Read Colossians 4:14–18

Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings.

Colossians 4:14

Demas is mentioned only three times in Paul’s letters, and these three references tell a sad story. First, Paul calls him “Demas … [one of] my fellow workers” and links him with three good men—Mark, Aristarchus, and Luke (Philem. 1:24). Then, Paul simply calls him “Demas,” with no special word of identification or commendation (Col. 4:14). But in the third reference, Paul tells us what became of him: “Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me” (2 Tim. 4:10).

At one point in his life, John Mark had forsaken Paul, but he was reclaimed and restored. Demas forsook Paul and apparently was never reclaimed. His sin was that he “loved this present world” (2 Tim. 4:10 KJV). Christians today can succumb to the world just as Demas did. How easy it is to maintain a religious veneer, while all the time living for the things of this world. Demas thought that he could serve two masters (Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:13), but eventually he had to make a decision; unfortunately, he made the wrong decision.

It must have hurt Paul greatly when Demas forsook him. It also hurt the work of the Lord. This decision hurt Demas most of all, for he wasted his life on that which could never last.

Something to Ponder

What tends to lure you away from the faith if you aren’t careful?