The Church that is Pure

Helen Frankethaler was an American abstract expressionist painter. She died in December of 2011. In 2006 several of her pieces were on display at the Detroit Institute of Art. In February of that same year, a twelve-year-old boy was visiting the museum with his school. While there, he walked up to one of Frankethaler’s portraits called “The Bay” and placed his chewed up gum on the painting. At the time, “The Bay” was estimated to be worth $1.5 million dollars.

The boy’s gum all but ruined the valuable piece of art. He destroyed its value by placing something on it that did not belong.

In Revelation 2:12-17 we read about the Church in Pergamum. As we will see, the Church in Pergamum existed in an extremely anti-Christian city, had some good things going for it, but they were allowing certain people to teach false truths and it was destroying the value or the purity of the entire church.

READ Rev. 2:12-17

I. The Ultimate Judge (2:12)

Just like the first two letters to Ephesus and Smyrna, and the letters to come, this letter is once again addressed to the “angel of the church in Pergamum . . .” In other words, it is addressed to the Pastor of the church who was responsible for delivering its contents to the church members.

Also, just like the first two letters to Ephesus and Smyrna, and the letters to come, Jesus again identifies that He is the author of the letter. He tells John to “‘write: The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.’”

Unlike, the first two letters, this letter opens in a threatening tone.

Jesus is indicating to the Pergamum Christians in this description of Himself that He is the ultimate Judge of their fate.

In Revelation 1:16, John describes Jesus as the one who holds the seven stars, which are the seven leaders of the seven churches, in His hand and out of His mouth comes a sharp-two edged sword. This means that He holds the fate of the leadership of the Churches’ in His hand and determines their fate with the sharp-two edged sword that comes from His mouth. In other words, this is a description of judgment and Jesus is the judge.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).

In Revelation 19:11, John describes Jesus sitting on a Great White Horse and:

“From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty” (Rev. 19:11).

During the years of Rome’s reign, the Rhomphian sword, which was a Thracian broadsword used during military raids, became a symbol of their power. The Romans used the symbol of the sword as a way to display what they perceived to be their Ius Gladi (uss Glade-e-i), which means supreme jurisdiction and the right to absolve from or condemn a man to death. In other words the sword represented Rome’s sovereign power to determine life and death.

In the opening of this letter, Jesus identifying Himself as “‘him who has the sharp two-edged sword’” is His way of indicating to the Pergamum Christians that Rome’s perceived absolute power pales in comparison to His sovereignty and unmatched power over all earthly Kingdoms, including theirs. Jesus’s power is proclaimed through His all-powerful and sovereign judgement.

II. The Ultimate Evil (2:13)

The greek meaning behind “I know” indicates Jesus’s ability to see everything there is to see and know everything there is to know about the Pergamum Christians. Again, quoting the Hebrew writer’s description of Jesus. He says:

“no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:13).

What does He know? He says, “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.”

Pergamum didn’t have a significant trade route or a harbor like Ephesus and Smyrna, yet it was still considered one of the great ancient cities. It had a population of somewhere between 120,000 and 200,000 people and it was the home to some of the grandest buildings and temples. While, many of the temples were places of worship for a variety of Greco-Roman gods. Two of which were dedicated to Asclepius, the healing-god who was represented by a serpent and Dionysos, the son of Zeus—god of wine and ecstasy. Historians note that citizens and travelers from all over the world came to Pergamum to worship these two gods. At the temple of Asclepius, they would lye down on a floor covered with nonpoisonous snakes, in hopes of being touched by one so their sicknesses would be cured.

At the temple of Dionysus, people would partake in wild parties filled with devious sexual acts in hopes of appeasing Zesus’s son.

As much as Pergamenes worshipped these and other Greco-Roman gods, it paled in comparison to their love for Roman Emperors. Pergamum was the first city in Asia allowed to construct a temple in honor of Caesar Augustus and the goddess Roma. Just like the Smyrna citizens, the Pergamum citizens esteemed the Roman emperors as if they were gods, but with much more intensity, which is why the city was considered the chief seat of emperor worship.

These citizens committed everything in the worship of the Roman emperors, which was required of them. Worshiping the empire demanded complete allegiance to the state and all forms of pagan worship.

That is why Jesus tells them, that He knows they dwell where Satan’s throne is located. Pergamum was the most enthusiastic worshippers of the Roman empire, therefore his throne was located in the city.

In the midst of all the evil that surrounded them, Jesus commends the Pergamene Christians for remaining faithful to Him.

“‘Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.’”

Commentator Robert Thomas describes the climate of the city for the Christians like this:

“. . . in other cities, a Christian might be in danger on only one day a year when a pinch of incense had to be burned in worship of the emperor. In Pergamum, however, Christians were in danger every day of the year for the same reason.” -Robert Thomas

Despite the threat of persecution, the Pergamene Christians maintained their resolve for worshiping Jesus. An example of this, according to Jesus was their continued loyalty to Him despite the death of Antipas.

