David Bahn – Reflections

Acts 20:1-12

After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. 2 When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. 3 There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. 5 These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, 6 but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.

7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. 9 And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. 10 But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” 11 And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. 12 And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.

While a seminary student I served as a student field worker at a rural Indiana church. I would help with Bible classes, leading worship, and very occasionally preach. One man in particular had the habit of falling asleep in that nicely-heated church building. He was a dairy farmer and after braving the Indiana winter very early each Sunday morning he and his family would come to worship. And he would inevitably fall asleep during the sermon – even when I preached! This account in the book of Acts always reminds me of him.

A great Bible trivia question: What was the name of the young man mentioned in Acts 20 who fell asleep and fell out of a 2nd story window during a church service? Answer: Eutychus. Preachers like to warn people who are inclined to fall asleep in worship that when Eutychus did that he nearly died! This seemingly humorous event probably didn’t seem too humorous to the people in Ephesus. In fact Paul’s farewell with the Ephesian church was fraught with emotion. His farewell to the Ephesian elders is recorded also in Acts 20, and provides rich insight into Paul the missionary and the man.

What might be overlooked in these verses, however, are the names of the various men who were with Paul as he departed from Greece. Just as David had his mighty men – men of valor, strength, and intense loyalty – Paul has his group of protectors. Mission work is not for the faint of heart. Nor is mission work an excuse for opening yourself up to danger unnecessarily. The word of God has power, but even so, the sword, and sometimes pure brawn also serve the Gospel’s cause.

This an excuse for being mean or brutish. As James would remind us, “The anger of man does not produce the kind of righteousness that God desires” (James 1:20). Sometimes, sadly, however we must project ourselves into the power plays and schemes of man – even within the church. I recall a time when such an intervention occurred for my sake. In a church that I served there was a man who was bad-mouthing me and my ideas. Sadly, his criticisms – though deeply held – were not constructive. At an elders meeting we talked about this problem and the man’s actions. One of the elders said, “I’ll talk to him. He’s hurting the church.” I actually saw the intervention take place one Sunday morning. It was in intense conversation: finger-to-the chest and all. I didn’t hear what was said, but it must have been right on. After that day, the man’s demeanor and level of complaint decreased.

I am thankful today, more than twenty years later, for that elder. And I wonder whether other such interventions have occurred in my behalf – and more importantly in behalf of the Gospel – of which I am unaware. I would be remiss if I didn’t say thank you to those who have stood with me, or others in service to the Gospel. Such mighty men deserve to be mentioned in the Bible. They have a special place in my heart and serve a valuable purpose in the cause of the kingdom of God.