2 Timothy 4:10

4:9-13 The love of this world, is often the cause of turning back from the truths and ways of Jesus Christ. Paul was guided by Divine inspiration, yet he would have his books. As long as we live, we must still learn. The apostles did not neglect human means, in seeking the necessaries of life, or their own instruction. Let us thank the Divine goodness in having given us so many writings of wise and pious men in all ages; and let us seek that by reading them our profiting may appear to all.

He showeth the reason why he desired Timothy to come to him, because most of those who were with him were gone. For Demas hath forsaken me; some think this Demas is Demetrius, mentioned 3Jo 1:12 , the name being only shortened. He was at Rome with Paul some time, Colossians 4:14 . Some make a question, whether Demas wholly apostized or only left Paul for a time, and went to Thessalonica about some secular business, afterward returning. Having loved this present world ; some make the sense of this phrase nor more than minding his worldly business. Others think that he, being frightened with Paul’s danger, wholly left him, and went to Thessalonica ; possibly by his own country, however, at a great distance from the danger of Nero’s court. Crecens to Galatia , a province in the Lesser Asia, whither probably Crescens went to preach the gospel. Titus unto Dalmatia ; Dalmatia is in Sclavonia; Titus went thither (without al doubt) to preach the gospel.

2 Timothy 4:10 . [15] Εἰς Θεσσαλονίκην ) The Scholiast M.S. in the Medic. Library , καὶ ἐκεῖ ( at Thessalonica ) ἱερεὺς εἰδώλων γενόμενος , “and ( Demas ) became there ( at Thessalonica ) an idolatrous priest;” of which I have read nowhere else: Pricæus.— Γαλατίαν , Galatia ) This reading seems to have crept in here owing to the rhythm it forms to Δαλματίαν . Adequate authorities have ΓΑΛΛΊΑΝ ;[16] and some who retain ΓΑΛΑΤΊΑΝ refer it to Western or European Galatia, i.e. Gaul. See Pregizeri Suevia Sacra, page 499, seq. ex P. de Marca.— Τίτος , Titus ) He therefore departed from Crete, after the affairs of the churches were “set in order” there, Titus 1:5 . These persons had either attended or visited Paul. [15] γὰρ , for ) Paul is almost left alone.—V. g. [16] Hence the margin of the 2d Ed. raises the reading Γαλλίαν , formerly marked ε , to γ , and the Germ. Vers. has entirely adopted it.—E. B. AD( Δ )G fg Vulg., Iren., and Rec. Text, read Γαλατίαν . C is the only very old MS. which supports Γαλλίαν : so Epiphanius and Jerome.—ED.

Demas A contraction of Demetrius or Demarchus. He is mentioned Colossians 4:13 and Plm 1:24. It is supposed that he was a Thessalonian. On leaving Paul he went to Thessalonica; and in Philemon his name is mentioned next to that of Aristarchus the Thessalonian. That no epithet is attached to his name in Colossians 4:14 (comp. "Luke the beloved physician") may be a shadow of Demas's behavior mentioned here, in case Colossians was written later than 2ndTimothy. Hath forsaken (ἐγκατέλειπεν) In Pastorals here and 2 Timothy 4:16. See on 2 Corinthians 4:9. The compounded preposition ἐν indicates a condition or circumstances in which one has been left, as the common phrase left in the lurch. Comp. Germ. im Stiche. Having loved (ἀγαπήσας) The participle is explanatory, because he loved. This present world (τὸν νῦν αἰῶνα) See on 1 Timothy 6:17. Contrast love his appearing, 2 Timothy 4:8. Crescens (Κρήσκης) N.T.o. Unknown. Galatia (Γαλατίαν) Most probably Galatia. See Introd. to Galatians. Eusebius (H. E. iii. 4) says: "Paul testifies that Crescens was sent to Gaul (Γαλλίαν)." Tischendorf adopts this reading. Dalmatia (Δαλματίαν) continued...

