When Christ speaks of the Church, He is speaking to people. A “fan” can be a fan of a particular team, constituting a group of “fans” or, as some say, “fanatics.” The Church is a body of believers, not just one individual but many individuals, as a representation of the body of Christ. Thus, when Christ addresses the Church, He speaks to people, not a building. Reading 1 Corinthians 12, one can see how the Apostle Paul speaks of the body of Christ, the Church being many members but of one body. All members are to strengthen, encourage, and comfort each other to build up the body of Christ, the Church. Therefore, when the following heading addressed to the Church of Pergamos speaks of it being compromising, lenient, defiled, corrupted, and married to the World, Christ is speaking to people, members of that particular body of believers. Remember, we are the Church of Christ. We are the body of Christ, and how we live our lives directly represents our faithfulness to our Lord and Savior or our lack thereof.
12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,
‘These
things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: 13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s
throne is. And you hold fast to My name
and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed
among you, where Satan dwells. 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 to
idols, and to commit sexual immorality. 15 Thus, you also have those who hold the doctrine of the
Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 16 Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight
against them with the sword of My mouth.
17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. 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.” ’[1]
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D. The
Message to Pergamos: The Church That Is Corrupted & Married to the World, 2:12–17 |
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1. The
Recipients’ (V.12). |
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2. The
Speaker: Jesus (V.12). |
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1. The Recipients’
a. The messenger of the church b. The Pergamos churchDS1
2. The Speaker:
Jesus |
12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things
saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; |
|
3. The
commendation a. For loyalty to
Christ’s name b. For doctrinal
purity c. For facing
martyrdom |
13 I
know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even
where Satan’s seat is: and thou
holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days
wherein Antipas was my faithful
martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. |
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4. The
complaint: False doctrine & worldliness a. The teaching of
Balaam: False worship, idolatry & immorality, see Nu. 22–25 |
14 But
I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the
doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the
children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit
fornication. |
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b. The teaching of
the Nicolaitans: Demanding liberty without law, leading to license &
indulgence, v. 6 |
15 So
hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I
hate. |
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5. The
counsel: Repent 6. The
warning: God will come, oppose, & execute judgment |
16 Repent;
or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the
sword of my mouth. |
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7. The
promise: To the overcomers a. The hidden
manna, Christ Himself b. A white stone
with a new name written on it, a passport into the presence of God |
17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh 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 knoweth saving he that receiveth it. |
Revelation 2:12–17
This
church is condemned because of the acceptance of the defiling doctrines of
Balaam and the Nicolaitans.
1. The Church (Revelation
2:12)
“To the angel of the church in Pergamos” (Revelation 2:12). Pergamos was the most northern
of the seven churches. Pergamos, the city, was twenty miles from the sea. It
was not a commercial center but was dominated by religion. The world considered
it “one of the finest cities in Asia” (Scott), but the Bible saw it as a wicked
city where Satan’s throne was (Revelation 2:13).
“Christianity reverses the judgment of the world, inasmuch as it reveals
things, principles, and persons in their true relation to God” (Scott). What
the world thinks today is a great city will be revealed by God as a guileful
city.
2. The Christ (Revelation
2:12)
“These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges” (Revelation 2:12). In Revelation 1:16, we read, “Out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword.” This speaks of the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12). The Word can bless, it can also judge, and here it is used in a way of judgment. The enemy, which is so prominent in Pergamos, will be judged by the Word of God. In the great consummation, it is said that Christ will destroy the Antichrist with the Word. “Consume with the spirit of his mouth” (2 Thessalonians 2:8). In Martin Luther’s hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” there is a line that says, the Lord would destroy the prince of darkness by His Word— “One little word shall fell him.” Luther was right; he saw the judgment power of the “sharp sword with two edges.” While Satan is mentioned twice in the letter to Pergamos (Revelation 2:13), the description of Christ in this letter is most appropriate.[2]
D. The Message to Pergamos: The Church That Is Corrupted and Married to the World, 2:12–17
(2:12–17) Introduction:
worldliness corrupts a church. Four things cause a church to become worldly.
