Welcome back. I hope the Lord is blessing you. Today, we will read Acts 20–21. Three themes stood out to me as I read these verses:
- The length of Paul’s sermon
- His resisting the Holy Spirit’s warning
- The misidentification of Paul as the Egyptian terrorist
Paul’s Lengthy Sermon
I am not comfortable speaking in front of people. It may seem strange to hear from someone who has been a stand-up comedian, nightclub singer, sales trainer, and preacher. These roles have all required me to relate to rooms full of people. Not only relate—but speak. I am a shy and quiet person. In a crowd, I like to watch and observe. Only when necessary do I speak at all. I’m lucky to have a wife who is more energetic than I am.
When I speak, I try to say as few words as necessary—brevity is my trademark. It’s unnatural and difficult to fill a twenty-minute comedy routine or a forty-five-minute training class. It’s a little easier—though not much—to speak about the Lord for that long. There are libraries of resource materials about every verse in the Bible. A typical chapter contains many topics to explore. To perform what John Piper calls Expository Exultation, you just need to look at the background of what is happening and the existing research on why the author was writing it. This is called hermeneutics. For a journalist, it’s the who, what, why, when, and where of good reporting. Then, look at how this glorifies the Lord. (1)
It’s hard to hold a modern congregation’s attention much longer than forty minutes. So, I can see how this teenage boy would fall asleep and fall out of the window. He had probably sat near the window hoping the night air would help him stay awake.
In Acts 20:7–9, Paul preached late into the night. A young man named Eutychus, seated in a third-story window, fell asleep and tumbled to his death. Paul went down, embraced him, and said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him” (v. 10). Whether this was a resurrection or a recovery from unconsciousness, it was miraculous. Paul then returned upstairs and continued preaching until dawn (v. 11).
Paul was so excited to tell people about Jesus that he could not stop talking. Even after the child fell, died, and was revived, Paul continued to preach. It’s a good thing we’ll have eternity in heaven. Perhaps we’ll have time to hear Paul preach. It will be glorious if we do!
Resisting the Spirit’s Warning
I would like to ask Paul why he ignored the Holy Spirit. I can understand not heeding the warnings of the disciples with him. God had told him earlier to keep speaking, and he trusted God would protect him (Acts 18:9–10). But the Holy Spirit is a different story. When the Spirit tells me something, I obey. To do otherwise seems blasphemous—if not foolish.
In Acts 21:4, the disciples in Tyre “through the Spirit urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.” Later, the prophet Agabus bound his own hands and feet with Paul’s belt, saying, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt’” (Acts 21:10–11). Yet Paul replied, “I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13).
He doesn’t listen and takes a beating from the crowd again. This time, Roman soldiers, who separate him by putting him in the barracks, rescue him (Acts 21:32–34). Wanting to go home and be with the Lord is one thing. I wish the Lord would call me home too. But until He does, I know every day I have is an opportunity to reach others for Christ. Therefore, a preacher must not be in any hurry to make that last speech.
Mistaken for a Terrorist
Paul is also mistaken for an Egyptian terrorist who had gathered up 30,000 people, telling them they should go with him to Jerusalem and he would bring down the walls—just like Joshua did with Jericho. He led this group of dagger-wielding sicarii to the Mount of Olives, “intending to break into Jerusalem by force.” (2)
The Roman procurator Felix heard of this uprising and responded. Troops put down the resistance, killed many, and captured many more. But the leader escaped. Because the Jews reacted to Paul so violently, they presumed he was the Egyptian (Acts 21:38).
We need to listen to the Holy Spirit to avoid putting ourselves in compromising—sometimes dangerous—positions. Paul would not have been there to be accused if he had followed the guidance.
As I told my son when he was growing up: If you don’t put yourself in places you shouldn’t be, you won’t get in trouble for doing things you shouldn’t do. When your friends want to go somewhere, and your heart is telling you this is not a place for a Christian to be—don’t go. If you do, and it turns out disastrous, accept the consequences. Being there was a choice you made.
Are you listening to the leading of the Spirit? Do you put yourself in places you know you should not be?
Tomorrow, we will read Acts 22-23.
Footnotes
- John Piper, Expository Exultation: Christian Preaching as Worship, Crossway, 2018.
- Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 20.8.6 and The Jewish War 2.13.5.