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The Seven Churches of Revelation Lesson 4
Revelation 2:12-17 – The Church at Pergamum
(Rev. Barry Johnson and Rev. Rodney Johnson)
Introduction
Hello everyone and welcome to lesson 4 in our study of the seven churches of Asia from the Book of Revelation. Today we look at Jesus’ message to the church in Pergamum. But before we begin, let’s pause, as we always do, for a word of prayer.
Pergamum was the home of a library that contained nearly 200,000 volumes. It was also a major agricultural hub that also included vineyards. But these attributes took a backseat to the city’s major attraction and source of income. It was the home of the temples of nearly every major man-made deity. To visit Pergamum would be like taking a star tour in Hollywood where they put you in a little van and drive you through the exclusive neighborhoods so you can see where all the important people live. Coming to Pergamum, in terms of worship, was just like that. The array of gods and goddesses was impressive.
For example, there was an altar to Zeus, the king of Mount Olympus, where all of the gods and goddesses lived. If you needed something done, you would go and see Zeus because he had all the power. But suppose you came to Pergamum for pleasure. You could make a reservation at the temple of Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry. You could get drunk and participate in orgies 24/7. What if you needed food or wanted a good crop? Then you would go to the temple of the goddess Demeter. Or, maybe you’re sick. The temple of Asklepios, the god of healing, was also in Pergamum. It was one of the major destinations for healing in the world. Pilgrims came from all over to this temple. And guess who did the healing? Snakes! The sick or ailing were given a drug that caused them to fall into a deep sleep. And while they slept snakes were set free to crawl over them. After reading this, l thought about the medical symbol that we see today. It’s a rod with snakes wound around it. Folks, this symbol dates back to the corrupt and immoral city of Pergamum.
This was the city that the Christians lived in. In addition to the temples of the gods and goddesses I just mentioned, there were temples for those seeking wealth, wisdom, fertility, and many other things that satisfied a person’s desires and lusts. So, if you were a follower of Jesus Christ and refused to bow the knee to all of this, it was a good thing for you to hear what Jesus said at the beginning of this letter, which Rodney will get into in a moment. There was a hymn that the early Christians sang, which was probably also sung in Pergamum as well. It’s about Jesus and recorded in Philippians 2:9-11 -- (9) Therefore God also has highly exalted him and given Him the name which is above every name, (10) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, (11) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father.
With this introduction, Rodney is going to get us started with lesson 4, the church in Pergamum.
Barry, as you have stated, the church in Pergamum was compromised which we will go into in some detail as we discuss the verses. There was a lot of pagan worship going on during this time and Ephesus and Smyrna played prominent roles as two of the strategic centers of pagan worship in the Roman province of Asia. However, paganism in the city of Pergamum surpassed even Ephesus and Smyrna. Pergamum’s many temples and its centuries of incessant rituals caused it to be renowned as one of the most devout pagan cities in the Entire Roman Empire.
Verses 12-13
“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write; ‘These things says He who has the sharp sword with two edges. (13) I know your works and where you dwell, even where Satan's throne is: and you hold fast my name, and have not denied my faith, even in those days when Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells.” (Revelation 2:12-13)
“These things says He who has the sharp sword with two edges.” John first speaks of Jesus as having the sharp sword with two edges. Remember when we read the first chapter of Revelation and what was recorded in verse sixteen? It reads, “And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shines in its strength.” It is understood that the Word of God is a sword, able to slay both sin and sinners. It turns and cuts every way, but the believer need not fear this sword, yet this confidence cannot be supported without steady obedience.
Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Again, the word of God is a sword; it is a weapon both offensive and defensive. Remember Paul wrote that we should “…take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17b) as one piece of the armor that we should be wearing as Christians. John is being transparent in letting the Church know Who it was that was giving this message to them.
Rodney, when I hear the phrase “the sword of the spirit”, my mind immediately goes to Jesus and how He shows us what it is and how to use it. In Matthew 4, when the devil is tempting him, verse four says, “But He (Jesus) answered and said, ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4. Note: “It is written” also appears in verses 7 and 10.)
