Acts 20:4ff. tells of a so-called ‘apostolic pre-sending’ in which the apostle Paul sent out seven of his saints associated with him by ship from Philippi to Troas. He did this in order to join them and the saints there at a later time.
Acts 20:4-5:
4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
5 These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas.
4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
5 These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas.
Humility and Faithfulness in Small Things
When Paul’s apostolic pre-sending is considered in a prophetic context, the importance of humility becomes apparent because his name ‘Paul’ means ‘the little one’.
Since we know that the Word of God often speaks of the importance of faithfulness in the ‘small things’, it shows that this is always connected with something great, which implies more responsibility (cf. Luke 16:10a i.c.w. Luke 19:17).
Luke 16:10a:
10a ‘Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, …
10a ‘Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, …
Luke 19:17:
17 “Well done, my good servant!” his master replied. “Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.”
17 “Well done, my good servant!” his master replied. “Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.”
The apostle Paul was clear that at certain times there must be a spiritual advancement in the lives of believers that is associated with an extended spiritual vision and understanding that the LORD desires to give. This is clearly illustrated by the upper room in the city of Troas (cf. Acts 20:6-8).
Acts 20:6-8:
6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread (Note: Passover), and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.
8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.
6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread (Note: Passover), and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.
8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread and the City of Philippi
Here it was no coincidence that Paul, with the power of the full measure of Passover, namely, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, sent his seven disciples by ship from Philippi to Troas, where they stayed for seven days.
The name of the city ‘Philippi’ is derived from the first name ‘Philip’, which means ‘horse friend’. Horses in a spiritual context stand for winds or the angels of God (cf. Hebrews 1:7 i.c.w. Zechariah 6:2-5).
Hebrews 1:7:
7 In speaking of the angels he says (cf. Psalm 104:4), ‘He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.’
7 In speaking of the angels he says (cf. Psalm 104:4), ‘He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.’
Zechariah 6:2-5:
2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black, 3 the third white, and the fourth dappled – all of them powerful.
4 I asked the angel who was speaking to me, ‘What are these, my lord?’
5 The angel answered me, ‘These are the four spirits [winds] of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world.
2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black, 3 the third white, and the fourth dappled – all of them powerful.
4 I asked the angel who was speaking to me, ‘What are these, my lord?’
5 The angel answered me, ‘These are the four spirits [winds] of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world.
Based on Paul’s apostolic pre-sending, it is evident that he understood the significance of the biblical times as well as the power of the blood of the Lamb. Paul sent his saints who were aligned with him to Troas with the measure of the full redemptive work of Christ in faith. There they prepared the spiritual field for him so that the apostolic seed of the Word of God could bear fruit in Troas.
The Connection Between Faith, Spirit and Biblical Time
Since the saints sent ahead by Paul sailed by ship and did not walk to Troas, this is an indication of the importance of living in the dimension of the Spirit, with the sail representing the faith of a saint and the wind representing the power of the Holy Spirit (cf. John 3:8).
John 3:8:
‘… 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’
‘… 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’
Thus, it reveals to us that the connection of our faith with the biblical times and the Holy Spirit leads to a higher spiritual level, which is revealed by the upper room in Troas, where the already present saints received Paul’s apostolic forerunners with expectation (cf. Acts 20:8).
Acts 20:8:
8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.
8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.
On the basis of the seven saints sent out beforehand by Paul, the dimension of the Holy Spirit in his sevenfold characteristics can be seen in this. Furthermore, we can also see the meaning of the names of those sent before, the respective quality of the spiritual preparation which they implemented through the guidance of the Holy Spirit among the believers in Troas.
The Seven ‘Forerunners’ and the Trojan Horse
They acted in a certain way like the soldiers in the belly of the ‘Trojan horse’, to act as undercover apostolic strategists with their God-given revelations, to prepare the hearts of the saints for the arrival of Paul and what he had to say about God. Jesus also proceeded in a similar manner, sending the seventy or seventy-two disciples ahead to prepare the respective field of faith for the ‘visitation’ of Himself (cf. Luke 10:1).
Luke 10:1:
1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two [or seventy] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.
1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two [or seventy] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.
As previously noted, Paul’s seven ‘forerunners’ were:
- Sopater – ‘salvation, protection of the Father’ => teaching about the importance of the protective presence of the Heavenly Father,
- Aristarchus – ‘best Prince’ => teaching about the governmental rule of the Spirit in Christ Jesus,
- Secundus – ‘Second, the Second’ => teaching about the right timing of God and the anointing of the double,
- Gaius – ‘earthly, an earthly man’ => teaching about the God-given spiritual execution of authority of the ecclesia on earth,
- Timothy – ‘glory of God, beloved of God’ => teaching about faithfulness to God and its result,
- Tychicus – ‘by chance, with whom is good fortune’ => teaching about the unexpected favour of God,
- Trophimus – ‘nourishment, the nourishing one’ => teaching of the solid food of God.
Paul connected the presence of God’s spiritual communication as represented by the seven apostolic ‘forerunners’, with the time frame of the Spirit as represented by the seven day sojourn.
Associated with these seven saints sent ahead by Paul were four geographical locations (Note: Berea, Thessalonica, Derbe, Asia) that functioned like an open door in Troas to release the flow of God and reveal the timing or ‘the hour of the LORD’. An hour consists of four quarters.
