Paul is in the final weeks of his 3rd missionary journey. It is 56 AD. He had just finished a traveling zigzag sweep through Macedonia and Greece (1-3) in the west where he penned 1 and 2nd Corinthians. He was about to write the Roman congregations who were even farther west because he could not go there even though he wanted to.
Paul was teaching and encouraging the congregations as he traveled southeast. Paul founded most of these congregations on earlier mission trips. He was also collecting a charity gift for the Judea congregations who were going through hard times. Hence the need for a large number of men on this trip (4).
Paul spent 7 days in Troas, a large city on the farthest west part of the Roman providence Mysia and the Asia continent. Troas had a large Mediterranean port. Paul had gone through Troas much earlier (16:8). God was using Paul’s eagerness to serve him to grow the church. I am benefitted from this work. I wonder how God will use the small things I do today for him.
While speaking late into the Sunday evening a young man, Eutychus fell to his death. Paul, not bringing attention to himself was used to bring the young man’s body back to life. I find Paul’s words interesting, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.”
Eutychus’ body had ceased to function, it was dead. However, the man’s life was still in the physical body. Life is connected to the physical body, and yet my life is not dependant on my physical body. Whenever my body will die, my life will not cease. My soul and spirit will continue.
I have seen many dead bodies all cleaned up in caskets. Without life, a body looks different than when it is full of life no matter how good the mortician. It is clear to me, the physical body is not the sole nor main essence of life.
I was standing at the bed when my mother’s body died. My father, siblings, aunts, and uncles were called, gathered, and stood at her bedside during her last hours in her body. Her breathing steadily slowed and her eyes remained closed for several hours.
Then suddenly she opened her eyes. Someone said, “She’s got her second eyesight.” Those who were not standing around the bed gathered. Her head moved, but her eyes did not nor did they blink. She slowly gazed at all of us as if someone was steadily moving her head. Her moving head only stopped at my father. Then she closed her eyes and stopped breathing. Someone said, “She passed.”
All left the room, yet I remained. Every once in a while her body would take a deep breath. The nurses entered the room to take care of the body. I said, “She still occasionally takes a deep breath.” They said, “That is an automatic physical response. She is not here.”
I looked at my mother’s body continuance. They were correct. She looked different than a few minutes ago than her whole life. The body functioned. Her soul and spirit had left. Just the body remained. I left the room.
Life is connected to the physical body, and yet life is not dependant on the physical body. Whenever a body will die, life does not cease. The soul and spirit continue.