(13) I know your works and where you dwell, even where Satan's throne is: and you hold fast My name, and have not denied My faith, even in those days when Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells.”
Once again Jesus says that He knows their works. He acknowledges that they dwell where Satan’s throne was as it relates to the pagan worship in the city and yet, they had not denied His name even after Antipas was martyred. It is interesting to me that Jesus calls out the fact that they are where Satan’s throne was. This tells me that they were in the midst of trials – they were in the fire. To be in a place where pagan worship was rampant and being a Christian could be a reason to be put to death. This meant something! They had not denied Jesus’ name or their faith. But it also tells us that it is possible. For those who believe that once you are saved you will always be saved, this is not the picture that Jesus paints. The fact that He commends them for not denying His name means that it could happen and some did do it.
As you were talking about denying Jesus, I thought about how this could have happened. As you said, the pressure on the believers would have been tremendous. So, to turn down the heat, it wouldn’t surprise me if one way they denied Jesus was by being willing to attend and participate in the “worship services” of the other temples.
Jesus commends them for not being ashamed of their relationship with Him. They acknowledged His name, would not deny it, and were even proud to be called a Christian. They had not denied His doctrine of the gospel, nor departed from the Christian faith. It is important to note that our faith will have a great influence on our “faithfulness.” If you want to know if someone truly believes and is faithful, watch their response when trouble comes. Watch their response when their faith is put to the test. Then you will know.
It is possible to deny Christ and when we do, there are consequences. Jesus said in Matthew 10:33, “But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” This Church had not denied Christ even after Antipas was martyred. There is some uncertainty as to who this person was. What we do know is that he was a faithful disciple of Christ; he suffered martyrdom for it, and sealed his faith and commitment with his blood in the place where Satan dwelt. And this is important, though the rest of the believers there knew this, and saw it, they were not discouraged nor drawn away from their steadfastness who which Jesus commends them. Barry, from these two verses it seems like this Church was on the right path and was doing a great job. So what was Jesus’ problem with this church?
Verses 14-15
Rodney, we’re going to see what they were in the next two verses.
(14) But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to sexual immorality. (15) Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.” (Revelation 2:14-15)
We see in these two verses two things that Jesus hated: (1) the doctrine of Balaam and (2) the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. Examining these doctrines will be our focus for the next few minutes.
“The doctrine of Balaam” – Balaam was the false prophet that we read about in Numbers 22 through 24, and in Numbers 31:13-17. All of us know the story of how he got into an argument with his ass! God’s issue with Balaam was the fact that he prostituted his services as a prophet to the heathen king Balak. He counseled the king that the most effective way to get Israel to make God angry was to tempt the men to engage in sexual immorality with the Moabite and Midianite women. Balak, the Moabite king, was afraid Israel would do to them what they did to the Amorites. So he sends messengers to the false prophet Balaam.
Let’s pick the record up in Numbers 22:5. (5) Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the river in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! (6) Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed. (7) So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the diviner’s fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak.” (Numbers 22:5-7)
Now turn with me to Numbers 25:1-3. (1) Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. (2) They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. (3) So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel. Because of this, the Lord tells Moses to take vengeance on the Midianites. Israel defeats Midian and also kills Balaam.
In Numbers 31 we learn that the children of Israel took the women and their children captive and Moses was not happy. Let’s pick the record up in verse 15. (15) And Moses said to them: ‘Have you kept all the women alive? (16) Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the council of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. (17) Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately. (Numbers 31:15-17)
“To cast a stumbling block before the children” – We see from Numbers that the stumbling block refers to teaching and preaching that lead people into compromise through immorality, worldliness, and false ideologies, all for the sake of personal advancement or monetary gain. I encourage you to read Numbers 22-24 and 31. It’s a fascinating record.
