Encouragement in the Church

Luke famously told us in Acts 2:42 that they continued in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread, and the prayers. That same fourfold foundation of the church recurs in the text before us this morning. We have the apostle's teaching; we see fellowship, the breaking of bread, and — the resurrection. The parallels between this incident and the crossing of the Red Sea are archetypal and profound. Israel, as prototype of her Lord, died and rose again at the Red Sea. Eutychus died and rose again after Easter and before Pentecost. Luke is showing us how to encourage the community of the resurrection.

Why did Luke swap in resurrection for prayer? Because the life of the risen Lord Jesus is what powers and encourages the church. Eutychus was, in a certain sense, actually killed by the apostle's teaching and fellowship and the breaking of bread. But even that couldn't stop the disciples' encouragement, for it is founded on the power of the God who raises the dead. Thus, Luke brackets this passage with references to the encouragement, and in between, he tells us about the apostle's teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and the resurrection.