ACC ~ Acts 20 v7 - 12

OVERVIEW:

Let this commentary by Joseph Fitzmyer serve as an example of a good close modern reading of the text: “This Lucan story about Paul parallels Peter’s resurrection of Tabitha in 9:36-41. Eutychus (whose Greek name means ‘lucky one’) is aptly named by Luke who depicts him restored to ‘life’ in the context of a eucharistic ‘breaking of the bread.’ To be noted is that Luke depicts Paul celebrating the Eucharist, even though no mention is made of the distribution of the ‘broken bread’. . . ; he is thus the only individual Christian so depicted in the NT. … This Lucan episode depicts Paul celebrating the liturgy of the word and the breaking of bread on a Sunday, the Christian equivalent of keeping holy the Sabbath day. Such a celebration was the liturgical recollection of the Lord’s resurrection, his triumph over death. So it becomes a fitting context for the event in which Paul resuscitates Eutychus.” Chrysostom notes the ironies of this memorable situation: Paul is leaving, but the hearers are unaware of it. The young man’s life appears gone but is spared. In allegorizing the text, Bede urges plain language that does not put the hearer to sleep. Arator uses the occasion to condemn sloth. Bede compares the negligence of Eutychus with the weakness of Tabitha. Augustine understands the eucharistic context of the incident.

20:7 | Gathered Together to Break Bread

A MEMORABLE GATHERING. CHRYSOSTOM: “When we were gathered together,” it says, “to break bread.” At the opportune time, when they showed they were hungry (and this not untimely), his speech began and was prolonged. So it was not primarily to hear his teaching that they came together but to break bread; however, once [Paul] began speaking, he prolonged the teaching. See how at Paul’s table all partook. It seems to me that even while seated at the table he was speaking, thus teaching us to consider all the rest secondary. Picture to yourself, please, that house with the lights, with the crowd, with Paul in the middle, speaking, with even the windows occupied by many people, and to hear that trumpet, to behold that gracious countenance! … But why did he speak at night? Because [Paul] was about to depart and never see them again. This he does not tell them, since they are too weak, but he did tell the others. At the same time, the miracle that took place made them remember that evening forever. Great was the pleasure experienced by his audience; though interrupted, it was further extended. So the fall took place to the benefit of the teacher. Besides, all who were indifferent were about to be censured by that young man who underwent death to hear Paul. HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 43.

AN ALLEGORICAL READING OF THE TEXT. BEDE: We can speak allegorically here, for the upper room is the loftiness of spiritual gifts; night is the obscurity of the Scriptures; the abundance of lamps is the explanation of the more enigmatic sayings; the Lord’s day is the remembrance of either the Lord’s resurrection or our own. And [this passage serves] to warn the spiritual teacher that if he is ever attracted by the sweetness of the resurrection and the joys of the life to come, and he arouses his listeners to the heights of virtue, and if in a lengthy discussion he touches upon any enigmas of the Scriptures, he should very soon, for the sake of weak listeners, shed light on those same [enigmas] by the lamp of plain explanation, just as the apostle did. When he said, “Abraham had two sons, the one by a slave girl and the other by a free woman,” he soon added by way of explanation, “These are the two covenants,” and so forth. COMMENTARY ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.7-8.

20:9 | Eutychus Sitting in the Window

THE FERVOR OF PAUL’S AUDIENCE. CHRYSOSTOM: Observe, if you please, how crowded the audience was—for the disciples, it says, had gathered together, and what sort of miracle it was. For it was in the window, it says, that [Eutychus] sat, and this at the dead of night. So great was his desire to listen! Let us be ashamed, we who would not do this even during the day. But it was Paul who spoke then, you say. What do you mean? Paul speaks now as well, or rather, it was not Paul either then or now, but Christ, and no one listens. There is no window now, and neither hunger nor sleep troubles us, and still we do not listen. No crowding in a tight place or any other similar discomforts. And the wonderful thing is this: though a young man, he was not indifferent, and though he was being overtaken by sleep, he did not leave, nor was he afraid of the danger of falling. Do not be amazed that [Eutychus] nodded off and fell. For it was not out of indifference that he fell asleep but from necessity of nature. But notice, if you please, that so fervent was their zeal that they were even on the third floor. For not yet did they have a church. HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 43.

