Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings.
Summary: Comparing the two names in this verse leads us to an interesting study of Paul’s companions.
Luke and Demas are an interesting pair. One we know well, the other is obscure.
Let’s begin with Luke.
Luke is most famous for the Gospel account that bears his name. Luke’s Gospel is the longest by word count and includes details not shared in the other Gospels. Luke’s perspective is unique. In the opening words of his Gospel he writes, “… since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account…” (Luke 1:3).
Given that Luke’s name is not among the Jews listed as Paul’s companions (Colossians 4: 10-11) it is likely that he was a Gentile. Given the quality of his writing and his attention to detail, we surmise that Luke is intelligent. Judging by the fact that Paul tells us he is a doctor, we can conclude he is well-educated, too.
In addition to his Gospel account, Luke wrote the “Acts of the Apostles,” the book we know simply as “Acts.” While Luke is careful not to place himself in the stories he tells, it is obvious from his writing that he mostly gives us firsthand accounts of what happened during the early years of the church.
Finally, Paul calls Luke his “dear friend.” (Most translations use the word “beloved.”) The fact that Luke is with Paul when he is writing this letter speaks to his faithfulness as Paul’s companion.
Then there is Demas.
Right away, we can tell there is a difference between the two men. Paul mentions Demas, but not with the warmth he uses to describe his other companions. For example, he could have said, “My dear friends, Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings.” But he didn’t. He seems to hold Demas apart.
Did he know something about Demas that he wasn’t telling us?
In a later letter* Paul writes to Timothy, “Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica” (2 Timothy 4:9-10).
Ouch!
It is one thing to have your name preserved in the Bible. It is another to be recorded as a deserter in the most popular book ever written.
One is a faithful friend and companion, the other a deserter, leaving Paul alone at the end of his life. They make quite a pair of bookends to the story of the early church.
Application: Consider following Luke’s example.
Food for Thought: How does Demas’s love for the world compare with Luke’s faithfulness to Paul?
*While we don’t have the postmarks for Paul’s letters, there are a number of indications that Colossians was written before Paul’s letters to Timothy.
Please click ‘’Continue Reading” for comments.
Continue reading “Colossians 4:14 – Bookends”
