2 Timothy 4.10a-Demas Deserted Paul Because He Loved This Present Age
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday October 7, 2015
Second Timothy: Second Timothy 4:10a-Demas Deserted Paul Because He Loved This Present Age
Lesson # 98
2 Timothy 4:9 Make every effort to come to me soon. 10 for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. (NASB95)
“For Demas, has deserted me” presents the reason why Paul urgently requested that Timothy make every effort to visit him in Rome soon.
“Having loved this present world” is composed of the following: (1) nominative masculine singular aorist active participle form of the verb agapaō (ἀγαπάω), “having loved” (2) articular accusative masculine singular form of the noun aiōn (αἰών), “this world” (3) adverb of time nun (νῦν), “present.”
The verb agapaō means “to take pleasure in something, to have affection for something because one has a high regard for its value and importance.”
Here the word’s subject is Demas and its object is the noun aiōn which refers to the cosmic system of Satan.
Therefore, this verb indicates that Demas deserted Paul because he took pleasure in the cosmic system of Satan because he held it in high regard and it gave him satisfaction.
The word denotes that Demas loved the cosmic system of Satan in the sense that he took pleasure in it because he held it in high esteem so that it became more important to him than his relationship with God and the body of Christ.
The participle form of the verb agapaō is a causal participle indicating that Demas deserted Paul “because” he loved the cosmic system of Satan.
The noun aiōn means “age” referring to the particular period of human history in which the devil is the temporary ruler over planet earth in contrast to the age to come, i.e. the millennium, when Christ will rule planet earth (cf. Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 1:20; 1 John 2:17).
It is used in relation to the present age in which the devil is the god of this world idiomatically expressing what one might refer to as “the spirit of the age,” the philosophies and ideologies which dominate this period that are Satanically inspired.
The adverb of time nun functions as an attributive adjective modifying the noun aion, “age.”
The word denotes “the present” period of human history where Satan is the god of this earth in contrast to when Christ will rule the earth during His millennial reign.
This age is characterized by suffering for the Christian in contrast to the millennial age in which he will be free from suffering.
Second Timothy 4:9 Please, don’t delay, make every effort to come to me soon 10 because Demas has deserted me because he loved this present age. He also traveled to Thessalonica. (My translation)
In Second Timothy 4:9, we noted that Paul issued Timothy a command for him to urgently make every effort to visit him soon in Rome.
Now, in verse 10 he presents the reason for this command.
He informs Timothy that Demas deserted him because he loved this present age, which is the age in which Satan is the god and ruler of planet earth and thus is a reference to the cosmic system of Satan.
He also informs Timothy that Crescens was sent by him to the Roman province of Galatia and he sent Titus to Dalmatia.
Therefore, this indicates that Paul urgently requests that Timothy not delay in visiting him soon in Rome because Demas had deserted him and Crescens and Titus were sent by him to fulfill various assignments.
“Demas” refers to an individual who Paul in Philemon 24 describes along with Aristarchus, Mark and Luke as his fellow worker.
Unfortunately, here in Second Timothy 4:10, Paul says that he deserted him because he was in love with the cosmic system of Satan and went to Thessalonica.
Therefore, we know that when Paul wrote Second Timothy this Christian was in apostasy.
The apostle Paul then states the reason why Demas deserted him.
Demas loved this present age which is referring to the particular period of human history in which the devil is the temporary ruler over planet earth in contrast to the age to come, i.e. the millennium, when Christ will rule planet earth (cf. Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 1:20; 1 John 2:17).
It is used in relation to the present age in which the devil is the god of this world idiomatically expressing what one might refer to as “the spirit of the age,” the philosophies and ideologies which dominate this period that are Satanically inspired.
This age is characterized by suffering for the Christian in contrast to the millennial age in which he will be free from suffering.
When Paul says that Demas loved this present age, he means that this apostate Christian took pleasure in the cosmic system of Satan because he held it in high regard and it gave him satisfaction.
Demas loved the cosmic system of Satan in the sense that he took pleasure in it because he held it in high esteem so that it became more important to him than his relationship with God and the body of Christ and thus he was disobeying the command of First John 2:15.
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. (NASB95)
In this verse, the apostle John prohibited his readers from loving the cosmic system of Satan in the sense honoring it by taking pleasure in it to the extent that they make it more important than their relationship with God.
Now, if you notice, John is prohibiting his readers from loving the cosmic system but then he also mentions that they are not to love the “things’ of the cosmic system, which according to 1 John 2:16 refers to the temptations of the cosmic system.
The first prohibition deals with the kosmos itself, which is both a system and an organization that is against God and under the authority of Satan and thus, John is prohibiting his readers from loving the organization and system inspired by Satan but of course, you are to love the people who are deceived by Satan.
The second prohibition deals with the temptations of this Satanic organization and system, which are designed to seduce men away from God and to live independently of Him.
The cosmic system is not a theocratic or Christocentric society, organization or system since it is designed by Satan to seduce men away from worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ.
Satan uses temptations to incorporate even believers into his system and organization that is independent of God.
Therefore, in 1 John 2:15, John is prohibiting his readers from loving the cosmic system itself meaning the organization and system under the authority of Satan and is against God.
John prohibits his readers from loving the temptations of this Satanic system and organization, which is designed to seduce men away from God and to live independently of Him.
Demas therefore, was seduced by the temptations of Satan’s cosmic system.
“World” is the noun kosmos and is a vast system and arrangement of human affairs, earthly goods, godless governments, conflicts, riches, pleasures, culture, education, world religions, the cults and the occult dominated and negatively affected by Satan who is god of this satanic cosmos.
This system is promoted by Satan, conformed to his ideals, aims, methods, and character, and stands perpetually in opposition to God the cause of Christ.
The cosmic system was built upon the temptations listed by John in 1 John 2:16 since these temptations were successful when used against the Woman in the Garden of Eden in order to get her to disobey the Lord God (cf. Gen. 3:1-7).
Therefore, in Second Timothy 4:10, “this present age” refers to the period of human history in which the devil is the temporary ruler over planet earth in contrast to the age to come, i.e. the millennium, when Christ will rule planet earth (cf. Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 1:20; 1 John 2:17).
This Satanic age is characteristically self-centered, self-pleasing, self-indulgent, self-concerned and indifferent to needs of others.
It is also an age in which when men display concern for the needs of others, it is either because they seek to gain merit with God through their good deeds, which God rejects since these deeds are not done in His power or they are deeds that they perform to gain power over people and gain approbation from them.
They are not deeds that they perform in obedience to God.
The prevailing, popular thinking and culture is in continual rebellion against God and His authority and seeks to conform all the world’s inhabitants to its godless “world view.”
This Satanic world view permeates the thinking of mankind, molding, corrupting and degrading and in the process affecting all culture and every institution of man.
The cosmic system of Satan refers to a vast system and arrangement of human affairs, earthly goods, godless governments, conflicts, riches, pleasures, culture, education, world religions, the cults and the occult dominated and negatively affected by Satan who is god of this satanic cosmos.
This system is promoted by Satan, conformed to his ideals, aims, methods, and character, and stands perpetually in opposition to God the cause of Christ.
This world system is used to seduce men away from God and the person of Christ and is anti-God, anti-Christ, and anti-Bible, and very anti-humanity though it often appears as humanitarian as part of Satan’s masquerade as an angel of light.