Acts 20:8
Now there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered.
There were many lamps
The presence of many lamps in the upper room where the believers were gathered is significant. In the ancient world, lamps were not only a source of light but also a symbol of spiritual illumination and divine presence. The Greek word used here, "lampas," refers to a torch or a portable lamp. The abundance of lamps could symbolize the light of Christ shining in the midst of His followers, illuminating their hearts and minds as they listened to Paul's teachings. This imagery aligns with Jesus' declaration in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world."

in the upper room
The setting of an upper room is noteworthy. In Jewish tradition, upper rooms were often used for prayer and significant gatherings. This particular upper room in Troas may remind readers of the upper room in Jerusalem where the Last Supper took place (Luke 22:12) and where the disciples gathered after Jesus' ascension (Acts 1:13). The upper room serves as a place of intimacy, fellowship, and divine encounter, emphasizing the sacredness of the gathering.

where we were assembled
The act of assembling together is a fundamental aspect of the early Christian community. The Greek word "sunago," meaning to gather or come together, underscores the importance of fellowship and unity among believers. This assembly in Troas reflects the early church's commitment to communal worship, teaching, and mutual edification, as seen throughout the book of Acts. Hebrews 10:25 encourages believers not to forsake assembling together, highlighting the value of corporate worship and support.

and Paul spoke
Paul's role as a speaker in this gathering is central. The Greek word "dialegomai," translated as "spoke," implies a dialogue or discussion rather than a monologue. This suggests that Paul's teaching was interactive, engaging the listeners in conversation and reflection. Paul's dedication to teaching and preaching the Gospel is a recurring theme in Acts, demonstrating his commitment to spreading the message of Christ and nurturing the faith of believers.

to them
The audience, "to them," refers to the believers gathered in Troas. This phrase highlights the personal and direct nature of Paul's ministry. His teachings were not abstract or distant but were tailored to the needs and circumstances of the specific community he was addressing. This personal approach is a model for Christian ministry, emphasizing the importance of understanding and addressing the unique spiritual needs of each congregation.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Paul
The apostle who is central to the events in Acts 20. He is on his third missionary journey and is visiting Troas.

2. Troas
A city in the northwest of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) where Paul and his companions are gathered.

3. Upper Room
A significant location in early Christian gatherings, often used for meetings and teaching.

4. Eutychus
A young man who falls asleep and subsequently falls from the window during Paul's lengthy discourse (mentioned in the surrounding verses).

5. Gathering of Believers
The early Christians who are assembled to hear Paul speak, demonstrating the communal aspect of early Christian worship.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Fellowship
The gathering in the upper room emphasizes the importance of Christian fellowship and community. Believers are encouraged to meet regularly for mutual edification and support.

Symbolism of Light
The presence of many lamps signifies the light of Christ in the midst of His people. Christians are called to be lights in the world, reflecting Christ's love and truth.

Vigilance in Worship
The setting of a late-night meeting with many lamps suggests the need for vigilance and attentiveness in worship. Believers should be spiritually alert and engaged in their faith practices.

The Role of Teaching
Paul's lengthy discourse indicates the value placed on teaching and learning in the early church. Christians should prioritize sound doctrine and biblical teaching in their spiritual growth.

Preparedness for Spiritual Gatherings
The practical aspect of having many lamps suggests being prepared for spiritual gatherings, ensuring that the environment is conducive to worship and learning.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the setting of the upper room in Acts 20:8 compare to other significant upper room events in the New Testament?

2. What does the presence of "many lamps" symbolize in the context of Christian gatherings, and how can this symbolism be applied in our own church settings today?

3. In what ways can we ensure that our spiritual gatherings are places of light and truth, reflecting the presence of Christ?

4. How can we maintain vigilance and attentiveness in our personal and communal worship practices, especially in a world full of distractions?

5. Reflect on the role of teaching in your spiritual life. How can you prioritize learning and applying sound doctrine in your daily walk with Christ?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Acts 1:13
The use of an upper room for gathering is also seen when the apostles gather after Jesus' ascension, highlighting its importance as a place of prayer and fellowship.

Matthew 5:14-16
The mention of "many lamps" can be connected to Jesus' teaching about being the light of the world, symbolizing the presence of the Holy Spirit and the illumination of truth.

