Pergamum: The Church in Hell's Backyard

Introduction: So far we’ve looked at two churches that Jesus has chose to address and today we will look at the third church in the list, the Church at Pergamum or Pergamus.

The Church at Pergamum was known as a church that COMPROMISED in the midst of the crooked and perverse culture that they lived in. We are faced with the same temptation in our society as well, and we do not have to look very far to see churches all around us that have compromised here and there. Churches compromise because the believers that make up those churches compromise. We must stand on TRUTH and we must never back down. We must stand IN love and in a loving way, but we must stand nevertheless.

Let’s take a look at Revelation 2 and see what we can learn from the Church at Pergamos.

The Place (v. 12)

Revelation 2:12 ““And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.”

Pergamum was located about 60 miles NORTH of Smyrna. Much like Ephesus and Smyrna, it was a wealthy and bustling city. For several hundred years it was a “capital city” and was known for several things, most notably parchment (paper).

Just like Ephesus and Smyrna it was a city that was filled with idolatry.

According to Joseph Stowell:

Zeus was the “king” of all the other gods and goddesses. In a sense he was the “king of kings.” If you were in Pergamum and you needed something done most likely you would go to the “altar of Zeus”. Here smoke rose all day from the sacrifices made there.

Dionysus was another so called “god” that those in Pergamum recognized. He was the “god of wine and revelry.” You might say he was the “god” of pleasure. This temple was full of festivities, drunkenness and orgies. Drunken frenzies would often lead to people being killed.

The “goddess of Demeter” supposedly would guarantee good crops and plenty of food.

If you lived in Pergamum and you were sick you might visit the “The Asklepion”…this was the healing center and it was a temple to the “goddess Asklepios. They believed the “snakes” would do the healing. They would put the sick in some type of trance in a pitch black room and the would unleash the snakes to crawl over their bodies, believing this would provide healing. It is said that the medical symbol used today dates back to the Asklepion.

If you lived there and needed wisdom you might go to the Temple of Athena. She was the “goddess of wisdom.”

If you wanted to affirm that Caesar was lord and that he was your savior…the one who granted you safety and peace you could go to the Temple of Trajan.

This was the city of Pergamum. This was Satan’s backyard.

Yet at the “gates of hell” there was a church. There was a group of believers who had come to understand:

Jesus was the King of kings, not Zeus!

At the right hand of God there are PLEASURES FOREVERMORE! They understood that true pleasure did not come from being drunk with wine, or high on drugs, or immoral pleasure at Dionysus’ temple, but TRUE and LASTING pleasure came from KNOWING CHRIST and being FILLED WITH HIS SPIRIT!

That ultimately the Creator God was in charge of the crops and He is the One that provides what His children need, not Demeter.

That Jesus Christ is the Great Physician and He could provide healing not some created serpent.

That if they lacked wisdom, they could come directly to God and ask for it, they could come boldly to the throne of grace and find help and wisdom in their time of need. There was no need to go to the Temple of Athena.

That Jesus was Lord, not Caesar! That Jesus was Savior, not government. That Jesus could grant peace that no human being could ever provide!

The Church at Pergamum was definitely in theDevil’s backyard, but the One who had the sharp, two-edged sword KNEW them, stood with them, and was now addressing them through this letter that John wrote...

The emphasis is on the word “sharp.” This double-edged sword reminds us of the “Word of God.” Hebrews 4:12

Hebrews 4:12 ESV

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

God’s Word has the power to cut loose the chains of sin and condemnation that bind helpless sinners! For those who ignore the Word of God, they are not set free from their condemnation and rejection, but are bound in it and destroyed! The SWORD has both the power to bring life and the power to bring death!

The Lord Jesus has something to say to the believers in the city of Pergamum. Let’s find out more as we explore Revelation 2:13

Revelation 2:13 ESV

“ ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. 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.

The Praise (v. 13)

He begins his message with those two words again: “I know.” He knows! He knows all. He knows where they dwell and He knows they are surrounded by what He calls “Satan’s throne.”

Those who read this letter would know exactly what Jesus was referring to when He mentioned that Satan’s throne was in Pergamum. However, two thousand years removed from the situation, we are not 100% sure. Some think it referred to one of the idolatrous temples that was in the city, while others think it was a direct refers to the Temple of Asklepios. The idol that represented this god was in the form of a serpent. We all know Satan appeared in the Garden of Eden as a serpent, so some interpreters think that this temple was a reference to the “Throne of Satan.” Although we can’t know for sure, Dr. Barnes notes:

It is probably better just to understand this reference to the fact this church lives or dwells in a place where Satan has set up his rule. The Jews had a saying that whatever location did not study God’s law was the place where Satan would dwell. It is the principle that where light is not, darkness prevails.

Once again we are reminded of the environment that the believers were surrounded by. It was so bad in Pergamum that it was a placed referred to as Satan’s throne. We might say, “They were living in Hell’s back yard.” Easley said:

The devil had used his stronghold in the city to make life miserable for the Christians.

Even though that was the case, Jesus commends them for “holding fast his name, and not denying His faith, even though one of their church members, Antipas was violently murdered for his faith, they did not allow that to stop them from boldly proclaiming their own faith in Jesus. They were personally and passionately loyal to Christ.

Application:

Church once again we are reminded that we are to let our lights shine in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. The Pergamos Christians faced adversity, persecution and even death for their faith. You and I should not expect anything to be different. Although we live in a more tolerant society than they did, tolerance for believers who live out their faith and are true to the Word of God is becoming less and less, and will continue to be more difficult as the return of Christ comes near.

