2 Timothy 4:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He does not say: that I may see you before my departure from this life, which would have greatly saddened Timothy. Instead he says: because I remain alone, and have no one to help me.

"For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present age, and has gone to Thessalonica." That is, having loved ease, a safe and quiet life, he preferred to enjoy himself at home rather than suffer with me and share my present dangers.

He reproaches Demas alone, yet wishing not to reproach him, but to strengthen us, so that we may not grow weak in spirit amid dangers and labors. This is what the words mean: "having loved this present age."

At the same time, he wished to bind his disciple more closely to himself.

“For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present age, and has gone to Thessalonica.” He does not say, “I wish to see you before I die,” so as not to grieve him. Rather, he says, “Since I have no one to help me in preaching the Gospel, hasten to come.” What does “having loved this present age” mean? It means that he loved repose, a secure and quiet life. He preferred to enjoy himself at home rather than suffer hardship with me. He reproaches Demas alone. Yet he wished not so much to reproach him as to shame us, so that we should not grow faint-hearted amid dangers. At the same time, he also wished to bind Timothy still more closely to himself. “Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.” He does not reproach these men.

"For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present age." That is, he fled from the persecution for which the gifts of the promise were being kept for him. He went to earthly repose, from which there is no benefit for him. Crescens went to Galatia for teaching, and Titus to Dalmatia for preaching the Gospel. Luke the Evangelist alone is with me.

"For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present age, and has gone to Thessalonica." Demas too was one of Paul’s fellow workers and was highly praised, for Paul says, "Demas and Luke, my fellow workers, greet you" (Phlm 1:24). But in danger Demas abandoned the Apostle and left Rome, regarding separation as safety for himself. "Crescens to Galatia." Thus the Apostle called Gaul, for that is what it was called in antiquity. Even now those acquainted with secular learning call it so. "Titus to Dalmatia." The latter are free from that accusation, because they had been sent by the Apostle himself for preaching. "Luke alone is with me," the one who wrote the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles.

"For Demas has forsaken me," that is, he left me in my bonds (Col 4:14; Phlm 1:23). "Having loved this present age," he loved the present life and preferred it to death for Christ and to the life to come. "And has gone to Thessalonica." He went to his relatives, since he could live there freely and safely. "Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia." These went by the will of the Apostle himself, with commissions from him.

I beseech all of you to obey the word of righteousness and to show every endurance, as you saw with your own eyes not only in blessed Ignatius, Zosimus, and Rufus, but also in others among us, in Paul himself, and in the other apostles. Be assured that all of them did not labor in vain, but in faith and righteousness. They remain in their proper place with the Lord, with whom they also suffered. For they did not love this present age, but Him who died for us and was raised by God for our sake.

“Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present age.” When the Apostle Paul wrote the Epistles to the Colossians (Col 4:14) and to Philemon (Phlm 1:24), Demas was still with him as a fellow-worker. Now he had left him. Epiphanius (Haeres. 51) asserts that he fell away from the faith. Yet even merely abandoning the Apostle and betraying the work of the Gospel was a great sin on Demas’s part. The Apostle, however, does not accuse him of apostasy. Some suppose, Grotius, Estius, Cornelius, and others, that he returned again to the Apostle. They identify him with the bishop whom Saint Ignatius the God-bearer mentions (Ad Magnes.) as a worthy bishop of God. Crescens went to Galatia, or, as the Sinaitic and other manuscripts read, to Gaul. Theodoret, Eusebius, and Jerome also understood Gaul here. Titus went to Dalmatia. He went there by the Apostle’s own commission.

The Apostle Paul, informing Timothy of his own approaching death, asks him to come to him quickly. He says how all except Luke have abandoned him. He gives Timothy certain instructions for the journey, tells of the help from God that was shown to him after his first interrogation in court, and commands him to greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. He also sends greetings from certain Roman brethren.

The postscript of the epistle shows with what heartfelt simplicity and inward affection the holy Apostle Paul dealt with his disciple. He tells him about all his circumstances. He earnestly calls Timothy to himself, saying that nearly all have left him: Demas, Crescens, and Titus. Only Luke remained with him. According to Saint John Chrysostom, “Paul was in extremity. He could no longer go about according to his own will. He lived in prison, having been shut up there by Nero, and was preparing to die soon. Therefore, lest this should happen before he saw his disciple, the Apostle summons him to himself. He wished to see him before his end, and perhaps to entrust many things to him.

In the following reports about himself and his work, the Apostle appears to us as one who has in no way lost courage, even in view of his approaching death. For example, he remembers the cloak left in Troas and some books that he needed. Speaking of his first appearance at trial or interrogation, he notes that no acquaintances or friends were seen around him. According to Roman custom, such people supported the accused with their voices. But the Lord helped him instead. He had promised to give His apostles the power of the Holy Spirit, so that they might stand firm at trial (Mt 10:19-20). Thus the preaching of the Gospel was fulfilled. Proclaimed in the world city, before representatives of world authority, it reached, so to speak, its culminating point.

"He does not say: I wish to see you before my departure from this life, which would have greatly saddened Timothy. Instead he says: I remain alone, and have no one to help me" (Chrysostom), "in the work of preaching the Gospel" (Theophylact).

"For Demas has forsaken me." "Demas also was one of Paul's fellow workers and highly praised. For he says: Demas and Luke, my fellow workers, greet you (cf. Philem 23-24).

But in dangers Demas left the Apostle and went away from Rome, considering separation to be safety for himself" (Theodoret). He did not fall away from the faith, but feared torments and death, and fled.

"There had been hardships and dangers before, but not so threatening and unavoidable. He did not stand firm."