Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.
The greeting belongs to Paul's letter to Philemon, sent while he was a prisoner in chains on his coming to Rome. He had sailed westward in the Alexandrian ship Castor and Pollux as far as Puteoli, where by the centurion's permission he stayed seven days with the few Christians there. From there he traveled the hundred-and-forty-mile way to Rome, welcomed along the road by Roman Christians. They had eagerly expected his visit ever since receiving his letter to the Romans, and they loved him the more because he came to them suffering in chains.
Among those named as his fellow laborers are Demas and Luke, standing side by side in the work. At that time Demas was a Christian convert, accepted into the church and serving together with Paul. His later forsaking of Paul for love of the world shows that even one counted a fellow worker can be drawn away from faithful service by worldly aims.
The greeting belongs to Paul's letter to Philemon, sent while he was a prisoner in chains on his coming to Rome. He had sailed westward in the Alexandrian ship Castor and Pollux as far as Puteoli, where by the centurion's permission he stayed seven days with the few Christians there. From there he traveled the hundred-and-forty-mile way to Rome, welcomed along the road by Roman Christians. They had eagerly expected his visit ever since receiving his letter to the Romans, and they loved him the more because he came to them suffering in chains.
Among those named as his fellow laborers are Demas and Luke, standing side by side in the work. At that time Demas was a Christian convert, accepted into the church and serving together with Paul. His later forsaking of Paul for love of the world shows that even one counted a fellow worker can be drawn away from faithful service by worldly aims.