I. Introduction
A. The city of Pergamum was about 70 miles north of Smyrna
1. The name Pergamum means elevated and Marriage
a. We shall see how appropreate this is
(1) In Pergamum and during the age of the church at Pergamum the church was elevated
(2) And there was a marriage between the church and the world
2. Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamum were all three royal cities
a. Ephesus was a political center
b. Smyrna was a commercial center
c. Pergamum was a religious center
3. Pergamum was the site of many temples
a. To Augustus Ceaser
b. To Zeus
c. To Dionysos - or Bacchus, the God of wine
d. The temple of Hedrian
e. And the temple of Asklepios
(1) The temple of Asklepios was a hospital
(a) Asklepios is represented as a man in western mythology
(b) And as a snake in eastern mythology
(c) In this hospital their priests practiced medician and psychology
(2) Immagine that you are walking the hallways of a hospital and you keep hearing low sexy voices telling you
(a) that you are going to get well
(b) that you feel good
(c) that the gods are going to heal you
(3) This was one of the psycological methods they used
f. All these differing temples may be the reason Jesus called Pergamum the throne of Satan
4. Pergamum was obviously a city that tolerated and even encouraged many different forms of religious expression
a. Christianity was as welcome as any other
B. We have to realize that Satan is flexable - willing to try different things to accomplish his ends
1. In Smyrna he tried to crush the church
a. Attacking the church from the outside
b. Killing the Christians
2. In Pergamum he tried to destroy the church from within
C. Pergamum was also the site of one of the greatest libraries in the ancient world
1. The library had over 200,000 volumns
2. Mark Anthony gave the library at Pergamum to his girl friend Cleopatra
3. And she moved it to Alexandria
4. It would be appropreate to know that Pergamum is where we get the word for parchment
D. The age of the church at Pergamum began about 313 AD when Constantine issued his edit of toleration and then called himself God's appointed protector of the church.
E. In our examination of the church at Pergamum, this morning, we shall see:
1. The commendation
2. The condemnation
3. The warning
4. The promise
5. Turn to Revelation 2:12
II. Body
A. Again, the preamble to Christ's message to the church at Pergamum gives us insite to the Lord and the church
Revelation 2:12
To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.
1. Christ is pictured here as having a sharp two-edged sword
a. If we turn to Hebrews 4:12, we shall see that anytime the Scriptures mention a double-edged sword in a symbolic way, it is talking about the Word of God
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
b. And in our verse, Christ is presenting Himself as the one with the double-edged sword, the Word of God
(1) The Word is precious
(2) The Word is truth
(3) The Word is powerful
2. Now let's look at Revelation 2:13
Revelation 2:13
I know where you live--where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city--where Satan lives.
B. The commendation
1. The commendation is for remaining true to the name of Christ
a. Even in the face of martyrdom
(1) Antipas means to stand alone
(a) Antipas my faithful witness, who was slain among you
(b) Antipas may or may not have been a particular individual - we have no way of knowing
(c) Stephen, was antipas. . . in that he stood alone as a faithful witness for Christ and died for his stand
(2) Antipas may have been a real person or the name may have been used to designate all those who stand for the name of Christ
b. The commendation is for remaining true and holding fast to their faith in Christ under all circumstances
2. The church at Pergamum is representitive of the Roman Catholic church, specifically during the period 313 AD to about 590 AD.
a. However, the greater body of the Roman Catholic church is still a Pergamum type church
b. And the commendation holds true today as well as centuries ago
(1) Amid all the trappings, litergy, idolatry, and Maryism the Roman Catholic church still holds unto the basic tenants of the Christian faith.
(a) If you were to ask any Roman Catholic priest any where in the world what the church's dogma is concerning the means of salvation, the priest would tell you, "Belive on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved."
(b) If you asked the same priest or any other what the church's dogma was concerning who Jesus is, he would tell you that Jesus is the Son of God, very God Himself, the second person of the Godhead, which consists of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
(2) Even today, these basic teachings are still a fundamental part of Catholic doctrine. They remain true to His name and hold fast to their faith in Him
(a) They don't necessarily teach or preach this around the world; but, listening to what was said during world youth day this last summer, the church's stand is still rock solid.
3. Now, turn to Revelation 2:14 & 15
Revelation 2:14-15
Nevertheless , I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. (15) Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
C. The condemnation
1. Balaam was the prophet that Balak, king of Moab, summoned to curse Israel.
a. But, Balaam could only bless Israel
b. Because that was what God orderd him to do
c. However, Balaam gave Balak one piece of advice which is called in our Revelation passage the teacdhing of Balaam.
d. That advice was to subvert Israel through intermarriage
e. To subvert Israel through sexual imorality
f. To subvert Israel through enticing them to eat meat which was sacrificed to idols
g. This works itself out as we can see it, by accepting foreign religious practices
(1) This is obvious in the Roman Catholic church
(a) In order to make catholethism acceptable to a people, the church had made compromises with the native religious practices and dressed these compromises with Christian trappings
(b) Patron saints, fetishes, and local rituals are absdorbed into local churches
(2) Many Catholic churches are filled with idols . . . idols who's names are
(a) Mary
(b) Saint Peter
(c) Saint Andrew
(d) Even Christ
(e) But, it should be obvious that these are compromises with idolitrous practices
h. Turn with me for a moment to 1 Timothy 4:1-3
2. The doctrine of Balaam allows the false teachings to co-exist with the truth.
1 Timothy 4:1-3
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. (2) Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. (3) They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.
a. In this letter to Pastor Timothy, Paul prophesies about the Roman Catholic church
(1) What church forbids marriage?
(2) What church, upto just a few years ago, forbid the eating of meat on Fridays?