John 8:12
Jesus refers to Himself as the Light of the World, which can be related to the lamps in the upper room as a symbol of His presence among the believers.
From Ephesus to TroasS. S. TimesActs 20:1-12
From Ephesus to TroasD. Thomas, D. D.Acts 20:1-12
From Ephesus to TroasJ. E. Ells, D. D.Acts 20:1-12
From Ephesus to TroasA. E. Dunning.Acts 20:1-12
Human Life: Lights and ShadowsW. Clarkson Acts 20:1-12
Reading Between the LinesJ. Parker, D. D.Acts 20:1-12
Scenes by the WayE. Johnson Acts 20:1-16
A Memorable Nocturnal ServiceActs 20:6-12
A Primitive SundayDean Vaughan.Acts 20:6-12
A Sudden DeathBiblical MuseumActs 20:6-12
A Very Long SermonJ. A. Broadus, D. D.Acts 20:6-12
Eutychus -- a Three-Fold WarningJ. W. Burn.Acts 20:6-12
Eutychus an Instructive Warning to the UnsteadfastK. Gerok.Acts 20:6-12
Long SermonsJ. Scott.Acts 20:6-12
Many LightsS. S. TimesActs 20:6-12
Paul At TroasProf. Eadie.Acts 20:6-12
Paul At TroasS. S. TimesActs 20:6-12
Paul At TroasD. Thomas, D. D.Acts 20:6-12
Paul Taking Leave of the Brethren At TroasO. A. Jeary.Acts 20:6-12
Points in Paul's PreachingJ. Parker, D. D.Acts 20:6-12
Preaching Too LongM. Vincent.Acts 20:6-12
Sleeping in ChurchH. R. Haweis, M. A.Acts 20:6-12
Sleeping in the KirkJohn Robertson.Acts 20:6-12
The Seven Days' Halt At the Gateway Between Europe and AsiaP.C. Barker Acts 20:6-12
The Sin and Folly of Unventilated Places of WorshipH. C. Trumbull, D. D.Acts 20:6-12
The Upper RoomS. S. TimesActs 20:6-12
A Legacy of Divine TestimonyR.A. Redford Acts 20:7-12
People
Aristarchus, Asians, Eutychus, Gaius, Paul, Secundus, Sopater, Thessalonians, Timotheus, Timothy, Trophimus, Tychicus
Places
Asia, Assos, Chios, Derbe, Ephesus, Greece, Jerusalem, Macedonia, Miletus, Mitylene, Philippi, Samos, Syria, Troas
Topics
Assembled, Chamber, Gathered, Lamps, Lights, Meeting, Room, Upper, Upstairs
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Acts 20:8

     5373   lamp and lampstand
     5553   stairways

Acts 20:8-9

     5340   house

Library
This Person Differs in Nothing
This Person differs in nothing, from the Father, but only in this that He is begotten of Him. He is Eternal with the Father, as glorious and as intelligent. He is of the same mind in everything in all worlds, loveth the same objects in as infinite a measure. Is the means by which the Father loveth, acteth, createth, redeemeth, governeth, and perfecteth all things. And the means also by which we see and love the Father: our strength and our eternity. He is the Mediator between God and His creatures.
Thomas Traherne—Centuries of Meditations

January 19 Morning
Serving the Lord with all humility of mind.--ACTS 20:19. Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. If a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.--I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man, . . . not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

April 26 Evening
Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?--SONG 6:10. The church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. There appeared a great wonder
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

February 9. "None of These Things Move Me" (Acts xx. 24).
"None of these things move me" (Acts xx. 24). The best evidence of God's presence is the devil's growl. So wrote good Mr. Spurgeon once in "The Sword and the Trowel," and that little sentence has helped many a tried and tired child Of God to stand fast and even rejoice under the fiercest attacks of the foe. We read in the book of Samuel that the moment that David was crowned at Hebron, "All the Philistines came up to seek David." And the moment we get anything from the Lord worth contending for,
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

