Pergamos: Rev 2:12-17

Introduction

We have looked at the first two letters that Jesus has written to the churches.

We look at the letter to the church of Ephesus, the church that left its first love. They were doing a lot of things well, but they stopped doing the most important thing we is to love Jesus. The church at Ephesus shows us the importance of loving Jesus more than any thing else.

The second letter we looked at was to the church at Smyrna. They were known as the suffering church. They had been persecuted and there were people in the church that were pressuring them to become Judaizers. Jesus told them to endure persecution and be faithful to their death and they would receive a crown of life. The church at Smyrna teaches us to endure for the cause of Christ until the end.

Tonight we are going to look at the church at Pergamos. This church is known as the worldly church and we will find out why tonight.

The recipient of the letter

This letter was written to the angel or messenger if the church at Pergamos.

This is the only time in the Bible this church is mentioned.

Most likely this church was started during Pauls time in Ephesus, when the gospel went out from there to be preached throughout the providence of Asia.

Pergamum

The city was located about 100 miles north of Ephesus, with Smyrna about halfway between.

Pergamum was not a port city like Ephesus and Smyrna, but was located about 15 miles (a little over a days journey) from the Aegean sea

By the time John penned the book of Revelation, Pergamum had been the capital of Asia for over 250 years.

Someone wrote this about Pergamum. “ Beyond all other sites in Asia minor, it gives travelers the impression of a royal city, the home of authority: the rocky hill on which it stands so huge and dominates the broad plain of the Caicus (River Valley) so proudly and boldly.

Pergamum had a huge library, containing 200,000 handwritten volume, was second only to that of Alexandria. Because of this library, the city was an important center of culture and learning.

Pergamum, the city was at the center of worship of four greco-roman gods, and had temples dedicated to Athena, Asklepios, Dionysos, and Zeus. They also built a temple to worship Emperor Augustus, and later built temples honoring the emperors Trajan and Septimus Severus.

Because of emperor worship, Christians here would be in danger of falling into this cult.

Pergamum survives today as Bergama in Turkey.

The writer of the letter

The letter is written by Jesus who here is called “he which hath the sharp sword with two edges”

The sharp two-edged sword refers to the word of God

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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.”

Paul uses the metephor of a sword to describe the word in Ephesians 6:17.

Ephesians 6:17 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”

MacArthur said this “That the sword is two-edged depicts the Words potency and power in exposing and judging the innermost thoughts of the heart”

This introduction of Jesus is not a positive one for the church of Pergamos. This one introduces Jesus as a judge and executioner.

one commentary said this “It is the first negative introduction of Christ because the church at Pergamos faced imminent judgement. Disaster loomed on the horizon for this wordly church; and it was and is but a short step from compromising with the world to forsaking God altogether and facing His wrath”

The commendation's vs 13

Jesus tells them that he knows their works.

This was a common theme in all the letters, Jesus knows all of our works, and he wants us to remain faithful until he takes us home.

Will we continuing working until Jesus calls us home?

Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

The problems in this church wasn’t Jesus leaving the church to do it’s own thing, but rather the church leaving Jesus out. If Jesus starts it, he will help you finish it, but you have to keep your focus on him.

Jesus then tells them, he knows where they live.

(this knowledge would be divine knowledge, he knows everything, but here are some highlights of what he knows.)

They didn’t have to tell Jesus the wickedness going on in their city, he already knew. He knew of the false worship of the greek gods and of the emperor worship that was going on.

Some would call Pergamum where Satan’s seat is because of all the false worship going on there. It would be like starting a church in places like San Fransisco, Seattle, or Las Vegas (nicknamed sin city.)

The held fast to the name of Jesus.

While the world around them was compromising and following another god they held fast to Jesus.

Let this be a lesson to us, as we live in a world that is continually getting further and further away from God. We can hold fast to him, because he is holding fast to us!

They hadn’t denied the faith

Even when Antipas was Martyred for not worshipping the false gods, their faith remained. It’s easy to have faith when things are going good, but it is a lot harder when a leader of your church is killed for the cause of Christ, but most in this church remained faithful.

I can imagine those who are on the fence of worldliness squirming a little as the letters is being read. They were just a step or two from turning to the world and Jesus was about to call them out.

The concerns vs. 14-15

There were some faithful ones in the church or else they wouldn’t have a church anymore, but here we are going to see that false doctrine had creeped into the church.

Notice the first word of verse 14

Jesus told them some good things, and then he uses the conjunction “but”

Then he tells them he has a few things against them.

There were some in the church holding to the doctrine of Balaam

Balaam was an Old Testament prophet for hire that you can read about in Numbers 22-25.

Because of what they did to the Amorites, Balak hired Balaam to curse the children of Israel. After trying three times to curse the children of Israel unsuccessfully he comes up with another plan.

Balaam would teach Balak how to get the Israelites

He would use the women of Moab to lure the Israelites into the behaviour of the godless world around them (Numbers 25)

Their plan succeeded to an extent to cause the Israelites to lose their spiritual power, but god intervened and severely chastened Israel, executing 24,000 including many of the leaders

Numbers 25:4–5 “And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-peor.”

Numbers 25:9 “And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.”

This type of false worship was warned against numerous times in the New Testament as well

2 Peter 2:15–16 “Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.”

2 Corinthians 6:14–17 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,”

There were some in the church trying to mix true worship and pagan worship, but it is impossible

James 4:4 “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

Peter said this

1 Peter 2:11 “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;”

This type of thing goes on still today in churches, we must resolve to serve only God. We can’t be on the fence.

The second thing Jesus had against them is some were holding to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.

The Nicolaitans taught it was okay to participate in the things of the world. The lured the church away from it’s purpose through immorality and idolatry.

Not everyone who went to this church participated in these things, but by allowing these groups in and refusing to exercise church discipline, they shared in the guilt, which brought the lords judgement.

The command vs. 16

Jesus tells them to repent.

Repentance is a change of direction. They needed to turn from their false worship toward the true God.

We must all make this choice, we can’t be friends with the world, because it makes us enemies with God.

1 Corinthians 5:6–7 “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:”

The results of not repenting

Jesus would come quickly and fight against them with the sword of his mouth.

The whole church would face judgement for the sin they had allowed in the church.

Mac Arthur said this “Today’s nonconfrontive church is largely repeating the error of the Pergamos church on a grand scale, and faces the judgement of the Lord of the Church.

The promised blessing vs. 17

I will give him the hidden manna to eat

hidden manna represents Jesus as the bread of life who came down from heaven

John 6:48–51 “I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

A new name written on a white stone which no one knows until they receive it.

Henry Morris said this “Like Abraham and Israel, the Lord Jesus will give each overcomer a new name appropriate to his own Character and service. Like the names in the precious stones on the breast plate of the Aaronic priesthood, it will be inscribed in a pure white stone, perhaps a diamond.”

Conclusion

Pergamos had allowed the world to influence the church, as a church we should influence the world.