Acts | 1-8: | 9-18  | 19:1-20 | 19:21-41 | 20:1-16 | 20:17-38 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23:12-35 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28:1-16 |

These small group Bible studies of Acts 20 contain commentary, discussion questions, and practical application.  Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.

Acts 20 Bible Study – Eutychus Raised from the Dead – Long Sermons?

Outline

I. Paul visits Macedonia and Greece (1-6)
II. Eutychus is raised from the dead (7-16)
III. Paul visits with the Ephesian leaders (17-38)

I. Paul visits Macedonia and Greece (1-6)

Discussion Questions

• Why did Paul leave Ephesus?
• What did he do as he traveled through those regions?
• What did Paul do when a plot was made against him?
• What trend do we see in how Paul responds to persecution?
• What Biblical principle supports this response?

Cross-References

Matthew 10:23 – When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

John 10:39 – Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.

Proverbs 22:3 – The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
but the simple go on and suffer for it.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. Paul encouraged the disciples –

Verses one and two mention that Paul encouraged the disciples. He had narrowly avoided a dangerous situation as the whole city was rioting. Yet Paul did not focus on his own feelings or difficulties. Instead, his focus was on the well-being of the other believers. Paul was others-centered.

When he left Ephesus, he traveled through nearby regions, encouraging the believers as he went. Finally, he came to Greece and stayed there for three months.

Reflect – How good are you at encouraging others? Does it come naturally or is it easier to criticize?

One of the spiritual gifts is encouragement (sometimes referred to as exhortation). It is found in Romans 12.

Romans 12:6-8 – Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation…

Barnabas seemed to have this gift (Acts 4:36). Perhaps Paul also learned the importance of encouraging others from him. I have been around brothers and sisters who are wonderful at encouraging. They could sense when others were getting discouraged and would always try to remind them of the positive things God had done in and through them. They used their words to lift up others’ spirits and help the people around them focus on God’s goodness and the many gifts He has bestowed upon us.

The example they set was really significant to me. By nature, I am not a very good encourager. It is easy for me to focus on people’s failures or shortcomings. I tend to slide more easily into criticizing or rebuking rather than encouraging. So, like these friends, Paul’s model is an important reminder to me to always look for the good in others (1 Corinthians 13:7) and be very verbal in expressing words of affirmation and appreciation.

A simple word of encouragement can make a huge impact on others’ lives. When I praise my children, I can see their countenance change. They gain confidence and motivation.

Application – How can you be more of an encourager? Who specifically would you like to encourage in the next week?

2. When persecution came, Paul left –

He left Ephesus after the riot. In Greece, he heard of a plot against his life, so he left there as well.

Reflect – Was Paul right to flee persecution?

Sometimes the wisest course of action for those being persecuted is to flee. Though there are certainly times to stand your ground, Jesus told the disciples to go to the next town if they were persecuted.

Matthew 10:23 – When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

We should have faith in God. We should also be courageous. But we should not be foolish. There is no point in staying and being killed when you can just move to the next town and continue preaching.

Having said that, there are times when taking the gospel to a new region means there is no choice but to face grave physical dangers. That was the case for Jim Elliot and his team. Many other missionaries have faced it and still do in certain Muslim countries or North Korea.

Matthew 10:16 – Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Reflect – Have you ever faced persecution before? Opposition to your faith in Jesus? How did you react?

II. Eutychus is raised from the dead (7-16)

Discussion Questions

• What does it mean that they were gathered together to break bread?
• Why did Paul talk so long?
• Does this passage support long sermons, short sermons, or neither?
• What does this passage reveal about the early New Testament church?
• How long did Paul speak till? Why did he go so long?
• How does the length of his message compare to modern-day sermons?
• How do you react to long sermons? How are your attention span and focus?
• How do we see the work of God in this passage?
• How does God’s mercy shine through?
• What dumb mistakes has God protected you through?
• How can we show this same mercy to those around us?

Cross-References

John 20:1 – Now on the first day of the week…

1 Corinthians 16:2 – On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up…

Acts 2:42 – And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

2 Timothy 4:2 – Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

Acts 28:23 – When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.