December 29. "I have not Shunned to Declare unto You all the Counsel of God" (Acts xx. 27).
"I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God" (Acts xx. 27). It is probable that God lets every human being, that crosses our path, meet us, in order that we may have the opportunity of leaving some blessing in his path, and dropping into his heart and life some influence that will draw him nearer to God. It would be blessed, indeed, if we could meet every immortal soul, at last, that we have ever touched in the path of life, and truly say, "I am pure from the blood of all men."
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

March 7. "It is More Blessed to Give than to Receive" (Acts xx. 35).
"It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts xx. 35). How shall we know the difference between the earthly and the heavenly love? The one terminates on ourselves and is partly ourself seeking its own gratification. The other reaches out to God and others, and finds its joy in glorifying Him and blessing them. Love is unselfishness, and the love that is not unselfish is not divine. How much do we pray for others, and how much for ourselves? What is the center of our being? Ourselves, or our
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

A Fulfilled Aspiration
'So that I might finish my course....'--ACTS xx. 24. 'I have finished my course....'--2 TIM. iv. 7. I do not suppose that Paul in prison, and within sight of martyrdom, remembered his words at Ephesus. But the fact that what was aspiration whilst he was in the very thick of his difficulties came to be calm retrospect at the close is to me very beautiful and significant. 'So that I may finish my course,' said he wistfully; whilst before him there lay dangers clearly discerned and others that had all
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

Parting Words [Footnote: Preached Prior to a Long Absence in Australia. ]
'And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace....'--ACTS xx. 32. I may be pardoned if my remarks now should assume somewhat of a more personal character than is my wont. I desire to speak mainly to my own friends, the members of my own congregation; and other friends who have come to give me a parting 'Godspeed' will forgive me if my observations have a more special bearing on those with whom I am more immediately connected. The Apostle whose words I have taken for my text
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

The Blessedness of Giving
'...It is more blessed to give than to receive.'--ACTS xx. 35. How 'many other things Jesus did' and said 'which are not written in this book'! Here is one precious unrecorded word, which was floating down to the ocean of oblivion when Paul drew it to shore and so enriched the world. There is, however, a saying recorded, which is essentially parallel in content though differing in garb, 'The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.' It is tempting to think that the text gives a
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

Parting Counsels
'And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: 23. Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. 24. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. 25. And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

Christian Perfection
"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect." Phil. 3:12. 1. There is scarce any expression in Holy Writ which has given more offence than this. The word perfect is what many cannot bear. The very sound of it is an abomination to them. And whosoever preaches perfection (as the phrase is,) that is, asserts that it is attainable in this life, runs great hazard of being accounted by them worse than a heathen man or a publican. 2. And hence some have advised, wholly to lay aside
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

Two Essential Things
Paul testified concerning "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ"; by which I understand that, as an ambassador for Christ, he assured the people that through repentance and faith they would receive salvation. He taught in God's name mercy through the atoning sacrifice to all who would quit their sin and follow the Lord Jesus. With many tears he added his own personal testimony to his official statement. He could truly say, "I have repented, and I do repent"; and he could
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 35: 1889

The Minister's Farewell
WHEN Paul was parting from his Ephesian friends, who had come to bid him farewell at Miletus, he did not request of them a commendation of his ability; he did not request of them a recommendation for his fervid eloquence, his profound learning, his comprehensive thought, or his penetrating judgment. He knew right well that he might have credit for all these, and yet be found a castaway at last. He required a witness which would be valid in the court of heaven, and of value in a dying hour. His one
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 6: 1860

On Sleeping in Church
"And there sat in the window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep; and while Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead."--Acts xx. 9. I have chosen these words with design, if possible, to disturb some part in this audience of half an hour's sleep, for the convenience and exercise whereof this place, at this season of the day, is very much celebrated. There is indeed one mortal disadvantage to which all
Jonathan Swift—Three Sermons, Three Prayers

It is Also Plain that the Public Prayers are not to be Couched in Greek...
It is also plain that the public prayers are not to be couched in Greek among the Latins, nor in Latin among the French or English (as hitherto has been every where practised), but in the vulgar tongue, so that all present may understand them, since they ought to be used for the edification of the whole Church, which cannot be in the least degree benefited by a sound not understood. Those who are not moved by any reason of humanity or charity, ought at least to be somewhat moved by the authority
John Calvin—Of Prayer--A Perpetual Exercise of Faith

