Faithful And Beloved Brothers.

At the close of Paul's Epistle to the Colossians, the Apostle Paul names those who were faithful ministers who had laboured with him in the Gospel. They are examples to all Christians in whatsoever circumstance we may find ourselves in. It is a great encouragement to a minister when he has members he can rely upon. But, and it is a solemn but, there was one who stands out as a warning to the Church. Among those mentioned is Demas who sent his greetings to the Colossian Church. Here is a man who accompanied the Apostle to Rome and evidently visited him in his bonds. How sad, then, is to read in 2 Timothy 4:10 the sad words, "Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and departed into Thessalonica." Now Paul was left to face the Vicious Nero. For it is recorded in verse 16, "At my first answer, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me." Sadly, this is the norm today, rather than the exception.