moment of dyslexia, or he transposed the two letters by accident.

If a word is missing from a text and yet it is found in 72 others, it is likely the copyist missed the word without realizing it. Etc.

The original, however, remains within the enormous number of texts, lectionaries, and other ancient witnesses. But it must be searched out. There is nothing wrong with such a process. Rather, it confirms that God has given us His word, but He has allowed fallen, fallible man to transmit it throughout the ages, occasionally adding in an error that must then be weeded out by others.

Don’t ever feel we are lacking a sure word. The contents of Scripture contain the word of God because they are the word of God. Our errors in transmitting it do not change that.

Lord God, we know that Your word is sure because it tells us exactly what we need to know concerning our state before You, what You have done to correct it, and how we can then appropriate what You have done. No other religion comes even close to this. Rather, the message of Jesus is the resolution to man’s problem. Thank You for having sent Jesus to bring us back to Yourself. Amen.

Lovely Cascade mountains.

Friday, 8 September 2023

Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. Acts 20:7

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

In the previous verse, it noted that Paul and Luke (indicated by the word “we”) joined the others at Troas, where they then stayed seven days. With that noted, Luke continues, saying, “Now on the first day of the week.”

The Greek reads, “In now the one of the sabbaths.” The cardinal numeral here is used for the ordinal. The word “sabbaths” is plural. This plural is used for the singular in imitation of the Hebrew form. The noun, sabbaths, is used after numerals in the signification of a week. In other words, the Sabbath is the last day of the week. The next day begins a new week which is day one of the week. Thus, the day is Sunday, even if it started on Saturday night.

This verse, along with 1 Corinthians 16:2, shows with certainty that the Lord’s Day (Sunda) was already being observed at this early time in church history –

“On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.”

Of this day, Luke next records, “when the disciples came together to break bread.” The words are more precisely translated, “the disciples having been gathered together to break bread.” Like in Corinth, the people have gathered as an assembly. In Troas, this included 1) being on the first day, just as in Corinth, 2) gathering together, 3) breaking bread after that (see verse 11), 4) a sermon, and 5) long hours of contemplating God’s word.

This may have been Saturday night, which is the beginning of the first day of the week when reckoning by Jewish days. The breaking of bread is in accord with Paul’s words of 1 Corinthians 11. It is the observance of the Lord’s Supper. This would have been done along with a greater meal, an Agape or love feast, which is a regular meal along with fellowship. Next, Luke records, “Paul, ready to depart the next day.”

If this is Saturday night, meaning the beginning of the first day of the week, then Paul would depart on a Sunday. If this gathering began during the day on Sunday, then Paul would depart on a Monday. The reason for the confusion rests in the fact that the Jewish days begin in the evening at sundown. Thus, without knowing what time they gathered, it is unwise to be dogmatic.

At this meeting, Paul “spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.” The word translated as “spoke” is dialegomai. HELPS Word Studies says it signifies “through, from one side across to the other,” It contains the idea of “exercising ‘dialectical reasoning.’” Further, it notes, “This is the process of giving and receiving information with someone to reach deeper understanding – a ‘going back-and-forth’ of thoughts and ideas so people can better know the Lord (His word, will).” One can see that this is where our word “dialogue” comes from.

In other words, people were asking questions, and Paul was answering them. At times, Paul may have pulled out his parchments, referring to them to find the answer to a particular question.

The word translated as “continued” is found only here in Scripture, parateinó. It means to prolong. Paul obviously had a lot to say, and the people would then continue to question him as well. As a historical note, the Pulpit Commentary says –

“Justin Martyr, in his second Apology to Antoninus Plus (or Marcus Aurelius), of the Church assemblies in his day, not a hundred years after this time, is in exact agreement with it: – ‘On the day which is called Sunday, all (Christians) who dwell either in town or country come together to one place. The memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read for a certain time, and then the president of the meeting, when the reader has stopped, makes a discourse, in which he instructs and exhorts the people to the imitation of the good deeds of which they have just heard. We then all rise up together, and address prayers (to God); and, when our prayers are ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president, to the best of his ability, offers up both prayers and thanksgivings, and the people assent, saying “Amen.” And then the distribution of the bread and wine, over which the thanksgivings have been offered, is made to all present, and all partake of it.’ He adds that the elements are carried to the absent by the deacons, and that collections are made for poor widows, and orphans, and sick, and prisoners.”

