In Acts 20:8 Luke describes the place where the Christians in Troas gathered. “And there were MANY LIGHTS in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.”

It was simply labeled “an upper chamber.” The highest part of a house, sometimes even a large room built on a flat roof!

They congregated, not in a Church building, but in someone’s home. (This group is nowhere called a “Church,” as far as I can tell. But based on Matthew 18:20, the Lord was meeting with them anyway, no matter the nomenclature! “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Today I am interested in one phrase that describes the lecture hall (upper room) where Paul preached that now famous Lord’s Day. There were “many lights” there!

One reason this curious fact is so carefully listed might be the detrimental charge often leveled against first century Christians that they met “in the dark” and “committed abominable acts.” Including eating flesh and drinking blood! (So said the enemies of the Gospel, lying obviously.)

So Luke lets it be know that they at Troas met in a well lighted place. Though at night, still brightly illuminated!

Another reason we are told about these “many lights” could be the fact that (if the room were small and the crowd packed in there) such lights (lamps with burning wicks fed by olive oil) would have consumed some of the available oxygen. (Maybe that’s why the window was open, not closed at all, for ventilation purposes.) This could also help explain why a certain young man fell asleep, for even slight oxygen deprivation makes one groggy!

The bright lights would also have aided fellowship among these Christians, communing one with another. That being one valid purpose for our gatherings anyway. In Hebrews 10:25 Paul calls our Church Meetings an “assembling of ourselves together!” Many lights, promoting one believer “exhorting” his seat mate and vice versa. (Proverb s 27:17 … “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”) Add here Hebrews 3:13 … “Exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened .”

And yes … even with these practical (and valid) reasons for “many lights” … today I’d still like to speak of them being present in the Service that night metaphorically!

Like this: the LIGHT of the Word of God was present! Paul himself being the speaker, preacher. Psalm 119:130 … “The entrance of thy word giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”

The attendees that night were also “lights” in their dark world! Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount … “Ye are the light of the world.” Amazing, Matthew 5:14!

The Holy Spirit (undoubtedly in that room that night) was also a Light! “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” John 16:13, His illuminating Ministry! (Since Genesis 1:2 the Holy Spirit has been dispelling darkness! “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”)

Yes, that night it was typically dark outside … but very bright inside where God’s people were hearing the Word!

Do remember in Egypt, during the plague of darkness … “But all the children of Israel had LIGHT in their dwellings.” Exodus 10:23

And spiritually … “This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” John 3:19

When you go to Church Sunday (or Wednesday night) … notice the “lights” there! In fact, the “many lights!”

And thank God for them!

“And how shall they hear without a preacher?” Romans 10:14, a preacher sharing the “light” of God’s Truth, God’s Word!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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This city (Troas) Paul visited is synonymous with ancient Troy, made famous in Homer’s Epic “Iliad.”

Located on the Aegean Sea, it was easily accessible as Paul is currently determined to go to Jerusalem, an inexplicable desire on his part. (Especially after having been warned of God to “Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.” Acts 22:18, Paul’s own account! By the way, this admonition came while the Apostle was “praying in the Temple!”)

Anyway, Paul’s days at Troas are full of interest!

Luke tells us: “And we came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.” Acts 20:6, these men having sailed from the Macedonian coast. We know of no organized Church at Troas, yet the place had a number of “disciples” who worshipped the Lord! (God has His people nearly everywhere! Even in the heart of many nations that violently oppose the Gospel and the Word of God!)

If Paul is in such a hurry (so much so that he did not even revisit Ephesus, the “crown jewel” of all his Churches in some ways!), WHY did he stay at Troas so long? (Seven days!) Especially since he will go “afoot” further south to Assos, thus not being bound by sailing schedules and ship availability!

He was apparently waiting for the Lord’s Day! I base that conclusion on Acts 20:7 … “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow.”

