Acts 20:7-12

Paul's Stay In Troas

Luke's seemingly casual comment that Paul and his company stayed seven days in Troas actually serves to enlighten us as to the custom of worship in New Testament times. They came together on the first day of the week to break bread. They were there on every other day of the week, yet they partook on the Lord's day. Though an inspired apostle spoke on that occasion, mention of that fact takes a back seat to remembering the Lord's death. The first day was also the day Jesus was raised and the day his church was established (Mark 16:9; Acts 2:1-47 : Leviticus 23:15-16). Now, when God said, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8), the Jews understood that he meant every Sabbath.

Gus Nichols wrote a good article on the frequency of our Lord's supper observance. In it, he quoted 1 Corinthians 11:20-22 and said, "If a school teacher should say to some naughty boys, "You did not come here to learn," she would be understood to mean that they should have come for that purpose. Hence the apostle's meaning is clear when in reproving the church he said they had not assembled to eat the Lord's supper." From this excellent analysis, we conclude that early Christians assembled to partake of the Lord's supper. Nichols also tells us "the Greek preposition ' Kata' is used in this passage, and means 'every,' with reference to week." (1 Corinthians 16:2) Thus, we have the early church assembling every first day of the week. We know they assembled to break bread and Paul tells them to give every first day of the week.

Paul's lesson continued until midnight. The church assembled in a third story room. A young man, named Eutychus, who was sitting in a window listening, went to sleep and fell out of the window. After he was pronounced dead, Paul took him up in his arms and announced that his life was still in him. The miraculous restoration of life having been completed, the Christians again assembled in their upper room to eat a meal together. The conversation lasted until daybreak, which indicates just how highly the brethren thought of the apostle. They, along with the young man raised just hours before, walked with the apostle as he departed. Luke notes they were more than a little comforted (Acts 20:7-12).