Life application: Regardless of whether these believers gathered on Saturday night after the Sabbath or at some point during the day on Sunday, the church was gathered on Sunday. The reason that the Sabbath is mentioned at all by Luke, as a means of counting the days, would be because Paul would have observed the Sabbath in order to not be an offense to Jews (1 Corinthians 9:20).

Luke, knowing this, is explaining things from the perspective of Paul’s conduct. However, Paul’s instruction to the church, not his personal habits, is what direct doctrine. Just because Paul may or may not have observed a Sabbath, that has no bearing on what he taught. Also, the words that he was set to travel the next day show that there were no restrictions concerning Sabbath observance transferred to the new day of worship, meaning Sunday.

Those who impose Sabbath standards for Saturday worship, or who move those Sabbath standards to Sundays, are not working in accord with our freedom in Christ, which Paul writes about in Romans 14:5, Galatians 4:10, or Colossians 2:16. The Sabbath belonged to the Jewish people alone. It was never transferred to the church, even if Jews in the church continue to conduct their weeks in accord with the Jewish weekly calendar.

Those who have come to Christ have entered the rest that the Sabbath only anticipated (Hebrews 4:3). Exercise your freedom in Christ and do not be led down a path of false piety, nor to the observance of things that were mere shadows of the substance that has come in Jesus.

Heavenly Father, we are grateful to you for the full, finished, final, and forever work of Jesus Christ. Now, and in Him, we have the freedom to worship You in spirit and in truth. May we hold fast to Him and cling to You through His completion of all things necessary to restore us to Your presence. Thank You, O God, for Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Snow on the Cascade Mountains.

Thursday, 7 September 2023

But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days. Acts 20:6

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

In the previous verses, it noted that some of those traveling with Paul went ahead of him to Troas. However, Luke accompanied Paul by ship. That can be discerned from the next words, “But we.”

Luke includes himself in the narrative. He and Paul “sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread.”

The word “Bread” should be italicized. The Greek simply gives the adjective azumos, not leavened. The timing shows that the span spent in Corinth was the winter months. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is in the spring. Having left that area and going through the area of Macedonia, they met up with Luke in Philippi. With Unleavened Bread complete, Luke obviously decided to join him on his trip and sailed with him. From there, it says, “and in five days joined them at Troas.”

The Greek reads “until five days.” It is a way of indicating the duration of the voyage between Philippi and Troas. In Acts 16, the same trip appears to have taken only three days. The reason for the longer trip could be either because there was a contrary wind as they traveled eastward, or it could be that they made a few more stops to offload and onload cargo.

Either way, Luke’s providing the specific timeframes shows his meticulous nature. He carefully records such things, providing details often not found in other narratives that he later compiled. Once having reached Troas, Luke next says, “where we stayed seven days.”

Although it is impossible to know for certain, it is generally accepted (and likely) that they stayed a full week to ensure they could participate in one week of fellowship together. This will be seen in the coming verse.

Life application: It is known from this verse that Paul observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Based on this, Judaizers are adamant that we too must observe the Feasts of the Lord. This is obviously wrong for several reasons.

First, Paul was a Jew. Gentiles are not Jews. Gentiles were never given the law, and Christ fulfilled the law, setting it aside through His work. As this is so, it makes as much sense as making a tennis puck to observe something never mandated and which is now obsolete.

Even Paul did not feel compelled to do such things any longer. He clearly indicates that we (including himself) are not under law but under grace. That is found in Romans 6:14, 15 –

“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!”

Second, Paul clearly dismisses such observances in Colossians 2:16, 17 –

“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ¹⁷ which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”

Dietary laws, Sabbaths, and feast observances simply anticipated Christ. They have no substance but are mere shadows that anticipated Him.

