Who was Eutychus in the Bible?

TL;DR:

Eutychus was a young man who was listening to Paul preach, fell out of a third story window, died, and was revived back to life. Eutychus reveals God mighty hand to bring the dead to life.

Eutychus, mentioned in Acts 20:7–12, fell from a window while Paul was preaching in Troas but was miraculously revived by God through Paul. His resurrection served as a powerful testament to the truth of Paul's teaching and the reality of God's power. This event likely brought great comfort and strengthened the faith of the believers in Troas, providing tangible evidence of God's presence among them.

from the old testament

Eutychus is not mentioned in the Old Testament.

from the new testament

Eutychus was a young man in Troas known for falling out of a window while the apostle Paul was preaching there. His story is found in Acts 20:7–12. Paul was on his way back to Jerusalem at the end of his third missionary journey and stopped over in Troas. After one week, on his final evening in the city, he taught late into the night. The room was filled with lamps, and a young man, Eutychus, sat at a window. As Paul continued to speak, Eutychus fell into a deep sleep and plummeted from the third story to his death on the ground below. Paul stopped teaching, went to the dead young man, bent over his body, picked him up, and God revived Eutychus. Paul and Eutychus went upstairs, shared a meal with the believers, and conversed until daybreak before Paul continued on his way to Jerusalem.

implications for today

The church in Troas was comforted that Eutychus did not die (Acts 20:12). But likely their comfort was deeper than simple avoidance of tragedy; the miracle of Eutychus's raised life was proof that God was real and that Paul's teaching was true. There were many people present during that miracle so they could corroborate the story and vouch for the veracity of Paul's witness. This city had tangible proof of the Lord's power and love, and strong reason to cling to the faith Paul had proclaimed. Eutychus's name means fortunate. Eutychus was fortunate that God raised him from the dead, and the believers in Troas were fortunate to have witnessed this miracle assuring them of the truth of the gospel. God is at work all around us. People are called to “remember” what God has done over three hundred times in Scripture. Isaiah 46:9 says, “remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.” When we remember what God has done, we can remember who He is and have confidence and faith in Him for whatever may come in the future (Hebrews 12:1–2).

understand

Eutychus was a young man who was listening to Paul teach when he fell asleep and fell out of a window.
Eutychus was brought back to life after falling from the third story.
Luke, a medical doctor and eyewitness to this incident, clearly recorded that Eutychus was dead (Acts 20:9) and then recorded that he became alive (Acts 20:10), thereby recording a miracle.

reflect

How does the story of Eutychus challenge or affirm your understanding of God's power and presence in everyday life?
What role would this miracle have played in the life of the church at that time?
What are moments of God’s mighty hand and faithfulness that you remember to strengthen your faith?

engage

How do you interpret the significance of Eutychus's resurrection within the promise of a future resurrection for both believers and unbelievers (John 5:28–29)?
Discuss the implications of Eutychus's story for contemporary faith communities. How can we discern and respond to signs of God's presence and power in our midst?
Reflecting on the theme of remembrance, how can we cultivate a deeper awareness of God's past deeds and their relevance for our present faith journey?