III. The Reprimand (2:14-15)

Following His praises, Jesus reprimands the Pergamene Christians for two heresies they are tolerating.

1. The False Teaching of Balaam (2:14)

The story of Balaam and Balak comes from the Old Testament Book of Numbers 22-24, 31:16. As the story goes, Balak, king of Moab, entices the prophet Balaam by offering him money to place a curse on the Israelites. Balaam refuses the monetary offer, which angers the Moabite king. Later on, the men of Israel began indulging in sexual immoral behavior with Moabite women, in honor of one of the Baal gods. Like all actions, the Israelites’ disobedience came with consequences as they angered God and were punished as He sent a plague upon them.

Many scholars believe that Balaam eventually caved to Balak’s offer and told him how to trap the Israelites. The reason for this belief comes from Numbers 31:16 which says, “Behold, these, on Balaam’s advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the LORD.”

For the remainder of Jewish history, they associated the name Balaam with compromise in pagan worship and immorality.

In Pergamum, pagan worshippers burned meat on the alter of their chosen god. Then, they would take the meat and eat it during pagan rituals. Whatever meat was left over was then sold in the market. According to Jesus’s indictment, there are some Pergamene church members who are leading other members to take part in these rituals.

The other way these Christians were disobeying God, is by practicing sexual immorality, just like the Israelites did with the Moabite women. They are using their bodies to worship pagan gods.

2. The False Teachings of the Nicolaitans (2:15)

Another group of false teachers that have infiltrated the church are the Nicolaitans. The first time we are introduced to this group is in Revelation 2:6 when Jesus commends the Ephesians for hating the works of the Nicolaitans just as He does.

There isn’t much known about this group of false teachers. Some scholars associate the groups with a man named Nicholas who was one of the seven appointed to administer the distribution of food in Acts 6. The theory is that Nicholas was not a true believer in Christ and he distorted Jesus’s teachings and this group of false teachers are continuing that distortion.

A second theory about the Nicolaitans is that they perverted the teachings of Nicholas. No matter their founding, what is known about the group is they were determined to lead Pergamene Christians away from Jesus and into pagan worship.

That is why Jesus rebukes the Pergamene Christians for allowing these groups to continue their wicked ways of trapping church members and leading them astray.

IV. The Remedy and The Promise (2:16)

The only remedy, according to Jesus is for the Pergamene Christians to repent. Repentance means to immediately stop doing whatever it is that you are doing, and begin doing the opposite. In this case, Jesus calls on the Pergamene Christians to repent from allowing these groups to continue to trap church members.

The promise Jesus makes is that if they fail to repent, He is going to come and wage war against these groups using “‘the sword of my mouth.’” Referring back to his original description of Himself.

“No sword cuts so deep, nor inflicts so mortal a wound, as the sword of Christ’s mouth.” —Matthew Henry

Jesus says, “REPENT! Or else I am going to come and judge these groups with the sword of my mouth. I am going to battle against them, I am going to wage war against them and I am going to be victorious! Repent! And get these people out of your presence. They are luring My children away with their lies. Repent! Or I am going to destroy them!”

V. The Reward (2:17)

The reward for “‘the one who conquers’” is “‘some of the hidden manna’” and the gift of “‘a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’”

Every Jewish Christian who heard this promised reward from Jesus knew exactly what He was referring to. Moses records that following the Exodus, the Hebrews memorialized God’s saving them from Egyptian captivity by placing a pot of manna inside the Ark of the Covenant. Manna was the edible substance that God miraculously provided to the Jews after they left Egypt.

Hebrew folklore records that when the Babylonians destroyed the Jewish Temple in 587 B.C., either Jeremiah or an angel of the Lord retrieved the Ark of the Covenant and hit it in the earth until the time of the Messiah.

So, to the Jewish Christians in Pergamum, this was a promise of eternal nourishment in the Messianic Kingdom from the pot of the manna that was located inside the hidden Ark of the Covenant. It’s a promise of eternal life.

The second reward Jesus promises is “‘a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’”

There is a lot of speculation that surrounds the white stone. One theory, which I think makes a lot of sense, is that it represents a ticket of admission. In these ancient times, when a person won in whatever games were being held, it was common for the victor to receive a white stone as part of his prize. The white stone was his admission ticket into the festival that was held following the games for all the winners. So, it is possible, Jesus is referring to the ticket those who “overcome” will receive that will permit them to enter eternal heaven where the victors will celebrate with Jesus.

The name, “‘written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it’” is most likely referring to the new identity the overcomer will receive once they enter the Messiah’s kingdom. It is their final reward that identifies them with the ultimate King, Jesus.

There are two applications we can draw from the letter to the Church in Pergamum.

