ON THE THIRD JOURNEY PAUL RAISES EUTYCHUS AT TROAS

ACTS 20:7–12

The combination of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the scattering of the church from Jerusalem, and two journeys of Paul resulted in the message of Jesus spreading throughout modern Turkey and Greece. Paul aspired to nurture these new communities. Following a time in Syrian Antioch, he was on the road again. We, however, will focus on Paul’s weeklong stay in Troas, where he raised a young man named Eutychus—a miracle done there for a reason.

During Paul’s third journey he traveled to Troas on two occasions. At that time Troas was a thriving Roman colony on the Aegean Sea that enjoyed mild weather and fertile soil.35 The real merit of this city was its critical location and its service as a transportation hub. Overland trade routes from the east terminated here, where people and their goods could make the relatively short hop across the Aegean Sea. After crossing to Neapolis, the harbor near Philippi, they could connect with the Egnatian Way, the major highway that linked the Aegean and Adriatic seas.36 Paul had used the port of Troas for just this reason on at least three separate occasions (Acts 16:8–10; 20:1–2, 6).

But it was his last stop there that closed with a life-giving miracle (Acts 20:7–12). The church of Troas had gathered for worship on the first day of the week, Sunday, in commemoration of Jesus’s resurrection.37 Since Paul was leaving the next morning, eager to get to Jerusalem by Pentecost (Acts 20:16), he taught late into the night. A young man named Eutychus was sitting in the open window of the third story listening to Paul. He began to fall asleep and subsequently fell out of the window, struck the ground, and died. Paul threw himself on the body of the expired young man reminiscent of what Elijah and Elisha had done in the past (1 Kings 17:19–24; 2 Kings 4:32–37). The crowd stood in awe as life returned to Eutychus (Acts 20:10–12).

Troas harbor basin, measuring about 400 by 200 feet.

Troas could be a powerful venue to spread the gospel message. Starting from a bottleneck in the transportation system that crossed the ancient world from east to west, the message of Jesus could be told to travelers transiting Troas and have an impact thousands of miles away.

Remains of the Roman bath complex at Troas.

Furthermore, this miracle meant something important for Paul. After the raising of Eutychus, Paul walked from Troas to Assos instead of riding on the ship with the others (Acts 20:13). The Holy Spirit had warned Paul that he would be handed over to the Gentiles, and it seemed to Paul that his life might end shortly (Acts 21:10–14). After those experiences, perhaps that walk from Troas to Assos provided time for Paul to reflect on the recent miracle in which the Lord brought Eutychus back to life, a miracle that became an encouragement to Paul as he was warned of prison, hardships, and potential death in the days ahead.

Roman road to Assos, about nine miles south of Troas (Acts 20:13–14).

Traos and nearby cities in the first century AD

Paul’s third journey