Genesis 13:1-14:24; Job 16:1-17:16; Matthew 8:1-27
Demas…my fellowlabourer. Philemon 1:24
Demas. Colossians 4:14
Demas hath forsaken me. 2 Timothy 4:10
These three references to Demas span a time period of five to seven years, and indicate a tragic decline in the enthusiasm and testimony of a dear brother in Christ. The Apostle Paul was a man of high standards, and to be described by him as “my fellowlabourer” was an accolade indeed. However, the commendations that Paul gave to others in his final greetings to the Colossians were all absent when he simply mentioned “Demas”. Before long, Demas turned his back on Paul and traded eternal reward for “this present world”. How is our devotion and commitment to the work of the Lord? —Phil Coulson
Go, labour on: spend and be spent,
Your joy to do the Father’s will. —Horatius Bonar