“for Demas has deserted me, because he loved this present world, and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia” (2 Timothy 4:10 HCSB).
We often speak of “the world” in terms of our natural realm. However, the reference to “this present world” here in 1 Timothy 4:10 identifies something different. You see, this phrase reflects the cultural attitudes, pleasures. values, opinions, philosophies, ideas, and belief systems that reject the God of the Scriptures.
Jesus made use of this concept in a message to His disciples when He said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first” (John 5:18 NIV). The New Testament epistle of 1 John also sheds some light on this idea when it tells us…
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17).
It’s significant to note that Demas chose the city of Thessalonica to pursue his love of “this present world” here in 2 Timothy 4:10. Much like the ancient Biblical cities of Ephesus and Corinth, Thessalonica served as an important destination for commerce and travel in the Biblical era. Since Thessalonica was situated along a major Roman thoroughfare, it was easily accessible to those who were traveling by land to the capital city of Rome or points east. It also featured an excellent harbor that made it ideal for those who journeyed by sea.
Thus, the city of Thessalonica was known as a cosmopolitan urban center with a wealthy, diverse, and influential population. Those qualities would undoubtedly prove to be highly attractive to anyone (like Demas) who had “…fallen in love with this present world” (CJB).
With this in mind, it is instructive to compare Demas and his love of this present world with someone like Moses, a person who offers a far better example to follow…
“…(Moses) chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the short-lived pleasure of sin. For he considered the reproach because of the Messiah to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, since his attention was on the reward” (Hebrews 11:25-26 HCSB).
The following verse provides us with two other positive examples, and we’ll those consider them next.