DAY #212: Acts 20:1-16

Second Corinthians was written somewhere during this part of the missionary journey. On this trip Paul likely retraced many of his steps, revisiting many of the churches he had established on his second journey and arriving ultimately in Greece (specifically Corinth), where he stayed for three months. From Corinth Paul wrote the letter to the Romans. Although he had not yet been to Rome, believers had already started a church there.

Paul’s three-month stay was brought to a close in typical fashion: a Jewish plot was discovered against the apostle, causing him to decide to return through Macedonia instead of sailing back to Syria.

This is an unusually complete listing of those who were traveling with Paul on this section of the journey. The company provided accountability. Paul was carrying the offering from the Asian churches for the suffering church at Jerusalem. Paul would not want the Jerusalem church to think he handled the money by himself, without others to account for it.

These men who were traveling with Paul also represented churches that Paul had started in Asia: (1) Galatia—Gaius and Timothy; (2) Asia—Tychicus and Trophimus; (3) Macedonia—Sopater, Aristarchus, and Secundus. Having the men deliver the gifts to Jerusalem gave the gifts a personal touch and strengthened the unity of the universal church. This was also an effective way to teach the church about giving, because the men were able to report back to their churches the ways in which God was working through their giving. Paul discussed this gift in one of his letters to the Corinthian church.


In Troas, the believers gathered on Sunday, and Paul preached a lengthy, late-night sermon. A young man by the name of Eutychus fell asleep and fell to his death out of the third-floor window in which he was sitting! Paul calmly restored Eutychus to life, and the church resumed its worship service.

Paul spoke on and on, and Eutychus, likely sitting on the windowsill because of the crowd in the room, sank into a deep sleep. He fell out of the window, three stories. Luke, the physician, confirmed the fact that Eutychus was dead. Paul went to the boy and took him into his arms. Paul addressed the concerned flock. “Don’t worry,” he said. Then, with those powerful Resurrection-reminiscent words, he added: “He’s alive!”

Following this amazing miracle, the meeting was resumed upstairs where they celebrated the Lord’s Supper, followed by Paul’s continuing to teach until dawn.


SO WHAT? (what will i do with what i have read today?)

Paul is such an example of how to live out the Christian life. He is such an example of living out his faith. At his core, Paul was a preacher. I laugh at how long he was preaching in this passage. The bigger picture is that he was using his spiritual gift to build up the body of Christ.

Listen to what Ephesians 2:10 says;

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

And then Ephesians 4:11-12;

"It was He (God) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up"

So, let me ask you today. What are your spiritual gifts and how are you using them to serve and build up the body of Christ? Why don't you check out this websight and start looking into what your gifts are and how you might use them.

http://www.churchgrowth.org/analysis/intro.php