Dear Friends,
I wonder what happened
to Demas. For those who are unfamiliar with this thrice mentioned biblical
character, Demas at one time had been a companion of Paul (Philemon 1:24). He
was in Rome during Paul’s first imprisonment (Col. 4:14). But something
happened. Demas forsook Paul, abandoned the ministry, and skipped town. Paul
writes of this sad situation in 2 Timothy 4:10: “Demas, because he loved
this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.”
One of the saddest
things in ministry is to see a brother or sister abandon the faith and choose
the world over Jesus.
Scholars suggest that
the Greek world for desert seems to suggest that Demas had not only abandoned
his faith but in doing so had left Paul in a time of great need. How hard it
must have been for Paul to see this situation unfold. Perhaps you have
experienced a similar situation when you have lost a good friend in whom you
had placed your faith and trust, and you had helplessly watched him/her set
sail for the world's treasures.
We don’t know how it
happened, but one of my favorite bible teachers, John Courson in his New
Testament Commentary suggests that his decision wasn’t birthed overnight.
Courson writes, “The Christian life is like a steam locomotive. When you're
first saved and on fire, you stoke the boiler with the Word. You come to
church; you are involved in ministry; and you're moving along in your faith.
But then you come to a time when you start to think, ‘Hey, I'm cruising
along fine. I don't need to feed the fire so fervently. I don't need to study
scriptures so consistently. I don't need to have devotions daily. I don't need
to go to church regularly because, look, I'm really moving!’”
“But once the fire stops
being fed, the engine starts slowing down imperceptibly. Yes, the train keeps
moving down the tracks for a time, and everything appears to be going fine, but
little by little the engine goes slower and slower until finally it stops dead
in its tracks. You might be able to go weeks, months, even years on the
momentum you gained in the early days-but if you don't continue to feed the
fire, eventually you'll stop altogether. And, like Demas, you will say, ‘What
happened? How did I end up here’”? John Courson Application Commentary, p 1328
The Greek verb used in
the original text implies that Demas had not merely left Paul but had left him
“in the lurch”; that is, Demas had abandoned Paul in a time of need. The
apostle was in prison, facing a death sentence, and that’s when Demas chose to
set sail. Undoubtedly, Paul was deeply let down by Demas. It’s never easy to
see a friend and associate in whom you’ve placed your trust, forsake you in the
midst of hardship.
Sadly, Demas chose to accept what Satan had to offer in this world
over what God had to offer in the next.
1 John 2: 15 makes it clear regarding the spiritual state of those
who love the world: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone
loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.”
Sadly, nowhere in the
Bible do we read of the restoration of Demas.
The tragedy of Demas is being lived out again and again in our world
whenever we see those who would choose temporary benefits over eternal
possessions.
“Past service is no
guarantee for future faithfulness,” so keep stoking the boiler with the Word,
and you’ll keep heading toward heaven and your eternal destination.
Yours in faith and friendship,
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