NOTES ON THE AGONY OF PAUL AND THE BETRAYAL OF DEMAS AND ALEXANDER:  RESPONDING TO THE JUDAS EFFECT IN THE AGE OF ANTICHRIST – (WITH VIDEO)

1. THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. “Make every effort to come to me soon; for DEMAS, having loved [the pleasures of] this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia …

ALEXANDER the coppersmith did me great harm; [but that is no concern of mine, for] the Lord will repay him according to his actions. Be on guard against him yourself, because he vigorously opposed our message.” – 2 TIMOTHY 4:9-10, 14-15, AMP

KEY TERM: “DESERTED.” ‘Egkataleipó’ [ἐγκατέλιπεν]: “To leave [or be left] behind in some place [alone]; to forsake [or be forsaken].” NOTE: “The verb ἐγκαταλείπω conveys a deeply personal form of forsaking: Deserting someone who reasonably expected ongoing presence, help, or protection. ‘The compound intensifies the ordinary “leave,” stressing an Abandonment that wounds, exposes, or isolates.’”

QUOTATION. “‘I was alone. I had no one.’ No mother, no father, no brothers, no sisters, no grandmas, no grandpas, no uncles, no aunties, no cousins, and no tribe. I’d seen the children at the orphanage laugh or cry when they received news about a family member. I would never receive such news, and no family would laugh or cry for me. That day I understood with sharp clarity that I didn’t have a mother [or father or brother or sister] who wanted me.” – MARIA NHAMBU, Africa’s Child, 2016; edited

COMMENTARY. “‘Paul was virtually alone and probably lonely.’ No one had come to his trial to speak in his defense (4:16), and Demas has left the Faith. Crescens and Titus has left, but not for the same reasons as Demas. Paul did not criticize or condemn them. Demas had been one of Paul’s coworkers (Colossians 4:14; Philemon 1:24), but he had deserted Paul because as Paul said, he ‘loved this present world.’ In other words, Demas loved worldly values and worldly pleasures.

‘There are two ways to love the world:’ God loves the world as He created it and as it could be if it were rescued from evil; Others, like Demas, love the world as it is, sin and all. Do you love the world as it could be if Justice were done, the hungry were fed, and people loved one another? Or do you love what the world has to offer – wealthy, power, pleasure – even if gaining it means hurting people and neglecting the work God has given you to do?” – RONALD A. BEERS, General Editor, Life Application Study Bible, 2022, p. 2785; edited

II. TEACHING

“And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, ‘So, you men could not stay awake and keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep actively watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.’” – MATTHEW 26:40-41, AMP

There were THREE TROUBLEMAKERS who did considerable damage to the ministry and mission of Paul the Apostle: Alexander, Demas, and Hymanaeus. Notably, each of their transgressions continue to ramify throughout the Western Church to this day. Selah.

Most of my observations today are derived from an excellent essay by ANTHONY WEBER, Pastor of Church of the Living God in Traverse City, Michigan. He holds degrees in English Education and Theology, and the title of His article is:

“Alexander, Demas, and Life In The Kingdom” (Sermon Blog, Feb. 14, 2021; edited).

ALEXANDER (THE COPPERSMITH). “It is not clear if this reference is to an Alexander that is mentioned elsewhere. He might be mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:20 and if so, he, along with Hymenaeus, had been ‘handed over to Satan that they would not blaspheme’ [‘To Blaspheme’ is to speak with contempt about God or to be defiantly irreverent. Blasphemy is verbal or written reproach of God’s name, character, work, or attributes] which was a form of discipline that was basically being made to leave the Church (The Idea was that the Church provided spiritual covering, so, being kicked out was ‘handing someone over to Satan’ with the hopes that the experience would bring them to repentance and restoration’).”

DEMAS. “Everyone agrees on this: He was at one point a co-worker who is mentioned with Luke and Mark (Colossians 4:14; Philemon 24) and who stayed with Paul when he was in prison earlier. They also agree that ‘Demas loved this present age.’ It was not unusual for Jewish people to contrast ‘the Present Age,’ with ‘the Age to Come.’ The Present Age was characterized by the suffering of God’s people’ (Galatians 1:4); The Age to Come would be wonderful rather than terrible. Everyone agrees on these two things.”

I am going to give you the RANGE OF WHAT PEOPLE THINK [about Demas] because whatever it means, there is something to learn about life together in the Kingdom from any of the conclusions we reach.”