⇒ The
church and its members begin to participate in worldly functions.
⇒ The
church and its members allow worldly activities to take place in the church and
in the homes of its members.
⇒ The
church begins to baptize and accept people as members who have not truly
repented and turned from the world to Christ.
⇒ The
church and its members allow false teaching and preaching.
Nothing
corrupts a church any quicker than worldliness. Pergamos was a corrupt church,
a worldly church. Pergamos is the picture of the corrupted church that is
married to the world.
1. The Recipients (V.12).
2. The Speaker: Jesus
(V.12).
3. The commendation
(v.13).
4. The complaint:
false doctrine and worldliness (vv.14–15).
5. The counsel:
repent (v.16).
6. The warning: God
will come, oppose, and execute judgment (v.16).
7. The promise: to
the overcomers (v.17).
1 (2:12) Minister—Church: There Is the Recipient of This Letter. The letter is addressed to the minister of the church. If a church becomes worldly, the minister is responsible. Christ has called the minister to lead believers to a life of self-denial and holiness, to deny the possessions and pleasures of this world, and live a pure and godly life. He has called the minister to lead believers to focus on heaven and to live sacrificially. He has called the minister to teach believers to give all they are and have to reach the lost and meet the desperate needs of the needy. Therefore, if the minister is not leading his people to live spiritual lives—if he is allowing them to follow after the pleasures and possessions of the world—if he is allowing the church to become corrupted with worldliness—the minister is responsible. This is the reason this letter is sent to the minister. It is the task of the minister to proclaim the truth of sanctification and separation to a worldly church.
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DEEPER
STUDY # 1 (2:12) Pergamos: the city had three overriding claims to fame that seem to have had a bearing upon the message to the church. 1. Pergamos was a beautifully situated city with an air of royalty about it. It sat on top of a vast mountain, rising ever so steeply and majestically out of a beautiful valley. The city’s citizens could see the Mediterranean Sea some fifteen miles away. To the approaching traveler, the city struck him with a sense of stately awe and royal authority. The church had a ready picture of “Satan’s seat” (v.13) of what it was to suffer persecution at the hands of a royal city under the power of the prince of this world. 2. Pergamos was one of the cultural and religious centers of the world. It had been a capital city for some 400 years. Its library was second only to Alexandria, Egypt. But the city’s most prominent feature was its acropolis, rising about a thousand feet in the midst of the city. Temple after temple had been built upon it. For example, there was a temple to Asclepius, a serpent-like god of healing. It was famous for its college of medical priests. But the most famous pagan altar was built for Zeus. It was an overpowering sight, built on a huge ledge that jutted out and towered above the city. It was the largest, most ornate, and most famous altar in the world. It was forty feet high and ninety feet square. The church knew what it was to live in a pagan society, as though Satan’s seat itself was there (v.13). They knew what it was to be persecuted (v.13). But they also knew what it was to place their faith in Him with the two-edged sword (v.12). They knew Him who could provide the true spiritual manna (v.17) and assure them a new name in the future (v.17). 3.
Pergamos was the imperial and administrative center of Asia. As such, it was
the first city in Asia to openly support imperial worship, that is, the
worship of the state and its leader. What happened was this: Rome’s conquest
of the world had brought about peace by which food and trade, and prosperity
could more easily be secured. Life became much easier and more comfortable
for many. As a result, a Roman spirit
arose in many quarters. The Roman government capitalized on this unifying
spirit and began to center it in the Emperor Caesar himself. Gradually the
government erected temples, altars, and images in Caesar’s honor, and he
became a god. Finally, a law was issued requiring every citizen throughout
the empire to go to the temple once a year and bow and say, “Caesar is Lord.”
To prove that a man had performed this loyal act to Rome, a written
certificate was required to be in his possession. The church again
knew what Christ meant when He claimed to be the One with the “two-edged sword” (v.12).
