Luke, the beloved physician
The mention of "Luke" here is significant as it highlights his role and character within the early Christian community. The Greek name "Loukas" is a diminutive form of "Loukanos," meaning "from Lucania," a region in Italy. Luke is traditionally understood to be the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. His designation as "the beloved physician" underscores his profession and the affection with which he was regarded by Paul and the early church. Historically, physicians in the Greco-Roman world were respected for their knowledge and skill, and Luke's medical background may have contributed to his detailed and orderly writing style. His companionship with Paul on missionary journeys also suggests a deep commitment to the spread of the Gospel and the care of the early Christian communities.

and Demas
The mention of "Demas" alongside Luke provides a contrast in the narrative of early Christian figures. The name "Demas" is derived from the Greek "Dēmas," which means "popular" or "of the people." Initially, Demas is seen as a fellow worker in the ministry, as indicated by his inclusion in Paul's greetings. However, later in 2 Timothy 4:10, Paul notes that Demas deserted him, "because he loved this world." This shift in Demas's account serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of worldly temptations and the importance of steadfastness in faith. It reminds believers of the need for perseverance and the potential pitfalls that can lead one away from their spiritual commitments.

send you greetings
The phrase "send you greetings" reflects the common practice of including personal salutations in ancient letters, which served to strengthen communal bonds and express mutual care and concern. The Greek word "aspazomai" is used here, meaning "to greet" or "to salute," and it conveys a sense of warmth and personal connection. In the context of the early church, such greetings were not mere formalities but expressions of genuine fellowship and unity among believers. They served to encourage and uplift the recipients, reminding them of their shared faith and the broader community of believers to which they belonged. This practice underscores the importance of maintaining relationships and supporting one another in the Christian journey.

(14) Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas.--Comp. Philemon 1:24. The original is even more emphatic, "Luke the physician, the beloved one." Demas, on the contrary, is barely named. It is impossible not to pass on in thought to the last notice of the two by St. Paul (2Timothy 4:10), "Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world. . . . only Luke is with me."

On the relation of St. Luke to St. Paul, see Introduction to the Acts. Here we need only remark that the emphatic mention of him as "the beloved physician" suggests the idea that it was both as physician and as friend that St. Luke, now, as in the last captivity, was with the Apostle. Though the captivity was not, according to ancient ideas, severe, it must have told upon his weak and shattered health.

Verse 14. - Luke the physician, the beloved, saluteth you (Philemon 1:24; 2 Timothy 4:11). This reference to Luke's profession is extremely interesting. We gather from the use of the first person plural in Acts 16:10-17, and again from Acts 20:5 to the end of the narrative, that he joined St. Paul on his first voyage to Europe and was left behind at Philippi; and rejoined him six years after on the journey to Jerusalem which completed his third missionary circuit, continuing with him during his voyage to Rome and his imprisonment. This faithful friend attended him in his second captivity, and solaced his last hours; "Only Luke is with me" (2 Timothy 4:11). His being called "the physician" suggests that he ministered to the apostle in this capacity, especially as "his first appearance in St. Paul's company synchronizes with an attack of St. Paul's constitutional malady" (Lightfoot: comp. Acts 16:10 and Galatians 4:13-15; the illness referred to in 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 and 2 Cor 4:7-5:8 may partly have led to Luke's rejoining St. Paul in Macedonia). St Luke's writings testify both to his medical knowledge and to his Pauline sympathies. His companionship probably gave a special colouring to the phraseology and cast of thought of St. Paul's later Epistles. (On the relations of St. Luke and St. Paul, see a valuable Paper by Dean Plumptre in the Expositor, first series, vol. 4. pp. 134-156.) "The beloved" is a distinct appellation, due partly to Luke's services to the apostle, but chiefly, one would suppose, to the amiable and gentle disposition of the writer of the third Gospel. It is not unlikely that he is "the brother" referred to in 2 Corinthians 8:18, 19. Lucas is a contraction for Lucanus; so that he was not the "Lucius" of Acts 13:1, nor, certainly, the "Lucius my kinsman" of Romans 16:21, who was a Jew. He was probably, like many physicians of that period, a freedman; and, since freedmen took the name of the house to which they had belonged, may have been, as Plumptre conjectures, connected with the family of the Roman philosopher Seneca and the poet Lucan. And Demas (Philemon 1:24; 2 Timothy 4:10), who alone receives no word of commendation - a fact significant in view of the melancholy sentence pronounced upon him in 2 Timothy 4:10. His name is probably short for Demetrius.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Luke,
Λουκᾶς (Loukas)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3065: Lucas, Luke, Christian physician and writer of the Third Gospel and Acts. Contracted from Latin Lucanus; Lucas, a Christian.

the
ὁ (ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

beloved
ἀγαπητὸς (agapētos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 27: From agapao; beloved.

physician,
ἰατρὸς (iatros)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2395: A physician. From iaomai; a physician.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

Demas
Δημᾶς (Dēmas)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1214: Demas, a helper of Paul in Rome. Probably for Demetrios; Demas, a Christian.

send you greetings.
Ἀσπάζεται (Aspazetai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 782: To greet, salute, pay my respects to, welcome. To enfold in the arms, i.e. to salute, to welcome.


Colossians 4:14 NIV
Colossians 4:14 NLT
Colossians 4:14 ESV
Colossians 4:14 NASB
Colossians 4:14 KJV

Colossians 4:14 BibleApps.com
Colossians 4:14 Biblia Paralela
Colossians 4:14 Chinese Bible
Colossians 4:14 French Bible
Colossians 4:14 Catholic Bible

NT Letters: Colossians 4:14 Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet (Coloss. Col Co)