1. GRACE VIEW. “In the most generous reading possible, Demas loved the people who suffered in this Present Age, and he did not want to stop his ministry. Adam Clarke:  ‘Having preferred Judaism to Christianity; or having loved the Jews and having sought their welfare in preference to that of the Gentiles. The הזה עולם words olam hazzeh are generally to be understood as signifying, either the Jewish people, or the System of Judaism. This is a light in which the conduct of Demas may be viewed.’”
2. REALIST VIEW. “A second, less generous reading – but I think probably more honest – is that ‘Demas was just not ready to die.’ Even if his love for the Present Age could be seen as a passionate heart for spreading the gospel, that wasn’t the only motivation. Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible summarizes well: ‘Having loved this present world’ does not mean, necessarily, that ’he loved the honors or wealth of this world; but it means that ‘he desired to live.’ He was not willing to stay with Paul, and subject himself to the probabilities of martyrdom. And, in order to secure his life, he departed to a place of safety.’”
3. SEVERE VIEW. “Wuest’s Commentary offers a third reading that builds on this and is more pointed and harsh as it focuses on ‘Paul’s sense of Abandonment.’ There seems to be something personal here. Two others left (Paul didn’t ‘send’ them like he did Tychicus), but Demas is singled out. I get the impression that one hurt in ways the others did not. ‘Demas had not only left Paul so far as fellowship was concerned, but he had left him in the lurch also, so far as the work of the Gospel was concerned. He had been one of Paul’s dependable and trusted helpers. Paul said that he let him down. That is: ’To forsake one who is in a set of circumstances that are against him. It was a cruel blow to Paul.’”
4. CONCLUSION. “‘Sometimes, our circumstances threaten to overwhelm us.’ God will Rescue us from every trip, trap, snare, and pitfall of evil and carry us safely to His Heavenly Kingdom. That didn’t mean Paul did not suffer and die. He did. Even as he wrote this, his life was wrapping up here in a hard way. No, I think he meant this: ‘For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 8:35-39).’”

HYMANAEUS (AND PHILETUS). Here I turn to an excellent essay by DR. FRED Z. BROWNE in a piece titled, “What Was the Sin of Hymanaeus and Philetus?” (Bibliotheca Sacra, Apr. 1945, p. 233; edited).

Here are his MAIN THOUGHTS.

“‘In 1 Timothy 1:20 we read of the disciplining of Hymenaeus for Blasphemy.’ In 2 Timothy 2:17–18 it is stated that Hymenaeus and Philetus ‘as to the truth have gone astray, saying that the Resurrection [Rapture] hath taken place already.’ The Truth of the Resurrection being the very Keystone of the Arch supporting the Faith once for all delivered to the saints; it is significant that any attack upon the Doctrine is branded as ‘Blasphemy.’

Let us notice, first of all, that Hymenaeus and Philetus did not deny that there was to be a Resurrection. They were not Sadducees nor modern Unitarian destructive critics. Neither did they, like some modern wresters of the Scripture, speak of the Resurrection as a mere ‘resurrection of the soul.’ ‘They taught that there was a literal rising from the dead, but that: It was already Past!’”

COMMON THREAD. In all of these Harbingers of Apostasy is the following failure found in each example: These individuals did not ‘Know Christ’ fully, nor did they attend to His Doctrines sufficiently. Thus, they did “Great Harm” to the Apostle’s life and mission. The likely result:

Hellfire. Selah.

III. THE JUDAS EFFECT

Most of you have heard me wax enthusiastic about my dear friend and co-combatant in this Great Struggle, AMY HAWK. A good number of you have already purchased her excellent book, The Judas Effect: How Evangelicals Betrayed Jesus for Power (Cascade Books, 2024; edited). 

• OPEN. “‘Judas Iscariot was a follower of Jesus.’ He walked with Him. He talked with Him. He ate with Him. Presumably, he participated with Hiim in sharing the Good News. He did everything a good follower of Jesus is supposed to do. But somewhere along the way his heart was tempted to go off mission. ‘He became greedy for gain.’ It doesn’t matter whether he wanted money or political power. Neither is promised to the follower of Christ.” – (p. xi)

• OPPRESSION. “Prior to his Betrayal, Judas is revealed in Scripture to be something of a Bully. When a woman interrupted His dinner to lavish Jesus with affection, Judas tried to intimidate her [John 12:4]. His displeasure at her showy demonstration of love gives us a glimpse into the inner workings of his heart. ‘He prioritized money and power (and possible image) over love [and truth]. Thankfully, Jesus was quick to rebuke him’ [John 12:7].” It could be that Jesus’ Rebuke really angered Judas, because the next thing you know, ‘Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Him’ [Mark 14:10].” – (p. xi)