They took great confidence in the fact that He knew “where
they dwelt” (v.13). They knew
what it was to live where “Satan’s seat is”
(v.13), and what it was to suffer martyrdom
because they refused to deny Christ (v.13).
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1. The
sword of His mouth means His Word, the Word of God. The one thing needed in a
worldly church is the Word of God.
⇒ The
Word of God is sharp: it will cut through the most worldly and hardened heart.
It will convict and convince the worldly of their sins and cut a sharp gash,
separating the sinner from his sin.
⇒ The
Word of God is a two-edged sword: it proclaims the law of God and the utter
necessity of living a righteous life or else facing judgment and destruction.
On the other side, it proclaims the love and grace of God to those who separate
from the world and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. As Matthew Henry says: “There
is an edge to make a wound, and an edge to open a festered wound in order to
its healing” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary,
Vol.6. Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell, p.1127.)
“And take the helmet of salvation, and
the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ep.
6:17).
“And then shall that Wicked
[antichrist] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth
and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming” (2
Th. 2:8).
“For the word of God is quick 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” (He. 4:12).
“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 shineth in his strength” (Re. 1:16).
2. The
sword of His mouth means the power and judgment of His Word. As shall be seen
in the next note, the believers in Pergamos were being persecuted, and some
were even martyred for their faith. Some government officials were misusing the
power of the sword or execution. They were slaying innocent people, in
particular believers who refused to deny Christ. Jesus Christ is proclaiming
that the power of His sword—the power of His Word—is far greater. He holds the
power of life and death over all men. He can speak the Word and snatch life
away from any person. Therefore, all men must heed this message. Those who do
evil are hereby warned.
“Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly
and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth” (Re. 2:16).
Note
another point as well: this is a great promise to believers. If the Word of
Christ is all-powerful, then Christ can look after and take care of us no
matter what confronts us. His power, the sword of His Word, is able to
strengthen, deliver, and save us. And if it is our time to leave this world,
His Word is able to transfer us right into God’s presence to live perfected
forever and ever.
“Who delivered us from so great a
death, and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us” (2 Co. 1:10).
“And the Lord shall deliver me from
every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be
glory forever and ever” (2 Tim. 4:18).
“Forasmuch then as the children are
partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same;
that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is,
the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime
subject to bondage” (He. 2:14–15).
“And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer” (2 S. 22:2).[3]
After leaving Smyrna, a letter
carrier traveled along the coast of the Aegean Sea for about forty miles. Then
the road turned northeast along the Caicus River. About ten miles inland stood
the impressive city of Pergamum, built on a hill one thousand feet above the
surrounding countryside, creating a natural fortress. Rivaling Ephesus as the
leading city in the region, Pergamum had become the capital of the province of
Asia and the center of Asian culture. It was proud of its links with Rome.
Note that the
problem in Pergamum was leniency toward those in the church who were
compromising their faith with the idol worship and sexual immorality of pagan
worship. Compromise can be good and is often needed, but the church must never
compromise the basic tenets of the Christian faith.
“To
the angel of the church in Pergamum, write: These
are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.” 2:12 NIV Pergamum, a sophisticated city and
center of Greek culture and education, boasted a 200,000-volume library that
was second only to the famous library in Alexandria, Egypt. According to
legend, when Pergamum tried to lure away from Alexandria, one of its
librarians, the king in Alexandria, stopped exporting papyrus to Pergamum. This
embargo resulted in Pergamum’s development of what became known as parchment, a
writing material made from animal skins.
Pergamum was the center of four
of the most important gods of the day—Zeus, Athene, Dionysus, and Asclepius.
The city’s chief god was Asclepius, whose symbol was a serpent and who was
considered the god of healing. People came to Pergamum from all over the world
to seek healing from this god.
The city was also a center for
the imperial cult. While Smyrna had built temples for the emperor, Pergamum was
the first city to receive permission to build a temple dedicated to a governing
emperor, Augustus, whose temple was built in 29 b.c.