Maybe his heart yearned to know how many disciples were in the city? Or the quality of their worship? Or perhaps he longed for a good opportunity to preach and exhort them, particularly in this new place? Paul’s team had briefly (no preaching back them, not a single sermon on record) overnighted in Troas, seeking God’s Will. But left immediately (on God’s Behest) to sail into Macedonia! (See Acts 16:8-10 for the history.)

So here we have a clear view of Paul’s behavior on a Sunday … “the first day of the week” … a potential watershed learning experience!

And the Apostle laid his emphasis on what?

PREACHING!

“Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow.” Still (stubbornly) bent on going to Jerusalem, to a certain arrest by the unbelieving authorities there!

Now watch this … “Paul continued his speech until midnight.” No mention of a morning service, by the way! Only an evening gathering! Why?

If the group of Believers there consisted of a lot of slaves, they would all have been required to work all day! The Roman Empire gave no credence (or privilege) to Sunday! Just another day … laborious day!

Maybe that is why they had that evening service, new believers (ex-heathen) pouring into that upper room, after a long day at work!

But what a service they had!

Paul preached until “midnight!”

A lovely Greek noun, “mesonuktion,” blending “mesos” (meaning “middle” or “midst” or “among”) and “nuk” (meaning “night”). Literally, “in the middle of the night!”

Again I assert … Paul preached, extensively!

I plan to write more tomorrow about Troas and Paul and a hitherto unknown young man named Eutychus … but for now (and the “heart” of today’s Lesson) … maximize the idea of PREACHING in your mindset!

Go to a Church where you will hear real Bible PREACHING!

Sit under the ministry of a man of God who believes in PREACHING!

Recall regularly that God has chosen to disseminate His Word through PREACHING!

Don’t let a week go by in your Christian life .. without some good PREACHING!

Oh, read me that verse again please … “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul PREACHED unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his SPEECH (logos = words) until MIDNIGHT.” Acts 20:7

The same Paul who taught his students to … “PREACH THE WORD; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” 2 timothy 4:2

What more could be said?

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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I am not sure Luke really every meant to give us a biography of the great Apostle Paul. Certainly not a full one! Rather, Luke’s history volume in the New Testament (the Acts of the Apostles, most often called) is a history of the spread of the Gospel! (From Jerusalem and Judea to the uttermost parts of the world … Acts 1:8.)

But outside of Paul’s own Literature (often called the Pauline Corpus of the New Testament, 14 Epistles if you include Hebrews) … we would know precious little of the Church’s greatest missionary of all time… apart from Acts!

Today I’d like to give you an example of one of those “nonspecific” instances from Luke’s pen. Acts 20:1-3 … “And after the uproar (in Ephesus, that riot) was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia. And when he had gone over those parts … he came into Greece, and there abode three months.”

What disciples?

What Cities or Churches in Macedonia?

Where in Greece?

And what did he do those three months, otherwise unaccounted weeks of Paul’s ministry?

See what I mean?

Very general, almost vague, “nonspecific” is the best word I could discover to us.

(There is also the question of those “three years in Arabia!” mentioned in Galatians 1:17-18! And the years (how many we do not know) between Paul’s going to Tarsus and returning to Antioch sketched in Acts 9:30 compared to Acts 11:25-26!)

Nonspecifics!

Or the missing years of Paul’s later life … when Acts 28 ends with Paul’s first Roman imprisonment! (We believe there were two such stints.)

Wow!

The “point” today?

I think we are indirectly being told that certain periods in Paul’s life and ministry were more fruitful than other times!

Psalm 1:3 does say we bring forth fruit “in season!”

Any Christian servant of the Lord might face a “dry spell” (less fruit or maybe even no fruit for a time) in his or her journey to Heaven!

Perhaps even Paul!

I say this to encourage someone today. If you’re in one of those “hard times” … stay faithful! Keep sowing the Seed! Fruit will be borne!

Galatians 6:9 … And let us not be weary in well doing: FOR IN DUE SEASON WE SHALL REAP, if we faint not.

Wow!

By the way, back in our text for this morning … even with all those generalities … Luke did add that Paul gave those he met “much exhortation!” (Acts 20:2, where “exhortation” is the great New Testament “encouragement” word!)