“The doctrine of the Nicolaitans” – When we looked at the church at Ephesus in lesson 3, we talked about this doctrine. In a nutshell, it taught that saving faith in Christ and a lifestyle of immorality were compatible. Today an example would be the teaching that grace covers sin. Another would be the teaching that says when we sin we can appeal to the blood of Jesus without true repentance.
Amazingly, this Church was commended for not denying Christ and standing firm but yet allowed doctrines to enter the congregation that did just that – caused people to sin and deny Christ. The Church as a whole might have stood firm, but because of what they allowed to go on within their walls individual members stumbled. We see this same thing happening in Church around the world today.
Rodney, why don’t you take verse 16 and I will take verse 17?
Verses 16-17
“Repent; or else I will come unto you quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. (17) He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches. To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows except him who receives it.” (Revelation 2:16-17)
The first word is “repent.” We have seen this word before. It means to stop what you are doing and do something differently. Repentance is the duty of saints as well as sinners. It is the duty of churches and communities as well as particular persons; those who sin together should repent together. When God comes to punish the corrupt members of a church, he rebukes that church itself for allowing such to continue in its communion, and some drops of the storm fall upon the whole society. And believe me, no sword cuts so deep, nor inflicts so mortal a wound, as the sword of Christ’s mouth. Jesus said if they did not repent He would “come unto you quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”
I want you to know that Jesus is active today. It means something when one of His children is living a life embarrassing to Him. The Bible says the following: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit. (5) And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come. (6) If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” (Hebrews 6:4-6) I am not going to spend a lot of time on these verses, but what I want you to see is this: these verses describe a Christian who has experienced the Spirit of God operating in their life and then turned their backs on Christ. They chose to walk away. They chose to deny Him.
“…And will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” Think about this, Jesus will fight against them by His word; either convincing them, or pronouncing sentences against them; or, by raising other teachers, who shall preach His word more faithfully, and whose doctrine shall be like a sword to devour and to destroy them. There are Christians in the world today who will not compromise and Jesus will use them!
Read these verses in light of what Jesus said in verse sixteen. Barry, why don’t you close us out with verse seventeen?
“He who has an ear, let him hear” – We have talked about this phrase before, but it bears repeating. It can be either a warning or a promise. And in this case, it is a promise to those who repent and resist the temptation to compromise.
“To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat” – When the children of Israel came out of Egypt, God fed them with manna. This was the food that God gave to them that supplied everything they needed to sustain them. So the example that Jesus is using here is that the person who overcomes will have all of his needs met just like the children of Israel did in the wilderness.
“And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it” – What does it mean to receive a white stone? I’m not entirely sure. But I’ve learned that, in the ancient world, whenever the emperor issued an invitation to attend major festivities and events, it was delivered on a white piece of marble. The person’s name was engraved on the stone and only he or she would know of the invitation. This is an example of great intimacy. To the faithful believers at Pergamum, to hear these words would have given them great comfort and reassurance that their endurance, in the face of the city’s wickedness, would not be in vain.
Closing
This Church did some things right. They never denied Christ’s name nor did they stop teaching the gospel. They were in the midst of a city where Satan truly reigned as proof of all of the pagan worship and they stood firm on their beliefs. But this wasn’t enough because they did allow themselves to be compromised. They allowed some false teachers within their midst. They allowed some practices to go on within the Church that they did not put a stop to. This was a problem. You see when the Church leaders allow things to go on without correcting them, it exposes the members to beliefs that will attack their faith and, in some cases, win them over. This is what this Church had done. Understand, whenever a Church allows a doctrine to be taught within its walls that contradicts what the Bible says, they will receive the same fate as Jesus says of this Church. We must compare and contrast what is happening within our Church to what the Bible says.
Barry, do you have any closing comments before I pray?
One comment that I believe dovetails with what you have said. We must never allow ourselves to become complacent in our walk with Jesus. white stone, complacency, if we give it room to grow, will put us on the path that will lead us to deception which could ultimately lead us away from Jesus and to the lake of fire.
