PAUL AND HIS TEAM BUILD UP THE CHURCH IN ASIA MINOR.

Acts 20:1-12

Q.1. How was Paul involved with the believers at Ephesus and Macedonia? Why did he leave Greece? What was the strength of Paul’s ministry? – (Acts 20:1-6)

In each newly established church, Paul encouraged the believers to stay true to the gospel (see Acts 20:1-2). Though he was able to minister for three months in Greece, he was forced to send on his companions on to Troas, while he returned to Macedonia (see Acts 20:3-5). Paul did not appear to minister alone. Frequently we are told about his travelling companions and fellow workers in the Gospel – … Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia (Acts 20:4).

Q.2. What do we learn about church gatherings? How keen were the believers to grow? What significant thing happened to Eutychus? – (Acts 20:7-12)

There seemed to be a transition from the Sabbath to a Sunday, or first day of the week when Luke records – On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them … (Acts 20:7 c.f. Acts 2:42 c.f. Rev.1:10). [The Christian church’s case for Sunday worship is that it is the day of Resurrection. There is no command in the New Testament to keep the Sabbath, and it was not a condition placed on the Gentiles by the Jerusalem Council (see Acts 15:23-25,28-29; Rom.14:5; 1 Cor.16:2; Gal.4:10-11; Col.2:16-17]. These early believers were fervent in their commitment, and happily sat under Paul’s teaching, when – he prolonged his message until midnight … and – talked with them a long time until daybreak, and then left (Acts 20:7 & 11). Poor young Eutychus will never be forgotten. He had probably worked hard all day and was sitting in a room where lamps and people were using all the oxygen (see Acts 20:8-9). After he fell down from the third-floor dead, the other people would be much less likely to fall asleep themselves – But Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him, he said, “Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.” … They took away the boy alive and were greatly comforted (Acts 20:10 & 12).