Matthew Henry Commentary Acts 20:7-12

"And upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, intending to depart on the morrow; and prolonged his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber where we were gathered together. And there sat in the window a certain young man named Eutychus, borne down with deep sleep; and as Paul discoursed yet longer, being borne down by his sleep he fell down from the third story, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Make ye no ado; for his life is in him. And when he was gone up, and had broken the bread, and eaten, and had talked with them a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. And they brought the lad alive, and were not a little comforted." — Acts 20:7-12 (ASV)

Although the disciples read, meditated, prayed, and sang separately, and in this way maintained communion with God, they also came together to worship God, and thus maintained their communion with one another. They gathered on the first day of the week, the Lord's day, which is to be religiously observed by all disciples of Christ. In the breaking of the bread, not only is the breaking of Christ's body for us—to be a sacrifice for our sins—remembered, but the breaking of Christ's body to us—to be food and a feast for our souls—is also signified.

In early times, it was the custom to receive the Lord's Supper every Lord's day, thus celebrating the memorial of Christ's death. In this assembly, Paul preached. The preaching of the gospel should accompany the sacraments. He saw that they were willing to hear, and so he continued his speech until midnight. Sleeping while hearing the word is an evil thing—a sign of low esteem for the word of God.

We must do what we can to prevent becoming sleepy; we should not lull ourselves to sleep, but rather let our hearts be so affected by the word we hear as to drive sleep far away. Infirmity requires tenderness, but contempt requires severity. Although this incident interrupted the apostle's preaching, it also served to confirm it. Eutychus was brought back to life.

And since they did not know when they would have Paul's company again, they made the best use of it they could and reckoned a night's sleep well lost for that purpose. How seldom are hours of repose broken for the purposes of devotion! Yet how often are they broken for mere amusement or sinful revelry! How hard it is for spiritual life to thrive in the human heart! How naturally carnal practices flourish there!