Demas
Demas is a man mentioned by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament of the Bible, and appears to have been involved for a time in his ministry.[1]
Demas is mentioned on three separate occasions by Paul:[2]
- In Philemon he is mentioned as a "fellow worker".[Philemon 1:24]
- In Colossians he is mentioned along with Luke (the physician and writer of the Gospel of Luke and Acts).[Colossians 4:14]
- The best known statement about Demas is in Second Timothy, where it is mentioned that "...for Demas, because he loved this world, he has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica." [2Timothy 4:10a]
Demas has been described as "one of the most intriguing biblical bit players." [3]
In addition to the Biblical accounts, Demas is also mentioned in the Acts of Paul and Thecla.
Fictional references
In The Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan writes of Demas, a deceiver, who beckons to pilgrims at the Hill Lucre, urging them to join in the supposed silver mining being carried out there.
In Shane Johnson's 2007 novel, "The Demas Revelation," Demas plays a pivotal role in the plot of the story and lends his name to the title.[4]
In Jane Eyre, St. John notes that Jane is free of the the vice of Demas when trying to convince her to join him as a missionary in India.
References
- ↑ The Book on Leadership, John McArthur (Nelson Books, 2004), pp.198-199
- ↑ Traditionally, Paul is considered the author of 2 Timothy. However, there is dispute of Paul's authorship, as stated in the Wikipedia article on 2 Timothy.
- ↑ The Rich Single Life: Abundance, Opportunity & Purpose in God, Andrew Farmer (Sovereign Press Ministries, 2008), p.67
- ↑ Twomey, Jay (2009). The Pastoral Epistles Through the Centuries. p. 186. Retrieved 3 October 2014.