As Paul began
to close his final letter to Timothy, he asked him to “do
diligence to come shortly unto” him. In chapter four and verse
ten we see three reasons why Paul made this request beginning with
“Demas” who forsook him and “Crescens” and
“Titus” who also left Paul. We read:
For Demas
has forsaken me, having loved this present world,
and is
departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
The
verse begins, “For Demas has forsaken me, having loved
this present world,...” Paul
began with the word, “For”
which means “because, as, even, indeed, no doubt, seeing then and
therefore” “Demas”
whose name means “governor of the people” and was “a
companion of Paul who deserted the apostle when he was a prisoner at
Rome and returned to Thessalonica” “has forsaken me”
which means “abandoned, deserted, left helpless and behind”. Paul
added the reason “Demas” forsook him, “having loved”
or “entertained, been fond of, loved dearly, is well please and
contented with” “this present” which refers to “at
this time and now” “world” which means “age and
perpetuity of time”. “Demas” once ministered with Paul
but had forsaken him and left him because he was drawn to the world
and it's attractions.
The
verse goes on to say, “...and is departed unto
Thessalonica;” Paul continued
with, “and is departed”
or “lead over, carried over and transferred” “unto
Thessalonica” which means
“towards victory of falsehood” which was “a famous and
populous city, situated on the Thermaic Gulf and the capital of the
second division of Macedonia and the residence of a Roman governor
and quaestor”. Pau visited and began a church in Thessalonica, and
evidently “Demas” left Paul to engage in trade or another
worldly business.
Finally
the verse says, “Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto
Dalmatia.” Paul added two
additional men who left him. First, “Crescens”
whose name means “growing” and was thought to be “one of the
original seventy disciples” “to Galatia”
which means “land of Galli” and was “the Roman province
of Galatia and may be roughly described as the central region of the
peninsula of Asia Minor, bounded on the north by Bithynia and
Paphlagonia; on the east by Pontus; on the south by Cappadocia and
Lycaonia; on the west by Phrygia”. Paul had also began a church in
Galatia, and wrote the book of Galatians to them. Paul continued,
“Titus” whose name means “nurse” and was “a Gentile
Christian and Paul's companion in some of his journeys” “unto
Dalmatia” which means “a priestly robe” and was “part of
Illyricum on the Adriatic Sea; on the east adjoining Pannonia and
upper Moesia, on the north separated from Liburia by the river Titus,
and extending southwards as far as the river Drinus and the city
Lissus”. Paul was left by each of these men who went to other
places while Paul was imprisoned in Rome.
When we
meditate upon these words of Paul, we can sense his loneliness as
those who were once aligned with and ministering with him were now
gone. Paul desired for Timothy to come to him because he was
abandoned and imprisoned for the gospel's sake. No doubt there are
times when we feel like we are doing the work all by ourselves,
however we must never lose heart that God is with us, and when these
times of loneliness and abandonment occur, perhaps it is because the
Lord Jesus desires to have us all to Himself. May the Lord help us to
keep this perspective as the kaleidoscope of life turns and people
move away from our paths.
Next
time Paul shares concerning “Luke” and “Mark”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
http://www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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