• CONSEQUENCES. “We know how Judas’ physical story ends-with his intestines spilled out in a field of blood. But the spirit that drove him toward Betrayal didn’t die. ‘It’s AN ATTITUDE that will resort to Bullying in order to get its own way. It’s an Attitude of Greed, Control, and Intimidation Tactics.’It pretends to follow God even as it repels the people God is so desperately wanting to reach. It’s an Attitude alive and well in the Church today.” – (pp. xi-xii)

• JUDAS. “‘The Spirit of Judas will partner with anyone who prioritizes Control and Power over Love [and Truth].’ Besides Greed, some signs of its presence are Misogyny, a willingness to go along with Lies, and a willingness to commit Violence. ‘Where these Attributes are present, you can be sure there has been a Betrayal of Christ.’” – (p. xii)

• FAUST. “‘It has been my contention that, ultimately, Telling the Truth is the most important thing the Evangelical Church can do’ … The Truth is that the World watched in horror while the Church made a Spiritual Alliance with a fraudulent Con Artist and Abuser. Yes, I said ‘Spiritual.’ It wasn’t just a Political Alliance … Trump agreed to do what Evangelicals wanted of him, so he was regularly cast by Church Leaders as King Cyrus, or God’s Chosen Candidate. He offered the Church everything it ever wanted: Political control, Protection of religious freedoms, Supreme Court judges-what was not to like? Trump’s offer of ‘Power’  created a virtual ‘Utopia’ in the minds of many [most] Evangelicals who had been waiting a long time for things we were sure God wanted us to have. ‘A Heaven on Earth.’” – (p. xv)

• DOCTRINE. “‘The Gospel of Jesus Christ is Holy and Lovely and Eternal.’ It is the Good News of God’s Kingdom coming to Earth in the Person of Jesus Christ, to love and embrace the poor, the downcast, the brokenhearted, and the oppressed … His Church should do the same. ‘Come, follow Me,’ He says, ‘and I will make you fishers of men’ [Matthew 4:19]. But we can be fishers of men only if we are preaching a Pure Gospel. ‘Be very careful. Keep a sharp eye out for the contaminating yeast of Pharisees and the followers of Herod’ [Mark 8:15].” – (p. 81)

• WORDS. “Three years into Trump’s [first] Presidency, you would think that I’d have become accustomed to his ‘Strange and abusive Tweets,’ but they continue to rattle me. I was hoping that those who were on his Evangelical Ministry Council [e.g., Michelle Bachmann, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, James Dobson, Jerry Falwell Jr., Jentezen Franklin, Robert Jeffress, David Jeremiah, Richard Land, Johnnie Moore, Robert Morris, Ralph Reed, James Robison, Tony Suarez, Paula White] were correct in their assertion that despite mounting evidence to the contrary, ‘Trump was being used by God.’ But God does not ‘use’ people who deliberately choose meanness and wickedness, time and time again [Galatians 6:7-8; Hosea 9:15] … ‘Trump’s personal messages via Tweet to the citizens of America told the true story of what was in his heart’ [Luke 6:45].” – (p. 87)

• JESUS. “You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man, from his [inner] good treasure, brings out good things; and the evil man, from his [inner] evil treasure, brings out evil things. But I tell you, on the day of judgment people will have to give an accounting for every careless or useless word they speak. For by your words [reflecting your spiritual condition] you will be justified and acquitted of the guilt of sin; and by your words [rejecting Me] you will be condemned and sentenced.” – MATTHEW 12:34-37, AMP

• PURPOSE. ‘If God used Trump for anything, it was to show us what we look like to the rest of the world.’ God held up a Mirror to the Church, and Donald Trump looked back.’ God brought into the Light what we needed to see about ourselves. I’m grateful. How else would I, would ‘we,’ ever have known that some [many or most] of us were essentially capable of Indifference toward 800,000 Americans dead from a virus in twelve months? [Update: 1,226,000 deaths a/o Sep. 1, 2025, Wikipedia]. Or that some would be cool with separating young children from their parents? How else to learn that simply loving your neighbor and prioritizing their health would be considered ‘Liberal Theology’”?– (p. 113)

• LESSON. “‘I let the Evangelical Church lead me until she took me to a place I couldn’t follow.’ My heart was devastated in the letting go. I had to say goodbye: To a Church community I loved, a Pastor I adored, and another Pastor I thought of as a spiritual father. It was an agonizing and disorienting time. I lost friends; some I had been friends with for over twenty years. I didn’t fault them. I’d run with the Evangelical Pack for so long, and now I was going against the grain. Every element of instruction I received while under Evangelical Tutelage was put under a microscope and inspected. My faith underwent a great shaking, and many of my long-held beliefs fell away. You know what though?

