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The book of Acts

Paul in Macedonia, Greece and Troas

Chapter 20: 1 to 12

After the interruption caused by the uproar and confusion in Ephesus, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged and literally embraced them, then departed for Macedonia.

He travelled through Macedonia, encouraging the brethren in that region for about nine months. In his letters we learn that Paul met Titus in Macedonia (2 Corinthians 2:13 - 7:16), probably at Philippi.

Titus gave him news about the church in Corinth, and Paul then wrote his second letter to the Corinthians during this period. This letter is considered a revelation of the heart of Paul himself: it is his spiritual autobiography and apology of his life. This was one of the most intense experiences of his entire career; having opened his heart to the Corinthians, and won the final victory in the church with the help of Titus, who also helped him gather a large flock in Achaia.

Titus returned to Corinth with the second letter of Paul, and Paul went through Macedonia, coming to visit Illyria (Romans 15:19), thus giving time for this letter to take effect (2 Corinthians 13: 1-14). Paul probably found Luke again in Macedonia, but Luke's account in Acts omits all this. He only reports that he "encouraged them with many words."

Then Paul continued on to Greece, also called Achaia (Chapter 18:12 and 19:21), where he finally arrived in Corinth again, after having made several previous attempts, suffering pauses and delays (2 Corinthians 13: 1).  Titus had apparently succeeded in suppressing the Judaizers there, and Paul found the door open for his preaching, teachings and exhortations in that city for three months. It was in Corinth that Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, and perhaps to the Galatians.

Paul was intending to embark at Corinth for Antioch in Syria, but a plot of the Jews against him came to his notice and he then decided to return through Macedonia. It should be noted that the Jews that set the trap were not the Judaizing believers who had disturbed the church (2 Corinthians 10-13). They would probably be the Jews expelled by Gallio from the Roman court (Chapter 18:5-17).

The following are the names of the seven companions of Paul on this journey, and we will try to identify them with reference to the same names in other passages of the Bible:

1. Sopater of Berea, was possibly the same as Sosipater, a countryman of Paul mentioned in Romans 16:21.

2. Aristarchus of Thessalonica, ran danger of life in the tumult at Ephesus (Chapter 19:29). He was later a fellow labourer and prisoner of Paul in Rome (Philemon 1:24; Colossians 4:10).

3. Secundus, also in Thessalonica accompanied Paul to Asia, probably Troas and Miletus.

4. Gaius of Derbe should not be confused with the Macedonian who was caught by the mob at Ephesus (Chapter 19:29). Another Gaius is mentioned in Corinth, who hosted Paul when he was there (Romans 16:23). The third letter of John is addressed to a man named Gaius, who probably lived in a town near Ephesus. Gaius was a very popular name.

5. Timothy appears first in chapter 16:1. He not only accompanied Paul to Asia, but also stayed with him in Rome during the first time he was arrested (Romans 16:21). Paul then travelled through Asia. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul expressed the desire to see him again, but we do not know if he actually did.

6. Tychicus, a native of Asia Minor, probably went on with Paul as far as Miletus. He later joined Paul in Rome and worked with him, even during his imprisonment (Colossians 4:7)

7. Trophimus seems to have been a Gentile who lived in Ephesus in Asia Minor. He went with Paul to Jerusalem, and unwittingly caused his arrest (Chapter 21:29). See also 2 Timothy 4:20.

It is not clear, but it is likely that these seven brethren, members of various churches (2 Corinthians 8:19-23) began the journey from Corinth with Paul and went with him to Philippi, where they met Luke. Since then Luke accompanied Paul in his travels until they came to Rome.

It is curious that no one seems to have gone from Achaia. Would the Corinthian church have failed to help the needy of Judea (2 Corinthians 8, 9), or would they have entrusted their contribution to Paul and these brethren from other places? It was a major operation, and Paul did his utmost to remove any chance of scandal in the handling of the funds.

The seven companions soon continued journey to Troas, but Paul and Luke waited until after the feast of unleavened bread. Paul was a Jew and continued to observe the Jewish festivals, though he protested against compelling the Gentiles to do such a thing (Galatians 4:10; Colossians 2:16). Luke was a proselyte of the Jews, and attended these feasts, as we see here and in Acts 27:9. It may be that he was just accompanying Paul.

This Passover, which gave the beginning to the feast, came a year after that of Ephesus when Paul wanted to stay until the day of Pentecost (1 Corinthians 16:8). This time he hoped to celebrate the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem (Acts 20:16), and actually did. We do not know the exact year, but it was possibly in 56 or 57 AD.

They took five days to reach Troas, probably because they found headwinds, whereas before they had made the trip in reverse in just two days (Chapter 16:11). There they found the seven companions who had come before the Passover Feast.

In the two previous times that Paul passed through Troas he had not stopped: at the first he had a vision in the night when a man called him to Macedonia (Chapter 16:8-11); at the second, when he intended to preach the gospel there because the door was open, he soon travelled to Macedonia because he was anxious to find brother Titus (2 Corinthians 2:12-13).

Now Paul was able to stay in Troas for seven days, perhaps at the home of Carpus (2 Timothy 4:13), and certainly, with others, used this time to teach and preach as they waited for the ship to leave on the second day of the following week.

No one knows for sure at what time the disciples came together to “break bread” on the first day of the following week, according to verse 7.  According to the Hebrew calendar, the first day of the week would have started after sundown on the Sabbath and ended on the next sundown. Given the sequence of events, it is likely to have been at the time of the evening meal (Luke 29-30).

"To break bread" was to have a common meal, as we see in Acts 2:46, Acts 20:11 and Acts 27:35. Paul called the Lord's Supper also “Breaking of Bread” in his first letter to the Corinthians, chapters 10:16 and 11:24. There are those who maintain that on this occasion it was a common meal, those who argue that it was the Lord's Supper, those who think they were both, and even those who argue that the reference in verse 7 was to the Lord's Supper, and in verse 11 it was just a meal, or vice versa.

We will not take sides in this matter. There were others present, in addition to their hosts and travellers, and while the others ate, Paul took the opportunity to speak at length about the Gospel, given his imminent departure. They were gathered on the third floor of the house, its upper floor, and during the long speech of Paul, the room was hot and stuffy, because besides containing many people, it had many lamps alight.

At midnight, a young man, Eutychus, sitting at a window, fell fast asleep and fell out down to the ground below. Paul interrupted his preaching to go down with the others, and although Eutychus was dead when they got to him, Paul fell on him and embraced him, then ordered them not to be alarmed, because he was alive.

Paul then broke bread and ate (the others had eaten while he spoke), and kept talking until dawn, when he set out on foot to meet his companions at Assos, where they would be sailing. The people were comforted a lot because they brought the young man in alive.

 

R David Jones

 

 

 

1 After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself, embraced them, and departed to go to Macedonia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to Greece

 

 

 

 

3 and stayed three months. And when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.

 

 

4 And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia—also Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.
5 These men, going ahead, waited for us at Troas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7 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.

 

 

 

 

 

8 There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together.
9 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.
10 But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, "Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him."
11 Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed.
12 And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.

Acts chapter 20, verses 1 to 12