Third, Paul explicitly explains what we are to do at Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 –

“Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? ⁷ Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. ⁸ Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

The words “let us keep the feast,” meaning the feast that Paul just got done observing, do not mean “observe as Israel observed.” Rather, he explains that the physical rites observed by Israel anticipated spiritual truths. He does this with the words, “not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

This is exactly what he meant in Colossians 2. The physical rites of Israel were mere shadows that pointed to spiritual truths. Keeping the feast for a week each year is replaced with living in sincerity and truth throughout the year. The feasts only anticipated our lives in Christ.

If this is so, then why did Paul observe the feast? The answer is found in 1 Corinthians 9 –

“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; ²⁰ and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; ²¹ to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; ²² to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. ²³ Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.” 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Paul’s actions were to bring people to Christ. If that meant observing a now obsolete fest, he was up to it. If it means having a super yummy pulled-pork sandwich at Demetrio’s Diner, he was up to it. Paul’s only goal was to have people come to Christ.

Don’t allow uneducated, legalistic people to ruin your walk with Christ through such silly notions as “It is pleasing to God to observe these points of the law.” If you must observe any point of the law, you must observe the entire law – perfectly. Choosing the law over the grace of Christ is a self-condemning act. You do not have the right to pick and choose which laws you will observe and which you will not. You have placed the entire burden of the law on your shoulders. Good luck with that.

Lord God Almighty, thank You for the grace which is found in Jesus Christ our Lord. Help us to never fall back on our own supposed deeds of personal righteousness, assuming that they can make us right before You. Instead, may we hold fast to what Jesus has done and live our lives from that perspective. Thank You for the freedom we have because of Your grace lavished upon us. Amen.

Mountain and river in the Cascades.

Wednesday, 6 September 2023

These men, going ahead, waited for us at Troas. Acts 20:5

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The verse more correctly reads: “And these, having gone ahead, waited for us in Troas” (CG).

The previous verse listed seven men who had accompanied Paul on the journey. Of them, it next says, “And these, having gone ahead, waited for us in Troas.”

At first, one might think that it is referring to all seven. However, the Greek may indicate that it was only Tychicus and Trophimus that went on ahead. This is not unlikely because they were from that area, and therefore they may have been the only two to head that way. If so, then the other five went with Paul.

The word “us” indicates that Luke has now joined them in Philippi. The last we/us section was also in Philippi. That was in Acts 16. Therefore, it appears that Luke stayed there during all this time. Possibly he pastored a church or did medical work there. Only speculation is possible, but his connection to Philippi seems assured.

There are two good reasons for the arrangement of this verse. First, Paul could then observe the Passover at Philippi as the next verse will show. Therefore, it is certain that this time of year was already becoming a celebration of the cross and the resurrection, as Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 5:7, 8 and 1 Corinthians 15:20. Also, second, it would allow for all the believers at Troas to come together to meet with Paul upon his arrival.

Life application: It is common among various heretical Christian sects to claim that believers must adhere to the Law of Moses in part or in whole. For some, celebrating the Leviticus 23 Feasts of the Lord is mandatory. And yet, Paul dispels that notion in Colossians 2 –

“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ¹⁷ which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” Colossians 2:16, 17

The “sabbaths” are the weekly Sabbath observances noted in Leviticus 23:1, along with special Sabbaths specifically noted in the Law. The “festival” refers to the individual annual feasts of Leviticus 23. These only anticipated the coming of Jesus. They are fulfilled in Him, and it is pointless to observe them now, except in the sense of remembrance of what He has done.

To reinsert law observance is to diminish or ignore the purpose of the coming of Jesus. It is, in essence, another path of working one’s way to heaven. That is an infinite climb that no man can make. Set aside such things. Look to the cross and consider the words, “It is finished.” That is where our faith should rest.

Glorious God, thank You for all You have done for us. May Your glorious name ever be praised as we look to the cross of Jesus and find our hope, our assurance, our peace, and our rest. May we never diminish the glory of what He has done by trying to earn what is offered by grace. All hail the name of Jesus, who alone has secured our path back to You. Amen.