‘Jesus Held!’” – (p. 142)

IV. LAST THOUGHTS

As the Trump Coup d’etat of the American Order deepens, we are increasingly learning of heartbreaking stories of family and life-long friendships being torn asunder over the Great Trump Divide. So the Question that demands to be addressed is this:

‘How Shall We Respond to Betrayal by MAGA Christians?’

BIBLICAL REACTIONS TO BETRAYAL. I happily turn to a former Christian educator holding a Masters’ degree in Multicultural and Bilingual Studies named LORI SCHUMAKER. The title of her Blog is:

“7 Powerful Truths You Need to Help You Overcome Betrayal and Rejection” (Ret. Sep. 2, 2025; edited)

1. BETRAYER. “The Betrayal is not ours to own and it does not place guilt on our shoulders. The Enemy wants us to believe it must be our fault and that we deserved the betrayal, but this is the Enemy’s favorite way to use his masterful lies. ‘He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.’” – John 8:44
2. IDENTITY. “The Betrayal is not our Identity. When we are betrayed, we can find ourselves harboring feelings of unworthiness. We may hear the Enemy whisper things such as, ‘You are not worth being respected’ or ‘You were a fool.’ People, however, do not betray based on the worth or level of awareness of those they betray. They choose to betray because of a brokenness deep inside themselves. An unredeemed sin in their hearts is acting out Betrayal. ‘Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.’” – John 13:26-27
3. FAIRNESS. “Life is not fair, and Injustice happens. We must unconditionally accept that fact. We cannot avoid situations of Unfairness and Injustice nor is it in our power to stop Betrayal. It is only in our power to trust that God will walk us through Betrayal. ‘When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.’” – Romans 5:12
4. REVENGE. “Revenge will not fix the betrayal. Revenge will only make our brokenness greater. We may never personally witness any type of Justice, but our Faith assures us that the Lord will take care of the matter. ‘I will repay evil; Wait [expectantly] for the Lord, and He will rescue and save you.’” – Proverbs 20:22
5. MATURITY. “On the other side of this pain lies the opportunity to grow. Simply being able to look betrayal in the eye and say, “I will grow from this”, defeats the betrayer’s intent. ‘When a woman gives birth, she has a hard time, there’s no getting around it. But when the baby is born, there is joy in the birth. This new life in the world wipes out the memory of the pain. The sadness you have right now is similar to that pain, but the coming joy is also similar. When I see you again, you’ll be full of joy, and it will be a joy no one can rob from you. You’ll no longer be so full of questions.” – John 16:21-23
6. TRUST. “You will Trust again, Love again, and, yes, find Joy again. The Pain may suck the life right out of you right now.  Maybe you can’t imagine ever feeling whole again. But God equips us to overcome with His power. He will stay with you as you battle. And He will bring you to a place of healing where you can once again trust, love, and experience joy once again. ‘I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.’” – Philippians 3:12-14
7. CHURCH. “Betrayal and Rejection are inevitable within the Church, but that does not mean Betrayal is the Church. Betrayal and rejection happen everywhere. The Church does not get a reprieve from that. There are broken people within the Church and Sin happens, Betrayal happens. However, Jesus does not betray. He does not reject. And in a ‘Healthy Church,’ we can find community, growth, and healing. ‘Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.” – Matthew 26: 14-16 NLT

CODA. So beloved, to conclude our important discussion today on Betrayal, we need answer only one final, crucial Question: “What is, ‘Church’?” The Answer is given us by THE MESSIAH:

“Again I say to you, that if two believers on earth agree [that is, are of one mind, in harmony] about anything that they ask [within the will of God], it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in My name [meeting together as My followers], I am there among them.” – MATTHEW 18:18-20, AMP

Everybody get that? ‘Christ’s True Church is where True Believers gather who are of “One mind, in harmony” with God’s Truth.’

It’s not a building, beloved, nor has it ever been. It is simply wherever Jesus is, and nor more nor less than that.

Selah.

MEDIA

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/0p2swyyyT1c