There are many today who are bearing false witness against the truths of the Bible; some even to the point of either denying or changing the inspired writings in an attempt to change public perception of God’s word. Such is the case in Acts 20:9 of a young man by the name of Eutychus. While reading, I ran across a statement which denied that Eutychus was dead, but rather just knocked out. Notice the wording of a physician by the name of Luke (writer also of the book of Luke) who evidently was present when the following occurred: “And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.”

Luke did not say he was just knocked unconscious, he said he was “taken up dead.” Surely Luke would have known the difference. The statement which came under attack was what Paul said when he came to where Eutychus was laying after falling “down from the third loft” (Acts 20:9). Notice closely the wording of verse 10, “And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.” Paul never said the young man had not been dead, but rather spoke of “life” being him AFTER he (Paul) had come to where he was and had fell on him and embraced him. The Apostles had been given the ability to heal various diseases and even to bring life to those who had died because God had given them a special gift to do so. This is a case where Paul had called upon the Spirit of God and healing (to the point of restoring life) had taken place.

When Luke, as earlier stated, had written that Eutychus was dead, he meant exactly that. When Paul was stoned at Lystra, Luke recorded that incident this way: “...and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead” (Acts 14:19). Paul did not resurrect himself because he was not dead. If Eutychus had just been unconscious, then Luke would have worded it differently.

What Paul did (by the power of the Holy Spirit) in bringing Eutychus back to life brought much comfort to the saints of God. Not only did it bring comfort, but it did two other things as well. One, it proved that the God being preached by the Apostles was the one they should trust and thus “serve the living and true God” (I Thessalonaians 1:9). Secondly, it was proof positive that death is not the end of human existence. It showed forth that the Resurrection, taught by the gospel of Jesus Christ of His own resurrection, was real and brings comfort to all of the Children of God.

This lesson teaches us to not doubt, but be strong and “...earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3).