4:14

Luke: Luke is mentioned by name three times in the Christian Greek Scriptures, in each case by the apostle Paul. (2Ti 4:11; Phm 24) Luke was probably a Greek-speaking Jew who became a Christian likely sometime after Pentecost 33 C.E. He wrote the Gospel bearing his name and then the book of Acts. (See study note on Lu Title.) He accompanied Paul during the apostle’s second and third missionary journeys. And he was with him when the apostle was imprisoned for two years in Caesarea. He traveled with Paul to Rome when Paul was first imprisoned there. That is when Paul wrote the letter to the Colossians. Luke was again with Paul during the apostle’s final imprisonment, which apparently led to Paul’s martyrdom.​—2Ti 4:11.

the beloved physician: This is the only verse that directly mentions Luke’s profession. Dynamic though Paul was, he was not immune to physical illness (Ga 4:13); thus, it may have been an added comfort to have Luke as his companion. Christians in Colossae were likely familiar with professional physicians, as there were several medical schools in the area.

Demas: Paul mentions this fellow worker in his letter to Philemon as well. (Phm 24) Only a few years later, however, Paul was imprisoned in Rome for the second time. From there, he wrote: “Demas has forsaken me because he loved the present system of things”; Demas had returned to Thessalonica, perhaps his hometown.​—2Ti 4:10.