The Tupelo journal., 1903-07-24

Nv not that he has
ElEMV been forsaken, but
proved faithless to the Lord and
loves the things Of the world
better than he does the service
and ministry of Christ. Demas is men,
toned three times in Paul's letters. In
Colossians in the closing words of the
epistle he unites with Luke and Paul in
sending greetings. And in the letter to
Philemon he again joins in the closing
s~alutations of the letter, and is there
called the fellow-laborer Of Paul. The
third instance is that of our text, where
Demas has wearied of the Lords serv-
ice, its hardships and trials and dangers,
and, forsaking his post of duty, has
sought the ease and comfort and pleas
ures of the world. 1t was apparently
during Paul's first Imprisonment at
Rome that Demas labOred with him in
the Gospel and was his companion.
Years pass and the second imprison-
ment of Paul with it's increased rigor
and trials and dangers closes in upon
them. Demas' faith grows weak, his
ardor cools, and, while Paul is writing:
The time of my departure is at hand"
Demas is sneaking off to his old home
and friends at Thessalonica. Just a SEN
tence abou this mar and yet enough to
tell us of his character and life. Demas
Is a type of the Christian which is
found so often, bringing disappoint-
mena and encouragement to Christian
workers, and hindering the progress of
the Gospel. Let us consider his case:
His early zeal; his associations and Ia
bors with Paul; his backsliding and
final forsaking of the Lord and Paul:
his life at Thessalonica; it's probable
unhappiness and bitter end.
~ EMAS was probably a Greek, as
~ the name would indicate. 1t is
thought probable that his home was
at Thessalonica, for Paul speaks of his
return to that city after he has for
saken him. The date and place Of his
conversion are unknown, but the time
was considerably prior to Paul's first
IMP lloouIIiCut, lOl llIC lCdooA LAdI dI
that time Demas was engaged with Paul
in the ministry, as is evident from Paul's
reference to him as his fellow-laborer
and from his being we'll enough known
to send Christian greetings to the people
at Colosse in Paul's letter to the church
in that city, and to Philemon, who was
one of the chief men of the church
there. If his home was at ~Thessalonica,
it may have been in that city that he
was brought to a knowledge of the Lord
Jesus Christ, either as a result of Paul's
preaching or the faithful work of some
of the disciples there. Or it may be
that Colosse was the place. At any rate
he was known to the Christians of that
city and undoubtedly to those of other
cities in Asia. as well as in Macedonia
and Greece. He must have been a mar
of abilities to have been specially associ-
ated with Paul in service. He must have
been jealous for the Lord. and have fol-
lowed Paul to Rome. Perhaps between
the periods of the first and second i'm
prisonment, when it is supposed that
Paul again visited the churches in
Asia, Greece and Macedonia, Demas
was a travelling companion of the apos-
tie, and aided in the missionary activi-
ties. Just when his ardor began to cool
Scripture does not tell us, but probably,
after the novelty of work and travel
with Paul had worn off, he grew indif-
ferent and careless, and although he did
return with Paul to Rome and saw the
faithful, fearless, untiring apostle again
confined in prison, his faith and courage
failed him in the face of the evident
peril of Paul and his fellow-workers,
and Paul tells us the story of his cow
ardly desertion in the brief sentence of
our text: "Demas hath forsaken me,
having loved this present world, and is
departed unto Thessalonica."
n EMAS vas a stony, thorny-ground
~ Christian, described by Jesus in
His parable of the sower in the thir-
teenth of Matthew. HE that received
the seed in stony places, the same is
he that heareth the word and anon
with Joy receiveth it; yet hath he not
root in himself, but dureth for awhile;
for when tribulation or persecution
ariseth because of the word, by and by
he is offended. He also that received
seed among the thorns, is he that hear
eth the word; and the care of this world,
and the deceitfulness of riches choke the
word, and he becometh unfruitful." An
early zeal, which continued during the
favorable hours of the morning, but
when the sun was risen in his MONDAY
heat this zeal quickly vanished because
there was no depth of root to sustain
the stalk and the ear. An early zeal,
which pushed the blade of growing
grain up among the thorns and then,
yielding to the love Of the world, its
pleasures and riches, was soon choked
to death amidst the thickened growth Of
the deadly thorns. This is the picture
of Demas? Jesus described him long
before he became known to Paul and
the Christian church, and the genera
ton of Demass has continued even unto
this day. Paul did not criticise Demas
just to condemn him. but he wrote that
you and I might be warned, and re-
proved and instructed in righteousness,
for in the same letter from which our
text is taken, and only a few verses pre-