Untitled Sermon (35)

What’s Gotten into You? Revelation 2:12-17

When you were a kid doing kid stuff, I’ll not name the kid stuff you were doing but you know what I’m talking about, did your parents ever say to you during one of the 10 hour lectures; “What got into you?” Of course that never happened to me but I have heard of kids (or adults) going along ok, nothing bad is happening, and then all of the sudden something comes into their head and they just do what they know they’re not supposed to do. And all you can say to them is “what got into you to cause you to do that?”

That is not a question that Jesus asks the church at Pergamos but Jesus is making that statement that something has gotten into the church that ought not be there and they must get it out. Today we will be looking at Revelation 2:12-17 which is Jesus’ letter to His church in Pergamos or Pergamum. The church at Pergamos is often known as the compromising church. Let’s pray then we will take a look at Jesus’ letter to Pergamos.

Pergamos (Pergamum) was ceded to Rome at the death of their last king in 133 BC and became the capitol city of the Roman Province of Asia (Asia Minor). The city was famous for its library that is said to have contained over 200,000 parchment scrolls. Our English word for parchment is derived from the name Pergamos. There was a temple there to Asclepilus the god of healing whose symbol was snakes entwined around a pole reminiscent of the modern symbol for the medical profession. People came from all over Asia Minor to offer sacrifices to Asclepius in hope of being healed from whatever their ailment was. Zeus had a huge throne-like altar there as well. Zeus was considered the king of the gods who reigned from Mt. Olympus but many considered his thorn to be in Pergamos. There were also a temple to Dionysus (Bacchus) the god of wine and debauchery and a temple to Athene the goddess of wisdom. Whatever one may need in the way or religion could be found in Pergamos. If you needed protection then Zeus was your man, if you needed healing or wisdom or a good time then there was a god there for you. But along with all of those temples there was the very first temple to Augustus and Rome. Emperor worship was very strong in Pergamos both because of the temple and because of the power of the Roman government in the city. In most cities if the local government wanted to persecute anyone (Christians in particular) they had to get permission, but not so in Pergamos because it was the capitol city of Asia Minor.