What does Paul recount and charge at Miletus?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Travel and Troas events precede Paul’s account of service, warning and farewell to Ephesian ancients.

Chapter breakdown

After the tumult ceases, Paul calls and exhorts the disciples, leaves for Macedonia and gives much exhortation before reaching Greece. After three months there, Jews lay wait as he is about to sail for Syria, so he resolves to return through Macedonia. His companions include Sopater, son of Pyrrhus of Berea; Aristarchus and Secundus of Thessalonica; Gaius of Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. They wait at Troas. The narrator’s party sails from Philippi after the azymes, reaches Troas in five days and stays seven.

On the first day of the week they gather to break bread. Paul, departing the next day, speaks until midnight. The annotation attributes to Chrysostom and many interpreters the explanation that Christians had already changed the sabbath to the first day, the Lord’s day, as Christians now keep it. It attributes the change to church authority exercising power from Christ, Lord of the sabbath. Many lamps are in the upper room. Eutychus falls asleep at a window during the discourse, falls from the third loft and is taken up dead. Paul goes down, lies upon and embraces him, saying not to be troubled because his soul is in him. Paul returns upstairs, breaks bread, tastes and speaks until daylight before leaving. The youth is brought alive, greatly comforting them.

The ship party goes to Assos to take Paul, who arranged to travel by land. They meet and take him aboard to Mitylene, then sail opposite Chios, to Samos and on to Miletus. Paul resolves to pass Ephesus to avoid delay in Asia, hastening if possible to reach Jerusalem for Pentecost. From Miletus he summons the Ephesian ancients.

He recalls his Asian ministry with humility, tears and Jewish conspiracies. He withheld nothing profitable, teaching publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews and Gentiles about penance toward God and faith in Jesus. Bound in spirit, he goes to Jerusalem without knowing what will happen, except the Holy Ghost’s testimony in every city that bonds and afflictions await. He fears none of these and values his life no more than himself, seeking to finish his course and the ministry received from Jesus, testifying to grace. Those among whom he preached the kingdom will see his face no more. He is clear of their blood because he declared God’s whole counsel.

They must heed themselves and the flock in which the Holy Ghost placed them as bishops to rule God’s church, purchased with his own blood. After his departure ravening wolves will not spare it, and men from among themselves will speak perversities to draw disciples after them. They must watch, remembering his three years of tearful admonition night and day. He commends them to God and the word of grace, able to build and give inheritance among the sanctified. He coveted no silver, gold or apparel; his hands supplied himself and his companions. His example of labour supports the weak, remembering Jesus’s saying that giving is more blessed than receiving. He kneels and prays with them all. They weep, embrace and kiss him, chiefly grieved that they will not see his face again, and escort him to the ship.

The story inside

Pentecost urgency is qualified by if possible. The first-day annotation is attributed separately; neither a universal political rule nor further Eucharistic wording is invented.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Paul determines to bypass Ephesus to avoid delay.
2
Eutychus is taken up dead and brought alive.
3
Paul warns both of incoming wolves and perversity from their own number.

Test your recall

What did Paul say his hands supplied?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 126224–126226
20:7. And on the first day of the week, when we were assembled to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, being to depart on the morrow. And he continued his speech until midnight.
Lines 126239–126251
20:9. And a certain young man named Eutychus, sitting on the window, being oppressed with a deep sleep (as Paul was long preaching), by occasion of his sleep fell from the third loft down and was taken up dead. 20:10. To whom, when Paul had gone down, he laid himself upon him and, embracing him, said: Be not troubled, for his soul is in him. 20:11. Then going up and breaking bread and tasting and having talked a long time to them, until daylight, so he departed. 20:12. And they brought the youth alive and were not a little comforted.
Lines 126305–126316
20:28. Take heed to yourselves and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops, to rule the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood. 20:29. I know that after my departure ravening wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 20:30. And of your own selves shall arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 20:31. Therefore watch, keeping in memory that for three years I ceased not with tears to admonish every one of you, night and day.
Lines 126318–126329
20:32. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, who is able to build up and to give an inheritance among all the sanctified. 20:33. I have not coveted any man’s silver, gold or apparel, as 20:34. You yourselves know. For such things as were needful for me and them that are with me, these hands have furnished. 20:35. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring you ought to support the weak and to remember the word of the Lord Jesus, how he said: It is a more blessed thing to give, rather than to receive.