10. Demas—once a "fellow laborer" of Paul, along with Mark and Luke (Col 4:14; Phm 24). His motive for forsaking Paul seems to have been love of worldly ease, safety, and comforts at home, and disinclination to brave danger with Paul (Mt 13:20, 21, 22). Chrysostom implies that Thessalonica was his home. Galatia—One oldest manuscript supports the reading "Gaul." But most oldest manuscripts, &c., "Galatia." Titus—He must have therefore left Crete after "setting in order" the affairs of the churches there (Tit 1:5). Dalmatia—part of the Roman province of Illyricum on the coast of the Adriatic. Paul had written to him (Tit 3:12) to come to him in the winter to Nicopolis (in Epirus), intending in the spring to preach the Gospel in the adjoining province of Dalmatia. Titus seems to have gone thither to carry out the apostle's intention, the execution of which was interrupted by his arrest. Whether he went of his own accord, as is likely, or was sent by Paul, which the expression "is departed" hardly accords with, cannot be positively decided. Paul here speaks only of his personal attendants having forsaken him; he had still friends among the Roman Christians who visited him (2Ti 4:21), though they had been afraid to stand by him at his trial (2Ti 4:16).

2 Timothy 4:10 . Demas had been a loyal fellow-worker of the apostle ( Philemon 1:24 ; Colossians 4:14 ). Chrys. supposes that Thessalonica was his home. It is futile to discuss the reality or the degree of his blameworthiness. Possibly he alleged a call to Thessalonica. All we know is that St. Paul singles him out among the absent ones for condemnation. ἐγκατέλιπεν : dereliquit (Vulg.), forsook , not merely left . See reff. The aorist points to a definite past occasion now in St. Paul’s mind. ἀγαπήσας τὸν νῦν αἰῶνα : See 1 Timothy 6:17 . It is just possible that Bengel is right in seeing an intentional deplorable contrast (“luctuosum vide antitheton”) between this expression and 2 Timothy 4:8 . εἰς Θεσσαλονίκην : Lightfoot ( Biblical Essays , p. 247) alleges other reasons for the supposition that Demas hailed from Thessalonica, viz. , He “is mentioned next to Aristarchus, the Thessalonian in Philemon 1:24 , and … the name Demetrius, of which Demas is a contract form, occurs twice among the list of politarchs of that city”. Κρήσκης εἰς Γαλατίαν : sc . ἐπορεύθη . Crescens and Titus are not reproached for their absence. This passage, with the variant Γαλλίαν (see apparat. crit .), is the source of all that is said about Crescens by later writers. Γαλατίαν : That this means the Roman province, or the region in Asia Minor (so Const. Apost . vii. 46) is favoured by the consideration that all the other places mentioned in this context are east of Rome.

On the other hand, if we assume that St. Paul had recently visited Spain (Clem. Rom. 1 Corinthians 5; Muratorian Canon), it would naturally follow that he had visited Southern Gaul en route , and Crescens might plausibly be supposed to have gone to confirm the Churches there. So Euseb. H. E . iii. 4, Epiph. Haeres . li. 11, Theodore and Theodoret, h. l. Τίτος εἰς Δαλματίαν : This statement suggests that Titus had only been a temporary deputy for St. Paul in Crete. On the spelling of the name Dalmatia in apparat. crit. , see Deissmann, Bible Studies , trans. p. 182.

Verse 10. - Forsook for hath forsaken , A.V.; went for is departed , A.V.; to for unto , A.V. (twice). Demas . Nothing more is known of Demas than what is gathered from the mention of him in Colossians 4:14 and Philemon 1:1:24 . We learn from those passages that he was a fellow labourer of the apostle, and it is remarkable that in them both he is coupled, as here, with Luke and Mark ( Colossians 4:10 ). (See Introduction.) Having loved this present world. It would appear from this that Demas had not the faith or the courage to run the risk of sharing St. Paul's imminent martyrdom at Rome, but left him, while he was free to do so, under pretence of an urgent call to Thessaloniea; just as Mark left Paul and Barnabas ( Acts 13:13 ). But there is no ground to believe that he was an apostate from the faith. The coupling together of Demas and Aristarchus in Philemon 1:24 suggests that Demas may have been a Thessalonian, as we know that Aristarchus was ( Acts 20:4 ). Demas is thought to be a shortened form of Demarchus. If so, we have a slight additional indication of his being a Thessalonian, as compounds with archos or arches would seem to have been common in Thessalonica (compare Aristarchus and πολιτάρχης , Acts 17:6, 8 ). Crescens ( Κρήσκης ); only mentioned here. It is a Latin name, like Πούδης , Pudens , in ver. 21. There was a cynic philosopher of this name in the second century, a great enemy of the Christians. The tradition ('Apost.

