“For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.” (2Ti 4:10)
Is the verse above implying that Demas lost his Salvation? What did Paul mean when he said “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world?”
Before answering the above questions, I feel it is important we run a quick check on who Demas is. That would enable us to understand why Paul made the statement he did in 2 Timothy 4:10.

Who is Demas in the Bible?

According to Philemon 1 verse 24 and Colossians 4 verse 14, Demas in the Bible was Apostle Paul’s fellow labourer in the gospel of Christ. Paul mentioned his name alongside his other co-workers in the propagation of the gospel of Jesus.
“Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.” (Col 4:14)
“Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.” (Phm 1:24)
Apart from those two verses that he was mentioned above, the other time Paul or anyone else mentioned his name again in the Bible was in 2 Timothy 4:10.
“For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.” (2Ti 4:10)

So what was Paul trying to say concerning Demas in 2 Timothy 4:10?

Notice he said “Demas hath forsaken ME” and not “Demas hath forsaken Christ.” In other words, Demas left Paul at some point in their work of ministry. Again, he left Paul and not Christ.
Looking at the statements that follow, we see his reason for leaving Paul. That is, “having loved this present world.” So Demas left Paul because he “loved this present world.”

What does it mean to “love this present world?”

First, it doesn’t mean to love the pleasures of sin. That verse is not saying Demas has missed the life of sin (like drunkenness, fornication, etc.) so much that he wanted to know how it feels again.
To understand what that statement truly means, we need to first of all look at the kind of man that Paul was. This was a man that had given up almost everything in this life for the sake of the Gospel. He had no wife, no children and was always in danger of losing his own life. Consider his statements below and see for yourself the manner of man he was.
“Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.” (2Co 11:23-28)
Such was the kind of man that Demas, Crescens, Titus, Luke and the rest travelled with. They were always in one danger or the other. And when you have seen so many near-death experiences like the ones listed above, at some point your humanity will set in and the fear of losing your own life will overwhelm you. You’ll definitely have to withdraw someday. Especially if you’ve got a wife, kids or parents to live for. Things that pertain to this life. Unless you have sold out yourself totally to the Gospel of Jesus like Paul the apostle.
So was it the love of fame, fortune or the fear of losing his life that made Demas leave Paul at some point in their missionary work? The Bible did not specifically mention what exactly it was. But what the Bible did specify was that Demas left Paul, not Christ.

Did Demas Lose His Salvation?

It would be unjust for us to stretch 2 Timothy 4:10 beyond what it actually says and claim that Demas abandoned Christ and lost his salvation or that Christ abandoned him. Since we know Christ NEVER abandons his own. What the Bible said was that Demas Paul. Not that he left Christ or the Christian faith.
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Heb 13:5)

Are We Going To See Him In Heaven?

Certainly. The promise of God for eternal life is for all who believe in Jesus for salvation. Whether they remained in the work of ministry or not. So, Yes! we will see brother Demas in Heaven. However, he may not get the reward he would have gotten if he had continued the work of ministry with Paul. That will serve as his punishment for turning back.
I hope this blesses you.
Glory to God!

7 Comments

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  1. Patristic Bible Commentary ; Ishodad of Merv on 2 Timothy: For Dema has forsaken me, and loved this world, and turned aside to evil things, and hath acquired a wife and a house, and is joined to earthly things. Others, who hit the mark better, say that Dema had left Paul, and was with those who preached Circumcision and the observances of the law, etc.

    For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world. He does not say, That I may see you before I depart this life, which would have grieved him, but because I am alone, he says, and have no one to help or support me.

    ‎St. John Chrysostom on 2 Timothy‎ : For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world. He does not say, That I may see you before I depart this life, which would have grieved him, but because I am alone, he says, and have no one to help or support me.
    For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed to Thessalonica; that is, having loved his own ease and security from danger, he has chosen rather to live luxuriously at home, than to suffer hardships with me, and share my present danger. He has blamed him alone, not for the sake of blaming him, but to confirm us, that we may not be effeminate in declining toils and dangers, for this is, having loved this present world. At the same time he wishes to draw his disciple to him.

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  2. The Bible did say, "having loved this present world".
    The Bible also says if any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him. So it is indeed safe to say that while he left Paul because of the world, he also left Christ.

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    1. Your last sentence though... that's like saying Barnabas also left Christ because he left Paul. Such hasty conclusions should never exist among us.
      The only way to get what truly happened between Demas and Paul is to read and interpret that scripture in context

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  3. Excellent comments Mr. Okocha.
    -Leon Morris

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  4. Truth, but people love the lie that no matter how they treat Jesus The Word, they are ok

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  5. Praise God from India . Thank you

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  6. I believe he was saved but shrank from a life as a missionary with Paul. Paul needed comfort and companionship in his journeyings but also held high standards to get the gospel out without fleshly crutches. The testimony of a clean vessel to pour out the message of salvation had to have credibility. I agree that if he lost anything, it would be his reward at the Beama Seat.

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