Acts 20 · The Lantern

Paul in Macedonia and Greece

Now after the ceasing of the uproar, Paul, having summoned the disciples and having encouraged them, having said farewell, departed to go to Macedonia.

And having passed through those districts and having encouraged them with much talk, he came to Greece;

and having continued three months, a plot having been made against him by the Jews as he was about to sail into Syria, a purpose arose to return through Macedonia.

And he was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus, a Berean; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.

And these, having gone ahead, were awaiting us in Troas;

but we ourselves sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and within five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

Eutychus Revived at Troas

And on the first day of the week, when we had come together to break bread, Paul was talking to them, being about to depart on the next day; and he was continuing the talk until midnight.

But every Lord's day do ye gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one that is at variance with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned.

"And on the first day of the week, when they were assembled to break bread." On the day before his departure from Troas, Paul, continuing his speech until midnight, was teaching very earnestly and pleasantly, when it came to pass that one of the young men present, overcome by sleep, fell from the loft and was in danger of death.

Then it was the feast of Pentecost and a Sunday. And even at night Paul did not rest, but conversed then all the more, since it was a time of leisure. See how long he spoke even after supper.

Now there were many lamps in the upper room where we were assembled.

And a certain young man named Eutychus, sitting by the window, was overpowered by a deep sleep as Paul talked on longer; and having been overpowered by the sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead.

And so, if it were agreed that even the blessed apostles had granted any such indulgence (to any crime) the pardon of which (comes) from God, not from man, it would be competent (for them) to have done so, not in the exercise of discipline, but of power.

Eutychus, alone, banished from the wakeful ones keeping watch, entrusted to a window with limbs sunk in heavy sleep. O rest wrongly won! O hearts always given over to sleep, unprotected by good! How great the disasters he lies open to, whom night alone guards and who never raises his troubled head to better things!

Having weighed down the listener with sleep, the devil disrupted the feast. The young man was sitting on the window at night — so great was his desire to listen.

But Paul, having descended, fell upon him, and having embraced him, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.”

"And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him, said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him." He said not, "He shall come to life again, for I will raise him up:" but mark the unassuming way in which he comforts them: "for his life," says he, "is in him."

Upon whom when Paul had descended, he laid upon him. That he descended, laid upon him, embraced him, this is what he himself says: My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you. Indeed, more laborious is the resurrection of those who sin through negligence than those who sin through infirmity.

He did not say "he will rise, for I will raise him," but rather "his life is in him." Note his humility and his desire to comfort.

And having gone up and having broken the bread and having eaten, and having talked for long until daybreak, so he departed.

"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." This thing cut short the discourse; it did no harm, however. Do you mark the frugality of the supper? Do you observe how they passed the whole night? Such were their meals, that the hearers came away sober, and fit for hearing.

Far be it from us to accept this as affirming that the apostles were accustomed to fast habitually on the Lord's day. For the day now known as the Lord's day was then called the first day of the week, as is more plainly seen in the Gospels; for the day of the Lord's resurrection is called by Matthew "first day of the week" and by the other three Evangelists "the first day of th…

And they brought the boy alive, and were encouraged not a little.

From Troas to Miletus

But we ourselves, having gone ahead to the ship, sailed to Assos, being about to take in Paul there; for thus he had arranged, readying himself to go on foot.

And when he was meeting with us at Assos, having taken him in, we came to Mitylene;

and from there, having sailed away on the following day, we arrived opposite Chios; and on the next day we arrived at Samos; and on the following day we came to Miletus.

For Paul had decided to sail by Ephesus, so that it might not happen to him to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if it would be possible for him, to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

But that the interests of the people of Ephesus might not be neglected on that account, he managed for this in a different way.

For he was hastening if it were possible to be present at the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. Indeed, it was commanded by the law that all Jews should gather in Jerusalem three times a year, that is, at the time of Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles, but the Apostle, breaking the ties of the world, hastens to observe the fiftieth day, that is, the day of remission…

You see, even with desire and effort Paul often did not achieve what he wanted, so that we would not think he was above human nature. The saints and great men were of one nature with us, but not of one will, and therefore they also had much grace.

Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesians

And from Miletus, having sent to Ephesus, he called for the elders of the church.

But that Paul taught with simplicity what he knew, not only to those who were [employed] with him, but to those that heard him, he does himself make manifest.

