mgpcpastor's blog

At Reformation 21, Jeremy Walker provides some earnest and good-humoured commentary dealing with the situation reported in Acts where Eutychus falls asleep (and out a window) during a late night sermon by the Apostle Paul.
Walker believes that, rather than Eutychus and Paul having committed the rather contemporary transgressions of being bored and being boring, that there are more timeless factors which were at work in the situation, and more contemporary applications than simply being interesting.
I don’t know if this will provoke a 5000 word response somewhere, but I think it’s a helpful counterpoint which is probably closer to the intent of the passages’ original inclusion in Scripture.
(And, no, this is not a defence of unclear and unengaging preaching.)

An excerpt:

On the one hand, this is not Paul preaching a long and dull sermon without regard for the capacity of the hearers. On the other, this is not dopey Eutychus who simply cannot sustain his interest, or who is too young and weak to keep up the pace.
More likely is that we have here a group of committed and earnest believers who are seizing their opportunity to hear the Word of God from that fruitful servant of the Lord, Paul, before he moves on. They meet when they have their chance, perhaps at the end of the working day (which might have been later for the slaves, not to mention others in an environment where health and safety legislation tended toward the minimal). They come weary but eager, lighting the lamps in the room to enable them to make the most of the brief hours available. Yes, they are tired (preacher and hearers alike). Yes, it is warm. But this is a rich opportunity, and they are eager to make the most of it.
Far from criticising Paul for preaching too long or commiserating with Eutychus for being subjected to such an ordeal, we ought to be commending these men for their appetite for fellowship with God and his people. Yes, young Eutychus does eventually succumb to the atmosphere, and fall from the window. But notice that – once restored – it is not as if everyone decides to call it a night. They keep going until dawn breaks, and there is no indication that Paul locked the doors and put Sopater, Aristarchus, Secundus, Gaius, Timothy, Tychicus and Trophimus on the exits to prevent people leaving.

Read the whole article at Reformation 21.