Demetrius Leaves Paul

Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas [Demetrius], because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.  I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.  When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.

Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done.  You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.

At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. (2Timothy 9-16)

Luke Attacks Demetrius

“It was at this time that there was serious trouble in Ephesus because of the Way of the Lord.  A certain silversmith named Demetrius made silver models of the temple of the goddess Artemis, and his business brought a great deal of profit to the workers.  So he called them all together with others whose work was like  theirs and said to them, “Men, you know that our prosperity comes from this work.  Now, you can see and hear for  yourselves what this fellow Paul is doing.  He says that man-made gods are not gods at all, and he has succeeded in convincing many people, both here in Ephesus and in nearly the whole province of Asia........The uproar spread throughout the whole city.  The mob grabbed “Gaius and Aristarchus, two Macedonians who were traveling with Paul, and rushed them to the theater.”  Acts 19:23-26 and 29)

“Some of the people concluded that Alexander was responsible, since the Jews made him go up to the front.” (Acts 19:33)

John Defends Demetrius

“I wrote a short letter to the church; but Diotrephes, who likes to be their leader, will not pay any attention to what I say.  When I come, then, I will bring up everything he has done: the terrible things he says about us and the lies he tells!  But that is not enough for him; he will not receive the Brothers when they come, and even stops those who want to receive them and tries to drive them out of the church!

My dear friend, do not imitate what is bad, but imitate what is good.  Whoever does good belongs to God;  whoever does what is bad has not seen God.

Everyone speaks well of Demetrius; the truth itself speaks well of him. And we add our testimony, and you know that what we say is true.” (3 John 9-12)