We need to “hold fast” to Jesus’ name no matter what comes our way!

While they were faithful to the name of Christ and did not allow the blatant enemies of the cross to deter them. However, there was a problem with the Church at Pergamum. While they had not surrendered to a FULL-FRONTAL assault from the devil, they had been deceived with a Trojan Horse trick. Notice what Jesus has to say in

Revelation 2:14–15 ESV

But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

The Problem (vv. 14-15)

There were some in the church who had been affected by what Jesus calls the “teaching of Balaam.” To understand this we need to do a little history lesson. You may remember in the OT book of Numbers that Balaam had advised King Balaak to corrupt Israel by tempting them to intermarry with the pagan nations around them. This had been strictly forbidden by God. As a result of these ungodly relationships, the pagans they married brought in their religion and their idols. As a result God’s judgement came upon the people.

Even though that incident had happened several hundred years earlier, Jesus reveals it has shown its ugly head again. Many times we recognize a full frontal assault from the enemy, but don’t realize that he has many, many tactics and COMPROMISE is one that he uses to his advantage quite regularly.

Dr. Barnes notes:

The problem facing Pergamos is the same that confronts church ministries today. To allow evil to creep in is to allow the foundation for the church’s existence to be compromised and breached. It means that the entire foundational, spiritual structure of the church is in danger of collapse because of doctrinal and relational weakness. This doctrine of Balaam…would take them to a place of sensuality in their personal lives and fornication in their spiritual lives. And so it will for us as well.”

“To play with evil is to fellowship with it. And it will cause the church to commit herself to a lover that is not her betrothed…The relationship [Jesus] demands to have with the church and with the individual must be pure throughout.”

The people of the church at Pergamum were compromising as a result of inappropriate relationships. They had become unequally yoked together with unbelievers and as a result begun compromising right living and the truth.

We also must guard ourselves against close, intimate friendships and relationships with those who have rejected Christ, His Word and His church. Often we will set out to influence them and before long we find that they have been influencing us.

Yes we must be SALT and LIGHT in a corrupt and dark world, but we must not let the world get in us. Paul warned us of this in

2 Corinthians 6:14–15 ESV

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?

Finally we see

The Point (vv. 16-17)

Revelation 2:16–17 ESV

Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

Jesus clearly tells them where to begin: REPENT! Repentance means to “think differently and to make an immediate reversal of direction. Jesus doesn’t negotiate or say there is another way. He commands them to REPENT!

As Gywn Pugh said:

The Lord intends that His church function as salt and light, but Christians can lose their identity or saltiness by becoming like pagans. Some advocated compliance and compromise. But Jesus expected triumph over culture and separation from certain aspects of culture.

Whenever the church is not different from the world around it, it has ceased being a light in the darkness.

If they do not repent of this compromise Jesus warns that He will war against them with the sword that He spoke of earlier.

For those who do repent and conquer He promises the church here two things:

Hidden Manna. Again we must go back to our OT History. You may remember that God used manna to sustain the children of Israel while they were wandering in the wilderness. It was a type of food and God had them take a portion of manna and place it into the Ark of the Covenant. No one could open the ark and look into it, but the manna was there. It was hidden away. The manna in the Ark was a reminder that God had sent “bread from heaven” to meet the physical needs of His people. Jesus referred to Himself as the “Bread of Life.” Note John 6:31-35

John 6:31–35 ESV

Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

Jesus has now ascended, and just as the manna was hidden in the ark, Jesus is hidden from our eyes in Heaven. But one day we are going to be in His presence and we will feast on the Bread of Life for eternity!

2. New Name on a White Stone. The stones on the High Priest’s garment were a variety of colors. Each stone represented a “tribe” of the Children of Israel. Some think this white stone does not represent a “tribe” but represents all the Gentiles that have been grafted into the family of God! The name belongs to us, not a tribe. The stone with the new name represents all who have overcome by faith in the Lord Jesus.

Hold Tightly to Jesus and His Name

Revelation 2:13 ESV

“ ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. 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.

Understand that Compromise of the TRUTH Begins by Compromising our Obedience

The compromise of DOCTRINE began with the compromise that Balaam had introduced to God’s people hundreds of years earlier. People thought they could enter into intimate, close, deep friendships, relationships and even marriages with unbelievers and Christ rejectors and come away unscathed and unharmed.

Eventually these relationships would require the believers to make a choice between God’s Word and the word of ungodly people. Eventually these relationships would lead to a crossroads, and the believers would have to decide who to follow…God or man.

It’s really easy to say, “Oh, that won’t happen to me.” I can follow God and still marry them, I can follow God and still have Christ rejectors as my closest counselors and most intimate friends…I’ll be ok.

No you won’t be ok…because YOU HAVE ALREADY COMPROMISED in the area of OBEDIENCE and if you will compromise there, then what makes you think you won’t eventually compromise somewhere else?

2 Corinthians 6:17 ESV

Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,

REPENT!

That was the message to the church 2,000 years ago and that is the same message I deliver to us today!

We can’t be SALT and LIGHT in this crooked and perverse world if we allow people, places or things to cause us to COMPROMISE our obedience, which will eventually lead to COMPROMISING the truth!

Finally I want to say to anyone here today that doesn’t know Christ as Lord and Savior. Don’t you think it’s time to quit running? Don’t you think it’s time to quit running from this so called savior and that so called savior, and wisdom and pleasure and everything else and finally come to the end of yourself and completely and fully surrender to Christ as Lord?!

Today is the day!