Constit.,' 7:46) that he preached the gospel in Galatia is probably derived from this passage. Titus, etc. The last mention of Titus, not reckoning the Epistle to Titus, is that in 2 Corinthians 12:18 , from which it appears that St. Paul had sent him to Corinth just before his own last visit to that city. How the interval was filled up, and where Titus passed the time, we know not. He is not once named in the Acts of the Apostles, nor in any of St. Paul's Epistles written during his first imprisonment. But we gather from Titus 1:5 that he accompanied St. Paul to Crete, presumably after the apostle's return from Spain; that he was left there for a time to organize the Church; that later he joined the apostle at Nicopolis ( Titus 3:12 ),and, doubtless by St. Paul's desire, went to Dalmatia, as mentioned in this tenth verse. And here our knowledge of him ends. Tradition pretty consistently makes him Bishop of Gortyna, in Crete, where are the ruins of a very ancient church dedicated to St. Titus, in which service is occasionally performed by priests from the neighbourhood (Dean Howson, in 'Dict. of Bible:' art. "Titus"). 2 Timothy 4:10

10 . Demas ] Very likely a shortened form of Demetrius; two persons of the name occur in N.T., Acts 19:24 , the silversmith of Ephesus, and, 3 John 1:12 , the bearer possibly of that letter, one to whose character all bore testimony, which St John himself ratified. The Demetrius or Demas here seems to occupy a middle place; a Christian believer and follower, who however had lost ‘his first love,’ and forsook the Apostle in his hour of trial, to attend to the business of the world. He had been with him in the first imprisonment, Colossians 4:14 . hath forsaken ] Forsook , so in 2 Timothy 4:16 . The same strong compound verb and tense occur Matthew 27:46 , where the rendering ‘why hast thou forsaken me?’ is more correct, because the aorist is used there of what is just happening, cf. Php 2:28 , Galatians 6:11 . having loved ] ‘Because he loved’; this verb is chosen in half-conscious irony of contrast to 2 Timothy 4:8 and the love set on the future appearing of the Lord. this present world ] Lit. ‘age’; cf. note on 1 Timothy 6:17 . The other world, the world of eternity, is under the Eternal God the King of the ages, 1 Timothy 1:17 . Cf. Luke 20:35 ; Luke 18:30 . ‘The Apostles speak of themselves and their generation as living on the frontier of two æons, the Gospel transferring them across the border.

The distinction of time between the two becomes lost in the moral and spiritual conception.’ Bp Lightfoot on Galatians 1:4 . unto Thessalonica ] Why, is not known, except so far as this place suggests either home or business. Crescens to Galatia ] Before the Christian era and for two centuries afterwards the form Galatia (Galatæ) is almost universally used by Greek writers to the exclusion of Gallia (Galli), when they do not employ Celtice (Celtæ), whether speaking of the people of Gaul properly so called, or of the Asiatic colony. And ‘Galatia’ here was traditionally interpreted of European Gaul. It is thus explained by Eusebius H. E . iii. 4 ‘Of the other followers of St Paul, Crescens is recorded as having been sent to Gallia,’ and by others. It is so taken also by those mss. which read Gallian for Galatian , for the former reading may be regarded as a gloss. The Churches of Vienne and Mayence both claimed Crescens as their founder. Weight is also to be attributed to this tradition in favour of western Gaul because it is not the prima facie view. From the language of Clement ad Cor . c. 5. ‘having taught righteousness through the whole world and having come to the boundary of the west’ it appears that St Paul’s intention to visit Spain ( Romans 15:24 ) was fulfilled, and it is not improbable that this western journey included a visit to Gaul, which would make a visit of Crescens to it afterwards as natural as the visit of Titus to Dalmatia, with which it is linked.