.. when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them..

Acts 20:7b ESV

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Talk of Jesus into the late night hours

Our focus on this late-night incident in Troas is Paul’s midnight talk of JESUS and its impact on the Church. My secondary focus is a role of Paul we may not have considered as today’s TITLE suggests.

Acts 20:

And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

Acts pf the Apostles 20:7 KJV

The following 2-part post from just six verses in Acts 20 and Paul's third missionary journey focuses on two topics:

1. An extra long sermon (not so unusual for ANY pastor so it would seem) AND 
2. an extraordinary sign suggesting that Paul is also a Prophet of Almighty God.

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a Sunday service before their Monday departure

Luke records in Acts 20 that the Apostle Paul is already on his way home.

Strategic Retreat of Paul to Troas

a weekly Sunday worship

Let's not miss the context and content of this day which was likely sometime in the year of our Lord 56. 

Call it what you like: worship, a service, gathering or mass. These Christians of Troas welcomed Paul and his missionary companions into their weekly time together as a community in Christ.

And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread..

1 Corinthians 11:2 LSB For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was being betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said,

“This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying,

“This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

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The Sermon of a Church Father

Note that Paul is NOT the local day-to-day Pastor and Shepherd of this church. The Apostle speaks to a large group gathered in Troas for worship. 

A crowded Christian gathering in an upper room anticipates Paul's Spirit-led exhortation [encouragement, both positive and cautionary].

AND Paul's 'talk' was not simply a one-man sermon to the flock without response but included extended additional dialogue.

Paul began speaking to them.. [began talking in the NASB & others]

διαλέγομαι – in the Greek – discuss (in argument or exhortation):—dispute, preach (unto), reason (with), speak.

The AV translates it “preached,” in Act 20:7, 9; this the RV corrects to “discoursed,” lit., “dialogue,” i.e., not by way of a sermon, but by a “discourse” of a more conversational character.

Source: Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words – Strong’s G1256 – dialegomai

Paul kept talking until midnight. He prolonged his speech or message.

Luke uses the root word describing this dialogue (dialegomai) of Paul’s message lasting until midnight for these believers.

λόγος – logos – Strong’s G3056 – logos – a word, discourse, doctrine, teaching ..

• of speech
  • a word, uttered by a living voice, embodies a conception or idea
  • what someone has said
  • discourse
  • doctrine, teaching
    • MORE –

Luke opens ACTS using this same word referring to his Gospel as his 'first account' [prōtos logos].

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Scene of this late service

(for dialogue between the men of the church)

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Luke does not mention the time of their regular Sunday worship.

It could have been nine or eleven in the morning. Perhaps it was an evening service planned for after the saints typically ate their evening meal at home with their families.

SEE Paul's mention of this in 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 THE LORD'S SUPPER

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Acts of the Apostles 20:8 LSB

Have you ever known someone to fall asleep ‘in church’ when their flesh could no longer bear another word of the pastor’s sermon or discussion of an unseen God and the Lord JESUS?

This young man, a boy likely brought by his father to the upper room of their evening service precariously perched himself in an open window where air circulated into the crowded place of worship.

BUT he just couldn’t last through all the long talk of JESUS by the Apostle Paul and others.

(Perhaps by midnight what little breeze had revived the boy had subsided into stillness.)

He FELL to his death!

DEATH! a sudden ending

Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.

ACTS of the Apostles 20:9 KJV

This sudden incident brought the church meeting and Paul’s talk to an abrupt end.

The boy’s father and worshipers listening to Paul’s talk must have been stunned as the young man suddenly fell to his death.

So these men rushed downstairs and then outside to witness the apparent tragedy of the young man Eutychus for themselves.

a Sign of Life and Power through Paul

But Paul went down and fell upon him..

Acts of the Apostles 20:10a

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What Luke records NEXT in his account is both significant and perhaps largely ignored in 21st century C.E. preaching about the early history of the Church.

THEREFORE, we will leave the outcome of this evening for NEXT time and by way of comparison also look at Scripture concerning other Prophets (as I have suggested of the Apostle Paul).

ACTS of the Apostles – To Be Continued… in A.D. 1st c. Troas, God-willing

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