"And sending from Miletus to Ephesus, he called the ancients of the church." Sending from Miletus to Ephesus, the apostle Paul summoned the bishops of the church, and there retraced for them his story with great affection, reminding them of the moderation and humility with which he had behaved among them, above all bringing to their notice the word of the Lord so that false pre…

"He called the elders of the church." Many are unaware of the custom of Scripture, especially of the New Testament, of calling bishops elders and elders bishops; yet this is evident both from this passage and from the Epistle to Titus, as well as from the Epistle to the Philippians.

And when they had come to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know, from the first day on which I arrived in Asia, how I was with you the whole time,

serving the Lord with all humility and tears and trials that were happening to me in the plots of the Jews;

And what is wonderful, Not for one day nor for two, says he, have I continued doing this. He wishes to cheer them for the future, that they may bravely bear all things, both the parting from him, and the trials about to take place-just as it was in the case of Moses and Joshua.

"With all humility and tears." Here he shows a character of teaching: the generous, the tireless, and the sympathetic; for he suffered for those who were perishing, for those who were being destroyed; and humility; and not simply, but, he says, with all humility; (for there are many kinds of humility, in word, in deed, toward rulers, toward those ruled;) and speaking what was b…

"With all humility of mind." Not simply with humility of mind, but with "all," because there are many kinds of humility: in word, in deed, toward superiors, toward subordinates.

how I shrank back from nothing that was profitable, not to declare it to you and to teach you publicly and from house to house,

earnestly testifying to both Jews and Greeks the repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

And now behold, I myself, bound in the Spirit, go to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me in it,

The one who has been united to the Holy Spirit has been bound in him so that he does not separate from the Spirit in any way. The person of such a disposition is a captive of Christ whose Spirit he has. For if whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ is not of Christ, who has the Spirit, it is clear that whoever has Christ is in the Spirit.

Here, in the passage "bound," it is necessary to insert, so that either the mind be such: I am going to Jerusalem, having foreknowledge through the Spirit of the things that will be; and yet I go as a prisoner.

"I am bound by the Spirit." The word "bound" should be separated by a comma, so that the following meaning emerges: I go to Jerusalem, being bound, not having learned beforehand from the Spirit what will happen to me. It is remarkable that the prophets do not know everything, but only what the Holy Spirit reveals to them.

except that the Holy Spirit in every city fully testifies to me, saying that chains and tribulations await me.

But I make my life of no account, nor dear to myself, so as to finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify fully the gospel of the grace of God.

From Syria even unto Rome I fight with beasts not that I am devoured by brute beasts, for these, as ye know, by the will of God, spared Daniel, but by beasts in the shape of men, in whom the merciless wild beast himself lies hid, and pricks and wounds me day by day.

Nor do I count my life dearer than myself. He means the very life in the temporal body, which he considers as the least, who awaits eternal joy in another life.

"I fear none of these things," he says, "nor do I make my soul more precious than myself" (Acts 20:24). An excellent appraiser of things, who judges that nothing of his own should be preferred to himself. How many have preferred a small and worthless sum of money to their own salvation! Paul did not even prefer his soul.

And now behold, I myself know that you will no longer behold my face, you all among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom.

Therefore I testify to you in this day that I am innocent of the blood of all;

"I am clean of the blood of all." … The false teacher is guilty of the souls that receive his teaching, as if he had poured out their blood, which is our life. By saying "I am clean," he means, "I give witness that my teaching has deprived none of life everlasting but that it sets forth a heavenly kingdom.

"I am innocent," he says, "of the blood of all men," if you, being drowsy, perish because of the murderer of souls; for of the teacher, he says, For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore he who does not speak is responsible for their blood, that is, for their slaughter.

"Clean," he says, "am I from the blood of all," if you are weighed down by sleep and die at the hands of the murderer of souls, because I have fulfilled the duty of a teacher, "for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole will of God." This means: whoever does not declare the whole will of God is guilty of blood, that is, of murder.

for I did not shrink back from declaring all the counsel of God to you.

Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has set you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.

When, in reply to this, the Lord had figured the restoration of the lost ewe, to whom else is it credible that he configured it but to the lost heathen, about whom the question was then in hand,-not about a Christian, who up to that time had no existence?