Our Inheritance
"And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified."--Acts 20:32. "And inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."--Acts 26:18. "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification."--1 Thess. 4:3. "That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear
J. W. Byers—Sanctification

The New Crusade --Serampore and the Brotherhood
1800 Effects of the news in England on the Baptists--On the home churches--In the foundation of the London and other Missionary Societies--In Scotland--In Holland and America--The missionary home--Joshua Marshman, William Ward, and two others sent out--Landing at the Iona of Southern Asia--Meeting of Ward and Carey--First attempt to evangelise the non-Aryan hill tribes--Carey driven by providences to Serampore--Dense population of Hoogli district--Adapts his communistic plan to the new conditions--Purchase
George Smith—The Life of William Carey

Fac-Similes
OF ANCIENT NEW TESTAMENT MANUSCRIPTS, TO ILLUSTRATE CHAPTER XXVI., PAGE 380. Most of the following specimens of ancient manuscripts are taken from Scrivener's Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament. No. (1) is from Tischendorf s Novum Testamentum Graece ex Sinaitico Codice; Nos. (2) and (11) from Smith's Dictionary of the Bible; and No. (5) from Horne's Introduction, Vol. IV. No. (1). PLATE I. SINAI CODEX, Century IV. Heb. 12:27-29. Notice the occasional use of very small letters. In
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

The Epistles of Paul
Paulos genomeno; megistos; hupogrammos. (Clement of Rome.) Comp. §§ 29-36 and 71. General Character. Paul was the greatest worker among the apostles, not only as a missionary, but also as a writer. He "labored more than all." And we may well include in this "all" the whole body of theologians who came after him; for where shall we find an equal wealth of the profoundest thoughts on the highest themes as in Paul? We have from him thirteen Epistles; how many more were lost, we cannot even
Philip Schaff—History of the Christian Church, Volume I

Moreover, if Discourse must be Bestowed Upon Any...
21. Moreover, if discourse must be bestowed upon any, and this so take up the speaker that he have not time to work with his hands, are all in the monastery able to hold discourse unto brethren which come unto them from another kind of life, whether it be to expound the divine lessons, or concerning any questions which may be put, to reason in an wholesome manner? Then since not all have the ability, why upon this pretext do all want to have nothing else to do? Although even if all were able, they
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks.

Whether Men are Bound to Pay Tithes under a Necessity of Precept?
Objection 1: It would seem that men are not bound by precept to pay tithes. The commandment to pay tithes is contained in the Old Law (Lev. 27:30), "All tithes of the land, whether of corn or of the fruits of trees, are the Lord's," and further on (Lev. 27:32): "Of all the tithes of oxen and sheep and goats, that pass under the shepherd's rod, every tenth that cometh shall be sanctified to the Lord." This cannot be reckoned among the moral precepts, because natural reason does not dictate that one
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether it is Lawful for Religious to Live on Alms?
Objection 1: It would seem unlawful for religious to live on alms. For the Apostle (1 Tim. 5:16) forbids those widows who have other means of livelihood to live on the alms of the Church, so that the Church may have "sufficient for them that are widows indeed." And Jerome says to Pope Damasus [*Cf. Cf. Can. Clericos, cause. i, qu. 2; Can. Quoniam, cause xvi, qu. 1; Regul. Monach. iv among the supposititious works of St. Jerome] that "those who have sufficient income from their parents and their own
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Regeneration by Faith. Of Repentance.
1. Connection of this chapter with the previous one and the subsequent chapters. Repentance follows faith, and is produced by it. Reason. Error of those who take a contrary view. 2. Their First Objection. Answer. In what sense the origin of Repentance ascribed to Faith. Cause of the erroneous idea that faith is produced by repentance. Refutation of it. The hypocrisy of Monks and Anabaptists in assigning limits to repentance exposed. 3. A second opinion concerning repentance considered. 4. A third
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Links
Acts 20:8 NIV
Acts 20:8 NLT
Acts 20:8 ESV
Acts 20:8 NASB
Acts 20:8 KJV

Acts 20:8 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Acts 20:7
Top of Page
Top of Page