It means for us that it is necessary that we act with the timing of God’s grace, which is indicated by its arrival at Troas on the fifth day (cf. Acts 20:6).
Acts 20:6:
6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread (Note: Passover), and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread (Note: Passover), and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
The fifth day of arrival combined with the seven days of sojourn, reveal an apostolic measure set by God (Note: 5 + 7= 12) in the form of ‘progression’ and ‘apostolic visitation’.
It is said that Paul spoke to the saints in Troas on the first day of the week, which is also called ‘the day of resurrection’, when Jesus rose from the dead after the crucifixion, his message lasting until midnight.
The Power of Transition and the Apostolic Instruction
Earlier, after Paul’s seven emissaries prepared the way for the Word of God that Paul was about to preach, Paul met the saints at Troas to instruct them with an important apostolic message.
It was Paul’s concern that the saints of Troas were uniformly gathered to fully hear his apostolic instruction, since he was going to travel on the next day. This was the reason why Paul continued to preach until midnight that day and even after that.
The place where the apostle stayed was flooded with the light of God’s revelatory knowledge, which is made clear to us by the many lamps burning in the upper room (cf. Acts 20:8 i.c.w. 2 Peter 1:19).
Acts 20:8:
8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.
8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.
2 Peter 1:19:
19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
There was thus an attitude of expectation active in the hearts of the believers of Troas.
During the apostolic instruction and we can assume that it was filled with revelatory knowledge and the upper room flooded with fiery light, Paul was driven by the Holy Spirit to communicate the revelation he received in a compact version or form to the saints at Troas because he was going to travel on the next day.
The Accident of ‘Eutychus’
At the centre of this apostolic revelation of God, a young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in a window of the upper room, sank into a deep sleep so that he fell from the third floor. This accident caused the young man to die, so Paul left the upper room and went downstairs to the dead man to intervene in a similar way as the prophet Elisha did with the young man of the Shunemite who had died (cf. Acts 20:9-10 i.c.w. 2 Kings 4:32-35)
Acts 20:9-10:
9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third storey and was picked up dead.
10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms round him. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘He’s alive!’
9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third storey and was picked up dead.
10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms round him. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘He’s alive!’
2 Kings 4:32-35:
32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch.
33 He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord.
34 Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm.
35 Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got onto the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch.
33 He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord.
34 Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm.
35 Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got onto the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
After the young man Eutychus was raised to life by the apostle’s intervention, an apostolic witness ‘of resurrection’ thereby arose among the saints in Troas.
When Paul’s apostolic intervention is considered based on 2 Kings 4:32ff, it conceals a spiritual call for true life in the Spirit.
From the three Hebrew words mentioned there for ‘mouth – Peh, Ayin – eye, hand – Yad’ results the Hebrew word ‘pā’î’, which means ‘shouting, screaming, bleating, panting’. (Part excerpt from the Elberfelder Study Bible to the Hebrew word ‘pā’î – bleating’ with the word key number: 6600, 6598* and the name encyclopaedia of Abraham Meister with the word key number: 2773)
‘Eutychus’, a Representative for the Saints of the New Wine
The name ‘Eutychus’ means: ‘the happy one’. The name is derived from the Greek tense word ‘eutychein’, which means ‘to reach the set goal, to achieve what is desired’, and ‘to be happy in one’s undertakings’. (Note: Part excerpt from the biblical name encyclopaedia by Abraham Meister on the name ‘Eutychus’ with the word number 1107).
The explanation of the word as well as what happened to the young man Eutychus should make clear to us nowadays that it is Satan’s attempt to destroy the potential carriers of the new, namely what God wants to do in this time and the time to come, because he does not want the joy and the favour of God to spread in the lives of people with whom they come in contact. But the good thing is that God has already secured His plan to implement it on earth through His saints!
The explanation of the word as well as what happened to the young man Eutychus should make clear to us nowadays that it is Satan’s attempt to destroy the potential carriers of the new, namely what God wants to do in this time and the time to come, because he does not want the joy and the favour of God to spread in the lives of people with whom they come in contact. But the good thing is that God has already secured His plan to implement it on earth through His saints!
‘Eutychus’ represents the saints at this time who are ready to move in the structure of the new wineskin and in the new wine. These are saints who do not lose sight of their goal -God’s purpose- to reach it with all their strength and joy (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:24-26).
1 Corinthians 9:24-26:
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever.
26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever.
26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.
Great Comfort
The apostolic intervention for ‘resurrection’ didn’t stop Paul from going back up to the third floor of the upper room and having fellowship with the saints in the resurrection power of Christ. In addition, Paul continued to share his insights through his apostolic understanding.
As a result, great comfort spread among the saints (cf. Acts 20:11-12).
As a result, great comfort spread among the saints (cf. Acts 20:11-12).
Acts 20:11-12:
11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left.
12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.
11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left.
12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.
May the Holy Spirit give us great comfort in the time to come through the power of revelatory truth (cf. John 14:26; John 16:7).
John 14:26:
26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
John 16:7:
7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
And may there be bold, apostolic, and sovereign leadership in the Body of Christ that helps saints move forward in new ways and experience the power of community that God wants to give to generate greater influence in society.
Amen and Amen.
In His Wisdom,
Daniel Glimm