"What then," someone might say, "thinkest thou thyself so great? if thou shouldest depart, are we to die?" I say not this, he replies, that my absence causeth this: but what? That there should rise up against you certain of another sort: he says not, "because of my departing," but "after my departing:" that is, after his going on his journey.

"Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock," because salvific benefit consists not only in correcting others — I fear, says the apostle, "lest, having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified" (1 Cor.

I myself know that after my departure grievous wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;

But if you touch also "what is caught by a wild beast", you will be unclean. What is the wild beast? Is it a lion or a wolf, which snatches away men or beasts? That, I believe, is the wild beast of which the Apostle Peter says: "your adversary the devil, like a roaring lion, goes about seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, strong in faith".

"For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock." Again he engages them from another quarter, from the things which should come after: as when he says, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood. After my departing," he says, "grievous wolves shall enter in among you" (Eph. vi.

A twofold misfortune: on the one hand, that he will not be there, and on the other, that certain people will attack, and moreover — what is especially bitter — "from among your own selves." It is grievous when civil war breaks out.

and out from your own selves will rise up men speaking perverted things, such as to draw away the disciples after them.

From these men also come the Menandrianists, and the Marcionists, and the Carpocratians, and the Valentinians, and the Basilidians, and the Saturnilians. Each of these leaders in his own private and distinct capacity brought in his own private opinion.

And from among yourselves will arise men speaking perverse things. Concerning these, John also says: They went out from us, but they were not of us (1 John II).

"To draw away disciples after themselves." The goal of heretics is to try to attract people not to the Lord, but to themselves, in order to flatter their own vanity, so that those attracted by them would bear the name of one heretic or another, as, for example, from Manes — the Manichaeans, from Arius — the Arians. This is what "to draw away disciples after themselves" means.

Therefore watch, remembering that for three years, night and day, I did not cease admonishing each one with tears.

"Night and day," he says, "I cease not to warn with tears." This might well be said in our case also: and though the speech seems to refer peculiarly to the teachers, it is common also to the disciples. For what, though I speak and exhort and weep night and day, while the disciple obeys not?

But because [Paul] said, "Night and day for three years I gave these teachings for your salvation," an allegory is revealed by this reckoning [of his]: he who utters three doctrines of the church rather often brings forth the historical and allegorical Book, proclaiming [also] a moral [sense].

For three years, night and day, I did not cease to admonish each one of you with tears. This is beautifully and succinctly explained by Arator: He who sings of the Church's three doctrines, often produces a Historical, moral-sounding, and typological volume; Hence Judea, lying empty, is called the barren tree, Which, after three years, did not produce the expected fruit.

And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, who is able to build up and to give the inheritance among all those sanctified.

He demonstrates obscurely and secretly that the Father, who is God, and his Son Jesus, the God-Word, are one. He does not speak in the plural "to those capable," but with a unifying name he indicates the singular being of both by saying "to the one capable." Thus we know, from what Paul says in preparing the churches of Asia, that there is one being of both Father and Son and t…

What he does when writing in an Epistle, this he does also when speaking in council: from exhorting, he ends with prayer: for since he had much alarmed them by saying, "Grievous wolves shall enter in among you," therefore, not to overpower them, and make them lose all self-possession, observe the consolation he gives.

The exhortation ends with a prayer. Since he had greatly frightened them, so as not to strike them down completely, here is the consolation. "And now," he says, "I commend you… to God and to the word of His grace," that is, to His very grace itself.

I coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothing.

You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my needs and to those of those being with me.

These words are spoken to the leaders of the church so that, in addition to the other things, they might judge themselves imitators of Paul by refusing to accept money. This is quite obvious from the words that follow: "I have given you example in all things that those who toil must come to the help of the weak" and provide for them.

And although for this there were great rewards for his merits prepared, yet [Paul's] mind, however holy and sublime it might be, could not help being sometimes drawn away from that heavenly contemplation by its attention to earthly labors.

And he spoke even more loftily further on: "You yourselves know that these hands of mine served my needs and the needs of those who were with me." Yes, true almsgiving consists in giving from one's own labors. But pay attention to the fact that this was a man who labored while constantly conversing: both day and night.

In everything I showed you that by thus straining it behooves us to aid those being weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, ‘It is happier to give than to receive.’”

And having said these things, having bowed his knees with them all, he prayed.

And there was much weeping among all; and having fallen upon Paul’s neck, they were kissing him,