1. The Church that is Pure can only be that way if its members remain faithful to Christ’s teachings’ alone.

Here’s what I mean by that statement.When it comes to growing in your relationship with Jesus or when you are seeking advice or guidance, who are you reading? Who are you watching? Who are you listening to?

This country is filled with people who are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Some of them are knowingly leading people astray and some of them I believe are doing it unknowingly. But the point is this, you must be careful who you allow to influence you and your family. At the worst, these false teachers will confuse you and lead you away from true Biblical teaching. And when that happens, it not only impacts you, it impacts Monaghan Baptist Church because you will bring their nonsense here and try to impart it to others.

We must be careful to pay close attention to the what Religious teachers say and if it isn’t based on God’s Word and does not line up with God’s Word, then you must shut them out of your life immediately. There are some highly influential people in this world, some of which Pastor mega churches, who know God’s Word about as well as I understand astrophysics. Which is exactly zero.

I want to offer you a quick example of what I’m talking about. Some time ago, a highly influential pastor made this statement during a sermon his was preaching based on Mark 6:5-6, which says, “And [Jesus] could do no mighty works there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief.”

So, here’s Jesus in Nazareth and He’s working and trying to display Himself to the people in his home town. Unfortunately, the Nazarenes were so hard hearted against Him, that they refused to believe in Him as God’s Son no matter what He did.

Here’s the quote from the pastor:

“The power of God was in Jesus, the healing power of God, the restoring power of God, the same power that made demons flee was in Nazareth, but Jesus could not release it. Because it was trapped in their unbelief. And there’s one thing that even Jesus can’t do. One thing that even the son of God can’t do. Even Jesus cannot override your unbelief. I see y’all looking at me like, ‘Is that true? I thought He could do anything.’ It said, ‘He could not.’ He wanted to. He was prepared to. He was able to. The power of God was in Nazareth, but it was trapped in their perspective.”

Now, on the surface, this may not seem all that distorted of a quote. After all, the verse does say, “he could do no mighty work there . . .” But proper studying of the text reveals that it wasn’t because Jesus literally couldn’t do it, He simply chose not to do it because it wasn’t the right time.

To say that Jesus “cannot override your unbelief” is simply not true. After all, He overrode the unbelief of the father in Mark 9:24 who cried out “I believe; help my unbelief!” And then Jesus cast an evil spirit out of the man’s child.

Jesus often healed people when there was no evidence at all. He brought Lazarus back to life despite the fact that Martha didn’t believe that He would.

R.C. Sproul says, “The circumstances by which God the Holy Spirit unleashed [Christ’s] power were not available there, because there was a judgment of God on the town of Nazareth. In other words, God mostly withheld His power from the stiff-necked people who held Jesus in contempt.” -R.C. Sproul

The pastor that made this quote is one of many who often mishandle God’s Word. There are those who will tell you that God exists to bless you so long as you do nice things for people. They will tell you that God created within you the capacity to bring blessings upon yourself so long as you believe in your own abilities to make it happen. There are those that will take stories in the Bible that have absolutely nothing to do with you and make them about you. They will misconstrue God’s Word and they will mess you up in the process. Be careful who you listen to. Be careful who you seek wisdom from and be careful who you go to for guidance. I’m not going to name names from this pulpit, but if you ever want to know who I believe you need to stay away from ask me in private and I’ll have no issue telling you. Folks, the Bible is not about us!

The Bible was written for us so we can know and understand the unmatchable greatness and glory of the God who created us and His expectations for how we should conduct ourselves while on this earth. But His Word, was not written to be distorted in such a way as to cause me, you, or anyone else to believe that all of this is about us. It is about His glory alone and that is all!

Here’s my encouragement to you. Find one, two, maybe three people and learn everything you can about those people. Learn from their theology, learn from their mistakes, and learn from their victories. But stick with those people and no one else.

For me, there are really three people I stick with when it comes to theology and God’s Word. Two of them are from the past, and one of them still lives today. They are Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards (who was just recently added to this list), and John Piper.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are others who I trust. For example, D.L. Moody, Charles Spurgeon, Billy Graham, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and others. But I generally will turn to Luther, Edwards, and Piper before anyone else. Why? Because I believe they accurately teach God’s Word.

A UNIFIED Church is a Church that is Pure.

There is one final application for us this morning. Maybe you are someone who has gotten caught up in behavior that you know doesn’t meet Jesus’s expectations of those who call Him Savior. If that is you, He is calling on you to repent and He’s offering you the same rewards.

So, do you remember the Frankethaler painting I told you about earlier. After the gum was discovered on the painting, the curators sent it to a special lab for artwork restoration. The workers were able to remove the gum using solvent and q-tips. The painting is now fully restored and back hanging in the gallery, but now it has an incredible story along with it.

Whenever we are damaged and distorted because of sinful behavior, Jesus is the only solvent that can restore us. It was His shed blood and out stretched arms on Calvary’s cross that allows us the opportunity to repent and return to Him. Is that you today?