Hebrews 2:4 – While God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. On the first day of the week –

Believers in New Testament times generally gathered on Sunday, the first day of the week. This was probably to commemorate the fact that Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday. Today, Christians around the world still gather for worship on Sunday mornings. Let us always remember the original reason, to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection.

2. Breaking of bread –

Two possible activities could be called “breaking of bread.” One was taking the Lord’s Supper together (Luke 22:19). The other is fellowship together by sharing meals. The early New Testament church often seemed to combine both.

Their church services were very different from what we have today. Nowadays, we have church buildings. Christians go once a week on Sunday mornings to the building. They sit through a structured service for an hour or so, singing songs and listening to the pastor deliver a thirty-minute sermon. Afterwards, they chat and go to their separate homes.

Reflect – What differences can you see in the practice of the believers in Acts from what we do today? What advantages did the model of the church at that time have?

We see that Luke is highlighting the “togetherness” of the believers. They were sharing life together as they built this new community. Their lives were open. They met in their own homes. Services were less structured and more organic. The result was more accountability, fellowship, and authenticity.

I have been in churches where people did not want to discuss the Bible or talk about how it applied to their lives. These things were considered private. Their life was like a closed book, which you could not really get a glimpse of. Separation between your Christian life on Sunday and your “real” life the rest of the week is a dangerous thing.

The believers in Acts didn’t seem to separate the two. Their homes and their lives were open.

Application – Consider your own Christian life and practices. How can you be more open to truly sharing your life with other believers? How could being more open and sharing life with other believers help you grow? One practical application is to open your home by inviting other believers to come and break bread with you.
3. Paul talked into the night –

Paul kept sharing through the night until daybreak as the believers eagerly listened to his sharing by lamplight. Luke does not record any dissent from people complaining that Paul talked too long.

In many Western churches today, the congregation might be looking at their watches. It was a unique event as Paul the great missionary did not visit every day. But you see a hunger and eagerness to hear the Word and learn. That was more important to them than sleep.

Reflect – How eager are you for the Lord and His Word? Could you truthfully say what the Psalmist said below? How can our hunger for God be increased?

Psalms 42:1-2 – As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

Psalms 119:103 – How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

4. Eutychus fell out of the window –

Around midnight, one young man named Eutychus fell asleep sitting at a window and dropped down from the third story. The drop killed him.

But Paul, with the power of God, raised him from the dead. Elijah, Elisha, Jesus, and Peter had done similar miracles. Different people and times, but the same God.

5. God’s mercy shines through –

The story of Eutychus is a reminder of God’s mercy. Eutychus didn’t do anything rebellious or malicious. It was a simple mistake. Sitting in a window like that when you are so sleepy is not a very good idea. Yet Paul does not rebuke him for his mistake. He doesn’t say, “he deserved it.” Neither does he blame Eutychus for falling asleep during his sermon. He didn’t use Eutychus as an object lesson for the importance of maintaining focus. It is easy to imagine a false teacher or cult leader doing that.

Paul, reflecting God’s love and mercy, simply raises him from the dead without condemning him.

Romans 8:1 – There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

All of us make many mistakes. Some of those are accidental, done in ignorance. Others are willful sins. Yet God is always ready to forgive and restore us. Restoration is His goal, not rebuke.

In our own weaknesses, we often fall. Sometimes that fall is worse than the three-story drop Eutychus experienced. But God is always ready to pick us up again.

Reflect – Share about a time God protected you when you made a bad decision or foolish mistake.

6. Paul’s journeys continued –

After leaving Troas, Paul and his companions continued their journey, making their way toward Jerusalem. Paul went by land to Assos, while his companions took a ship and met him there. We are not told why Paul walked this part of the journey alone. It may have been for silence, meditation, and prayer, akin to Jesus often spending time with the Father in the wilderness.

After Assos, they visited Mitylene, Chios, Samos, and Miletus. These were coastal cities and islands off the western coast of what is modern-day Turkey.