The proconsul of Pergamum had been granted the rare power known as “the right of the sword,” meaning that he could perform executions. To the church in this city, Christ described himself as him who has the sharp, double-edged sword (1:16). Just as the sword was a symbol of Rome’s authority and judgment, Jesus’ sharp, double-edged sword represents God’s ultimate authority and judgment. Only Christ has ultimate power over life and death.[4]
Association with Idolatry
The Defiling Doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitans
The Nicolaitans are mentioned in
two of the letters addressed to the seven churches in Rev
2–3:
·
Rev 2:6
affirms the believers at Ephesus because they “hate
the deeds of the Nicolaitans.” This verse offers no further details that
might point to the Nicolaitans’ identity or teachings.
·
Rev 2:15 calls
for repentance from the believers at Pergamum, some of whom “hold fast to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.”
Here, an association with Balaam (Rev 2:14)
connects the Nicolaitans with those who eat food sacrificed to idols and
practice sexual immorality. These same behaviors reflect Jezebel’s false
teachings, which are described several verses later in the letter to
Thyatira (Rev 2:20).
·
The second reference suggests that the
Nicolaitans’ teachings were virtually identical to those of the groups
identified with Balaam and Jezebel (Aune, Revelation,
148; Beale, Revelation, 261; Boxhall,
Revelation, 59–65).
·
These teachings are the main focus of a
negative judgment motif in Rev 1–3 (Ramsay, Letters, 201). Eating food sacrificed to
idols and practicing sexual immorality were clear violations of the injunction
given by the Jerusalem council (Acts 15:20).
·
The allusions to Balaam and Jezebel—Old
Testament figures associated with the worship of pagan gods (Num 31:16; 1 Kgs 18:19)—indicate
the text’s primary concern with idolatry (Beale, Revelation, 249).
· In the context of table fellowship, idolatry would have meant participation in local and/or imperial religions. Devotion to the emperor—a negative theme throughout Revelation—would have been demonstrated through cultic sacrifices (Friesen, “Imperial Cults,” 372–73). In addition, membership in trade guilds (e.g., the wool market in Thyatira) or other civic and social institutions often included religious sacrifices and the worship of pagan deities (Thompson, Revelation, 123–24).[5]
The Works of the Flesh
13
For,
brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve
one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself. 15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take
heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
16
This I say
then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the
flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the
things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not
under the law.
19
Now
the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance,
emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings,
and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do
such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such, there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections b and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. [6]
19 When you follow your own wrong inclinations, your lives will produce these evil results: impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, [like that of adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism], 20 idolatry, spiritism (that is, encouraging the activity of demons, [like that of using Ouija boards, tarot cards, and palm readers]), hatred and fighting, jealousy and anger, a constant effort to get the best for yourself, complaints and criticisms, the feeling that everyone else is wrong except those in your own little group—and there will be wrong doctrine, 21 envy, murder, drunkenness, wild parties, [like that of orgies], and all that sort of thing. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.[7]
Revelation 2:12 The Compromising Church That Is Lenient Defiled Corrupted & Married to the World
[1] The New King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
DS
Deeper Study
[2] Butler, John G. 2010. Analytical Bible Expositor: Revelation. Clinton, IA: LBC Publications.
[3] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
NIV
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission
of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
[4] Barton, Bruce B. 2000. Revelation.
Edited by Grant R. Osborne. Life Application Bible Commentary. Wheaton, IL:
Tyndale House Publishers.
[5] Coutras, Andrew. 2016. “Nicolaitans.” In The Lexham Bible Dictionary, edited by John D. Barry, David Bomar,
Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott,
Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and Wendy Widder. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
b
affections: or passions
[6] Galatians 5:13-26 The Holy Bible:
King James Version. 1995. Electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of
the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[7] Galatians 5:19-21 Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible,
Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.
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