THAT is certainly possible … even when your fruit quotient is rather “low” … find someone and encourage, uplift them!

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Paul in Ephesus … his longest (in time) local Church ministry of all! Luke’s pen tells us the most: “He himself (the Apostle) stayed in Asia for a season. And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines (idols) for Diana, brought no small gain (profit) unto the craftsmen; whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: so that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.” Acts 19:22-27

Such amazing progress the Gospel has made … that the idolatry of the city is about to topple!

“Almost throughout all Asia!”

“This Paul hath persuaded much people!”

“There be no gods made with hands!”

“The temple of Diana is being despised!”

And maybe most painful of all … “Our craft (our profession, financial security, back account, money) is in danger!”

To which we all as Christians can say, “Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!”

Paul was preaching JESUS!

But in America today, I fear all the advances listed above (concerning Ephesus) are in retreat!

We are now living, looks like, in a post-Christian Land!

And heathenism is again surfacing!

I am so glad Jesus is coming again!

After all, future events will reveal … through Jesus our Saviour … we’re still on the winning side!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Revelation 11:15 … yet to be literally fulfilled: “And there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

Even so, come Lord Jesus!

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Let me begin by declaring that I believe there was only ONE Pentecost, as far as the holy Spirit coming down to inhabit the Church, its members, truly born-again people.

And yet again let me assert I DO BELIEVE there have been many Holy Ghost Revivals showered upon our land. Worldwide in fact.

And what happened at Ephesus in Acts 19 is at least an example. I am nearly ready to call it (as today’s Lesson’s Title suggests) an “Ephesian Pentecost!” Or maybe better, a “gentile Pentecost!”

The Chapter begins with certain Old Testament rites that no longer” fit” the dispensation of the Grace of God, the period “post” (after) Jesus’ Death and Burial and Resurrection. Read if you can Acts 19:1-7 where the “Baptism of John” was “unto” the remission of sins. Whereas our Baptist is “after” the remission of sins! BIG DIFFERENCE!

See the difference? Baptism prior to Calvary … or Baptism after Calvary, after one’s salvation! Those disciples of John the Baptist were still following an “obsolete” approach to Jesus, since our Lord had now (by Paul’s time in Ephesus) died on the Cross, shed His Blood, and been physically raised from the dead!

So Paul (or one of his team) rebaptized them! Likely they had already believed in Jesus, but had not entered fully into the “riches” we now enjoy via the Power of our resurrected Saviour! They did not yet know the “delights” of daily living in the Presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit! (A Pentecostal Result!)

Next in Acts 19 … after the Old had been laid aside … the HOLY SPIRIT fell on these men. (Duplicating what happened in Acts 2, the Real Pentecost!) No mentioned “rushing mighty wind” or “cloven tongues of fire” … but still “The Holy Ghost came on them.” Acts 19:6

Next, they spoke with “tongues,” in languages! Acts 9:6 again, just like Pentecost! Then Luke tells us that they “prophesied,” witnessed (in those languages maybe) or testified about Jesus! (Just like Pentecost!)

Then, still in Acts 19 … the Jews heard and rejected (just like Pentecost) … but gentiles believed (some did at Pentecost) too!

Then lastly, still very similar to the Acts 2 Pentecost, miracles ensued! (Think of the miracles of Acts 2 and 3 and 4!) Now read with me Acts 19:11-12 … “God wrought SPECIAL MIRACLES by the hands of Paul: so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.”

Wow!

Truly, as seen here in today’s Text, God is no “Respecter of persons!” Acts 10:34 informs us of this fundamental Truth!

And what He did for Jews (largely) in Acts 2, Pentecost … He did for the gentiles (largely) in Acts 19!

To me as a Bible student … this is BEAUTIFUL!

Oh, by the way, are You living to day in the conscious awareness of the Holy Spirit of God being “in your life, in your very body?”

Are you, using Paul’s inspired words, enjoying “the communion of the Holy Ghost?”

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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