{"id":45520,"date":"2021-02-15T11:20:15","date_gmt":"2021-02-15T08:20:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=45520"},"modified":"2025-05-12T01:40:51","modified_gmt":"2025-05-11T22:40:51","slug":"what-can-we-learn-from-demas-and-mark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2021\/02\/15\/what-can-we-learn-from-demas-and-mark\/","title":{"rendered":"What Can We Learn from Demas and Mark?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In <\/span>the <\/span>New <\/span>Testament, <\/span>both <\/span>Demas<\/span><\/strong> and <\/span>Mark (<\/span>also <\/span>known <\/span>as <\/span>John <\/span>Mark)<\/span><\/strong> are <\/span>mentioned <\/span>as <\/span>co-<\/span>workers <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>Apostle <\/span>Paul. <\/span>In <\/span>Philemon <\/span>1:<\/span>24<\/span><\/em>, <\/span>Paul <\/span>writes:<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201c…<\/span>and <\/span>so <\/span>do <\/span>Mark, <\/span>Aristarchus, <\/span>Demas, <\/span>and <\/span>Luke, <\/span>my <\/span>fellow <\/span>workers.\u201d<\/span><\/em> (<\/span>ESV)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

At <\/span>first <\/span>glance, <\/span>both <\/span>Mark <\/span>and <\/span>Demas <\/span>appear <\/span>to <\/span>be <\/span>faithful <\/span>servants <\/span>of <\/span>God, <\/span>laboring <\/span>alongside <\/span>one <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>greatest <\/span>missionaries <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>gospel. <\/span>But <\/span>as <\/span>their <\/span>stories <\/span>unfold <\/span>in <\/span>Scripture, <\/span>we <\/span>see <\/span>two <\/span>very <\/span>different <\/span>trajectories\u2014<\/span>each <\/span>offering <\/span>profound <\/span>lessons <\/span>for <\/span>the <\/span>believer <\/span>today.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Mark \u2013 <\/span>A <\/span>Story <\/span>of <\/span>Redemption <\/span>and <\/span>Restoration<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Early <\/span>in <\/span>Paul\u2019s <\/span>missionary <\/span>journeys, <\/span>Mark <\/span>was <\/span>chosen <\/span>to <\/span>accompany <\/span>Paul <\/span>and <\/span>Barnabas <\/span>as <\/span>an <\/span>assistant (<\/span>Acts <\/span>13:<\/span>5). <\/span>However, <\/span>in <\/span>Acts <\/span>13:<\/span>13<\/span><\/em> we <\/span>read:<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>Now <\/span>Paul <\/span>and <\/span>his <\/span>companions <\/span>set <\/span>sail <\/span>from <\/span>Paphos <\/span>and <\/span>came <\/span>to <\/span>Perga <\/span>in <\/span>Pamphylia. <\/span>And <\/span>John <\/span>left <\/span>them <\/span>and <\/span>returned <\/span>to <\/span>Jerusalem.\u201d<\/span><\/em> (<\/span>ESV)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The <\/span>Bible <\/span>does <\/span>not <\/span>specify <\/span>why <\/span>Mark <\/span>left, <\/span>but <\/span>it <\/span>clearly <\/span>grieved <\/span>Paul <\/span>deeply. <\/span>Perhaps <\/span>Mark <\/span>felt <\/span>overwhelmed <\/span>by <\/span>the <\/span>hardships <\/span>of <\/span>mission <\/span>work, <\/span>or <\/span>he <\/span>was <\/span>discouraged. <\/span>Whatever <\/span>the <\/span>reason, <\/span>his <\/span>premature <\/span>departure <\/span>left <\/span>a <\/span>lasting <\/span>impression.<\/span><\/p>\n

When <\/span>Paul <\/span>later <\/span>proposed <\/span>revisiting <\/span>the <\/span>churches <\/span>they <\/span>had <\/span>planted, <\/span>Barnabas <\/span>wanted <\/span>to <\/span>give <\/span>Mark <\/span>another <\/span>chance. <\/span>Paul, <\/span>however, <\/span>refused\u2014<\/span>leading <\/span>to <\/span>a <\/span>sharp <\/span>disagreement <\/span>between <\/span>the <\/span>two <\/span>apostles:<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>Now <\/span>Barnabas <\/span>wanted <\/span>to <\/span>take <\/span>with <\/span>them <\/span>John <\/span>called <\/span>Mark. <\/span>But <\/span>Paul <\/span>thought <\/span>best <\/span>not <\/span>to <\/span>take <\/span>with <\/span>them <\/span>one <\/span>who <\/span>had <\/span>withdrawn <\/span>from <\/span>them <\/span>in <\/span>Pamphylia <\/span>and <\/span>had <\/span>not <\/span>gone <\/span>with <\/span>them <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>work. <\/span>And <\/span>there <\/span>arose <\/span>a <\/span>sharp <\/span>disagreement, <\/span>so <\/span>that <\/span>they <\/span>separated <\/span>from <\/span>each <\/span>other. <\/span>Barnabas <\/span>took <\/span>Mark <\/span>with <\/span>him <\/span>and <\/span>sailed <\/span>away <\/span>to <\/span>Cyprus.\u201d<\/span><\/em> (<\/span>Acts <\/span>15:<\/span>37\u2013<\/span>39, <\/span>ESV)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

