Eutychus
The inscription on the South Wall of St. Mary's Belchamp Walter
The inscription on the South wall of St. Mary's church Belchamp Walter has not been described in
detail in any of the church guides so far. The fact that the text is that of the bible verse Acts 20:9
is not under debate. The translation of the text varies from version to version of the bible.
The Translations
The translation that is quoted in the 2014 Church Guide is from the King James Version (KJV).
The variations between the tranlations are quite subtle, the fate of Eutychus is the sublect of
differences in interpretation.
The Wikipedia page says:
Eutychus was a young man (or a youth) of Troas tended to by St. Paul.
Eutychus fell asleep due to the long nature of the discourse Paul was giving, fell from a window
out of the three-story building, and died.[1] Paul then embraced him, insisting that he was not dead,
and they carried him back upstairs alive; those gathered then had a meal and a long talk which lasted
until dawn.
This is related in the New Testament book of the Acts of the Apostles 20:7–12
Top
The fate of Eutychus
Whether Eutychus fell to his death and whether Paul revived him is where differences occur.
The Berean Bible and Eutychus Revived at Troas
On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Since Paul was ready to leave the next day,
he talked to them and kept on speaking until midnight.
Now there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered.
And a certain young man named Eutychus,
seated in the window, was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep,
he fell from the third story and was picked up dead.
But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man,
and embraced him. “Do not be alarmed!” he said. “He is still alive!”
Then Paul went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. And after speaking until daybreak, he departed.
And the people were greatly relieved to take the boy home alive.