EUTYCHUS. BEDE: In Hebrew “Eutychus means senseless, while in Greek it means fortunate.” One of these [meanings] fits a person who, through the pleasures of youth, has fallen from the peak of virtues. The other fits a person who, through the loving help of a preacher, has returned to the heights of virtue. COMMENTARY ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.9A.

EUTYCHUS’S SLOTHFULNESS. ARATOR: Eutychus, alone, banished from the wakeful ones keeping watch, entrusted to a window with limbs sunk in heavy sleep. O rest wrongly won! O hearts always given over to sleep, unprotected by good! How great the disasters he lies open to, whom night alone guards and who never raises his troubled head to better things! He who allows [himself] to fall asleep from God does not know how to be wakeful for danger. Why do you seek the empty chaos of the window, young man, or why are you restful in that place where you will come to disaster? It is a matter harmful for well-being to seek high, hanging [places] and to wish to snatch furtive dreams on a steep couch. ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 2.

20:10 | His Life Is in Him

THE TWO WHO WERE RAISED FROM THE DEAD. BEDE: Then [Paul] goes down, lies down on him and embraces him; this is what he [Paul] himself said, “My little children, again I am in labor with you until Christ is formed in you.” It is harder to revive those who sin through negligence than it is to revive those who do so through weakness. The former is represented by Eutychus, the latter by Tabitha, whom Peter restored to life. She fell ill and died in the daytime; he fell and died at midnight. After her death she was washed and placed in an upper room; he dropped from the third story and was mourned as dead below. In the latter case the teacher [Paul] was present and teaching; in the earlier case the teacher [Peter] was absent. Paul went down to him; Peter went up to restore life to her. She sat up as soon as she saw Peter; [Eutychus] died at midnight, and finally in the morning he rose again, and, revived by the inspiring son of righteousness, was led away. COMMENTARY ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.10.

20:11 | Paul Conversed a Long Time

CELEBRATING THE EUCHARIST ON THE LORD’S DAY. AUGUSTINE: Far be it from us to accept this as affirming that the apostles were accustomed to fast habitually on the Lord’s day. For the day now known as the Lord’s day was then called the first day of the week, as is more plainly seen in the Gospels; for the day of the Lord’s resurrection is called by Matthew “first day of the week” and by the other three Evangelists “the first day of the week,” and it is well ascertained that the same is the day which is now called the Lord’s day. Either, therefore, it was after the close of the seventh day that they had assembled—namely, in the beginning of the night that followed and that belonged to the Lord’s day or the first day of the week—and in this case the apostle, before proceeding to break bread with them, as is done in the sacrament of the body of Christ, continued his discourse until midnight, and also, after celebrating the sacrament, continued still speaking again to those who were assembled, being much pressed for time in order that he might set out at dawn upon the Lord’s day. Or if it was on the first day of the week, at an hour before sunset on the Lord’s day, that they had assembled, the words of the text, “Paul preached to them, ready to depart the next day,” themselves expressly state the reason for his prolonging his discourse—namely, that he was about to leave them and wished to give them ample instruction. The passage does not therefore prove that they habitually fasted on the Lord’s day but only that it did not seem proper to the apostle to interrupt, for the sake of taking refreshment, an important discourse that was listened to with the ardor of most lively interest by persons whom he was about to leave, and whom, on account of his many other journeys, he visited but seldom, and perhaps on no other occasion than this, especially because, as subsequent events prove, he was then leaving them without expectation of seeing them again in this life. LETTER 36.12.28.