(3) What church has included the doctrines of idol worshipping religions?
(4) The answer is the church at Pergamum. The Roman Cathiolic church.
3. The church is condemned for compromise
a. But, we must also remember the commendation
b. Out of the age of the church at Pergamum came many of the great defenders of the faith
(1) Athanasius of North Africa who's words at the council of Nicea in 325 AD defeated Arianism
(a) Which was the teaching that Christ was not God
(2) The period also produced Augustine
(3) And Saint Frances of Assissi
4. The second area of condemnation for the church at Pergamum is that they allowed the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes:
a. If we assume the doctrine is based upon the meaning of Nocoliatian, "Conquer the laity" we can see the results of this practice:
(1) The Catholic priests are elevated to a level of God
(2) The church denies the priesthood of the believer
(3) The priest has the power to forgive sin:
(a) The Pharasees were correct in their thoughts that only God can forgive sin
(b) Christ forgave sin - because He is God
(c) But, the Catholic priest stands in God's shoes during confession
(4) Further, the Pope has been elevated to the point that his word has the same effect as the Bible.
5. The church is condemned for its marriage with the world
a. The compromises made to accomidate heresy
b. And the elevation of the clergy
6. Now, turn to Revelation 2:16
Revelation 2:16
Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
D. The warning
1. Christ's warning is a call for repentance
a. A call to repent from the inclusion of heresy and from the doctrine of the Nicolaitains
b. Or Christ will come and fight against them with the sword of His mouth
(1) That is the fight is against heresy will be engaged with the truth of the Word of God
(2) If we look into the history of the reformation, it was men reading the Bible that revealed the heresy
(a) Reformers
i) John Calvin
ii) Martin Luther
iii) Simon Mennow
(b) These men found truth in the Word of God and began to teach the true gospel
c. These men read the Bible and started asking questions that had no answer
(1) Martin Luther began by asking about the practices of selling indulgances
(2) Simon Mennow questioned infant baptism
(3) There was no satifying answers in the philosophy of man
(4) But, the Word of God gave them real answers
2. Christ has come in the Spirit and opened the Word of God to those who fought heresy
a. Over and over, the Word of God has lead Christians to seperate from false doctrine and heresy
b. Our own Conservatve Baptist movement came out of a disatisfaction with the practice of sending missionaries to the fireign field that did not believe in the basic tenants of the faith
c. Now turn to Revelation 2:17
Revelation 2:17
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.
E. The promise
1. Again, the promise is to the one who overcomes - the Christian
a. Hidden Manna - the sufficiency of Christ in contrast to the allurements of the world which compromise offered.
(1) Manna was also a rather simple food
(2) Its use was almost universal like wheat is today
(3) Further, according to God's word, it was all that was necessary for human nutrition.
(4) That sufficiency of Christ is like the Manna
(a) Simple, Christ alone
(b) It is everything we need Spiritually
b. White stone - this is the only mention in the Bible of a white stone - therefore it is necessary to look into customs of the times to find a clue to this promise.
(1) White is everywhere the color and livery of heaven
(2) It is helpful to learn that the people of Asia Minor to whom John was writing had a custom of giving to intimate friends a tessera, a cube or rectangular block of stone or ivory, with words or symbols engraved on it.
(a) It was a secret, private, Precious, intimate possession of the one who received it.
(b) Christ is promising to make a precious, intimate, secret, gift to each one of His intimate friends, those being the overcomers.
(3) That new name, might be a new name that Christ gives each believer, like Simon Peter or Levi Matthew
(4) Or it might be a new name for Christ
(a) Revealing a new aspect of Christ's nature to the believer
(b) Each believer recieving this intimate gift from the Bridegroom
III. Summary
A. As we have examined the church at Pergamum; we have seen
1. The commendation
a. For remaining true the the name of Christ
b. For holding fast the faith
2. The condemnation
a. For compromising with the world
b. For the practice of elevating the clergy
3. The warning
a. Repent
b. Or Christ will fight the heresy with the Word of God
4. The promise
a. To the overcomer
(1) The hidden Manna
(2) And the white stone, the precious intimate gift from Christ Himself
B. We have seen that the age characterized by the church at Pergamum started in 313 AD
1. Begun by Constantine's patronage
2. The period of the church at Pergamum ended when the head of the church was elevated to secular power
a. Pope Gregory I
b. It was during this time that many of the truly apostate practices were introduced into the church
C. In our previous message concerning Smyrna; we compared Grace with what the Spirit revealed about Ephesus and Smyrna
1. When we compare Grace with the church at Pergamum
a. Have we remained true to the name of Christ?
b. Have we held on to our faith in Him?
c. Do we find the world entering the church?
d. Have we compromised with idol worship?
(1) Our world has many idols
(2) Money
(3) TV
(4) Things
2. When we make our comparison, let's be honest
a. Grace Baptist and her people could very well be like the church at Pergamum
(1) The compromise does not have to be with religious practices
(2) It need only be with the world
(a) Surplanting Christ as first in our lives
(b) And in our affections
D. If we compare the beginnings of each of the Christian Denominations; we will find that each one shone brightest for the Lord in their beginnings, during the time of trial and struggle, the time of their first love. When they begin to leave their first love, there is a time of a cold orthodoxy, and then even later we find that their light is very near out and they have compromised with others for the sake of some idealistic goal.
1. Compromise to attract members
2. Compromise for unity
3. Compromise for acceptability
IV. Challange
A. Our challange is the same as before
1. If our first love is first in our heart
2. We can't be a Pergamum church
3. We must not lose that first love
4. We must not compromise the Word of God
B. We may become the hated minority again
1. But, with Christ on our side
2. We can be overcomers; because He has overcome the world