But <\/span>that <\/span>was <\/span>not <\/span>the <\/span>end <\/span>of <\/span>Mark\u2019s <\/span>story. <\/span>Later <\/span>in <\/span>Paul\u2019s <\/span>life, <\/span>we <\/span>see <\/span>that <\/span>Mark <\/span>had <\/span>matured, <\/span>repented, <\/span>and <\/span>regained <\/span>Paul\u2019s <\/span>trust. <\/span>In <\/span>one <\/span>of <\/span>Paul\u2019s <\/span>final <\/span>letters, <\/span>he <\/span>writes:<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>Get <\/span>Mark <\/span>and <\/span>bring <\/span>him <\/span>with <\/span>you, <\/span>for <\/span>he <\/span>is <\/span>very <\/span>useful <\/span>to <\/span>me <\/span>for <\/span>ministry.\u201d<\/span><\/em> (<\/span>2 <\/span>Timothy <\/span>4:<\/span>11, <\/span>ESV)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Mark\u2019s <\/span>transformation <\/span>is <\/span>so <\/span>remarkable <\/span>that <\/span>God <\/span>eventually <\/span>used <\/span>him <\/span>to <\/span>write <\/span>one <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>four <\/span>Gospels\u2014<\/span>the <\/span>Gospel <\/span>of <\/span>Mark<\/span><\/strong>. <\/span>His <\/span>story <\/span>reminds <\/span>us <\/span>that <\/span>failure <\/span>is <\/span>not <\/span>final <\/span>when <\/span>there <\/span>is <\/span>repentance. <\/span>God’s <\/span>grace <\/span>can <\/span>restore <\/span>and <\/span>reposition <\/span>us <\/span>for <\/span>impactful <\/span>service.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Demas \u2013 <\/span>A <\/span>Cautionary <\/span>Tale <\/span>of <\/span>Apostasy<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

In <\/span>contrast, <\/span>Demas<\/span><\/strong> also <\/span>started <\/span>well. <\/span>Like <\/span>Mark, <\/span>he <\/span>was <\/span>once <\/span>counted <\/span>among <\/span>Paul\u2019s <\/span>trusted <\/span>companions. <\/span>In <\/span>Colossians <\/span>4:<\/span>14<\/span><\/em>, <\/span>Paul <\/span>mentions <\/span>him <\/span>briefly:<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>Luke <\/span>the <\/span>beloved <\/span>physician <\/span>greets <\/span>you, <\/span>as <\/span>does <\/span>Demas.\u201d<\/span><\/em> (<\/span>ESV)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

And <\/span>again <\/span>in <\/span>Philemon <\/span>1:<\/span>24<\/span><\/em>, <\/span>Demas <\/span>is <\/span>called <\/span>a \u201c<\/span>fellow <\/span>worker.\u201d <\/span>However, <\/span>by <\/span>the <\/span>time <\/span>of <\/span>Paul\u2019s <\/span>second <\/span>imprisonment, <\/span>the <\/span>tone <\/span>has <\/span>changed <\/span>dramatically. <\/span>Paul <\/span>laments:<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>For <\/span>Demas, <\/span>in <\/span>love <\/span>with <\/span>this <\/span>present <\/span>world, <\/span>has <\/span>deserted <\/span>me <\/span>and <\/span>gone <\/span>to <\/span>Thessalonica.\u201d<\/span><\/em> (<\/span>2 <\/span>Timothy <\/span>4:<\/span>10, <\/span>ESV)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Unlike <\/span>Mark, <\/span>there <\/span>is <\/span>no <\/span>record <\/span>of <\/span>Demas <\/span>ever <\/span>returning <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>faith. <\/span>His <\/span>desertion <\/span>is <\/span>not <\/span>just <\/span>physical\u2014<\/span>it <\/span>is <\/span>spiritual. <\/span>Paul\u2019s <\/span>wording, \u201c<\/span>in <\/span>love <\/span>with <\/span>this <\/span>present <\/span>world<\/span><\/em>,\u201d <\/span>indicates <\/span>a <\/span>turning <\/span>back <\/span>to <\/span>worldly <\/span>pleasures <\/span>and <\/span>ambitions. <\/span>Demas <\/span>chose <\/span>temporary <\/span>comfort <\/span>over <\/span>eternal <\/span>reward.<\/span><\/p>\n

His <\/span>story <\/span>echoes <\/span>Jesus\u2019 <\/span>warning <\/span>in <\/span>Luke <\/span>9:<\/span>62<\/span><\/em>:<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>No <\/span>one <\/span>who <\/span>puts <\/span>his <\/span>hand <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>plow <\/span>and <\/span>looks <\/span>back <\/span>is <\/span>fit <\/span>for <\/span>the <\/span>kingdom <\/span>of <\/span>God.\u201d<\/span><\/em> (<\/span>ESV)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Lessons <\/span>for <\/span>Today<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

These <\/span>two <\/span>men <\/span>leave <\/span>us <\/span>with <\/span>sobering <\/span>lessons:<\/span><\/p>\n

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    God <\/span>cares <\/span>more <\/span>about <\/span>how <\/span>we <\/span>finish <\/span>than <\/span>how <\/span>we <\/span>start.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n