FAithfulness (Consistency, Endurance, Perseverance)
Denial (Excuse, Refuse, Rejection)
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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’
a. The messenger of
the church b. The Pergamos
church DS1 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; |
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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 Balak to cast a stumbling block 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.[3] |
3. The Cognizance (Revelation 2:13)
Here we look at some important
things which Christ knows about the church at Pergamos.
• The cognizance of their
service. “I know thy works” (Revelation
2:13). Christ was cognizant of their service. Many may not be aware of
your service, of your faithfulness and fidelity in service, but Christ knows.
You may be unrewarded by the world, but Christ knows, which means that in due
time, you will be duly recognized and rewarded for your good service regardless
of how obscure and unimportant your service has been to the world.
• The cognizance of their site. “I know … where
thou dwellest” (Revelation 2:13).
Christ knows where they live—this knowledge can be encouraging to the faithful
but very upsetting to the disobedient who may be dwelling in some place where
he ought not to be. In the case of the church of Pergamos, Christ knew the great
difficulty they had living in Pergamos because it was “where Satan’s seat [throne] is” (Revelation
2:13). Some churches are not located in the best of situations. The Lord
knows that. Church members will have to work harder, sacrifice more, and be more
faithful in some circumstances.
• The cognizance of their steadfastness. The third thing Christ was cognizant of regarding the church was some commendable steadfastness. First, they were steadfast in devotion. “Thou holdest fast my name” (Revelation 2:13). The “name” represented everything involved in Jesus Christ. This commendation says they were devoted to Jesus Christ. They would not deny Him. Second, they were steadfast in doctrine. “Hast not denied my faith” (Revelation 2:13). There was doctrinal fidelity in the church. Obviously, as we learn shortly, all were not faithful, but the Lord commends those that were. Third, they were steadfast in danger. “Even in those days wherein Antipas was … slain” (Revelation 2:13). When persecution began to kill the righteous, there were those in Pergamos who refused to be cowardly about their faith in the face of great life-or-death danger. They would be faithful to death.[4]
3 (2:13) Church—Believers: there is the Commendation. The church is commended for three things.
1. The
church was loyal to Christ’s name despite the environment. The church had been
established in a cesspool of worldliness, a city of people who were consumed
with the pleasures, possessions, and comforts of the world. Note: Christ
refers to the city as the seat of
Satan. However, the believers were refusing to deny Christ. Once a year, they
could have easily made their public confession that Caesar is Lord, but they refused. They knew better; they knew that
Christ, and Christ alone was Lord. They could have gone quietly about their
affairs and never mentioned Christ except when they met for worship. But this
they refused to do. They wanted their loved ones, neighbors, and friends to know
the salvation and hope of eternal life that was now available in Christ.
Therefore, they bore testimony to Christ. They refused to deny Him. They
refused to bow their knee and make a false profession to a false god, even if
that god was Caesar, the state religion. They held fast to the only name that
could really save them, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me
before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But
whosoever shall deny me before men; him will I also deny before my Father which
is in heaven” (Mt. 10:32–33).
“Whosoever, therefore, shall be ashamed
of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also
shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with
the holy angels” (Mk. 8:38).
“Also, I say unto you, whosoever shall
confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels
of God” (Lu. 12:8).
“That if thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him
from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart, man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation” (Ro. 10:9–10).
“And every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Ph.
2:11).
“If we suffer, we shall also reign with
him: if we deny him, he also will deny us” (2 Tim.
2:12).
“Who is a liar but he that denieth that
Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that
acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also” (1 Jn.
2:22–23).
“Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God” (1 Jn. 4:15).
2. The
church was pure in doctrine. They had not denied the faith of Christ. They believed in Christ and the Word of God and studied
and taught it. They had neither denied Christ nor His Word. The Word of God was
preached and taught every week from the pulpit and classes of the church.
“But even after that, we had suffered
before and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in
our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. For our
exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: but as we were
allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so, we speak; not as
pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we
flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: nor
of men sought we glory, neither of you nor yet of others, when we might have
been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ” (1 Th.
2:2–6).
“If thou put the brethren in remembrance
of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in
the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained” (1 Tim. 4:6).
“I charge thee therefore before God,
and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his
appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of
season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:1–2).
“Holding fast the faithful word as he
hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to
convince the gainsayers” (Tit. 1:9).
“But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine” (Tit. 2:1).
3. The
church was standing fast in persecution. At least one believer had been
martyred, Antipas. Nothing is known about this dear believer other than what is
recorded here. Tradition says that he was placed inside a brazen bull and
slowly roasted to death (A.T. Robertson. Word
Pictures In the New Testament, Vol.6. Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933,
p.305).
Note: the
word “martyr” (martus) is the regular Greek word for witness. A.T. Robertson
says that Antipas was a witness just as Jesus said we should be (Ac. 1:8). Christ gave this dear man His own title:
“my faithful one” (see Re. 1:5; 3:14). He
was faithful unto death.
Thought 1. This
is a sharp rebuke to us today. Just think: the word “witness” and “martyr” mean
the same thing. The early believers knew exactly what it meant to become a
follower of Christ: it meant the commitment of all they were and had. It meant
the possibility of death. As William Barclay says:
In the early Church, to be a martyr and
to be a witness were one and the same thing. Witness meant so often martyrdom.
An early Christian knew quite well what he was doing as soon as he became a
Christian, he had made himself liable to death. Here is a rebuke to us. There
are so many who are prepared to demonstrate their Christianity in Christian
circles but who are equally prepared to play down their Christianity in circles
where Christianity is met with ridicule, with contempt, with indifference, or
with opposition. The Christian must remember that the word martus means equally
martyr and witness and that Christian witness can be, and often must be, a
costly thing (The Revelation of John, Vol.1, p.113f).
“But beware of men: for they will
deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
and ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony
against them and the Gentiles” (Mt. 10:17–18).
“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted
and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake” (Mt. 24:9).
“But before all these, they shall lay
their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and
into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake” (Lu. 21:12).
“Remember the word I said unto you. The
servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will
also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But
all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know
not him that sent me” (Jn. 15:20–21).
“They shall put you out of the
synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he
doeth God service” (Jn. 16:2).
“For unto you it is given on the behalf
of Christ, not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake” (Ph. 1:29).
“Yea, and all that will live godly in
Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12).
“For consider him that endured such
contradiction [hostility] of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and
faint in your minds” (He. 12:3).
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy” (1 Pe. 4:12–13).[5]
“I
know where you are living, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you are holding fast to
my name, and you did not deny your faith in me even in the days of Antipas, my
witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan lives.” 2:13
NRSV As
the center for four idolatrous cults (those of Zeus, Athene, Dionysius, and
Asclepius), Pergamum was called the city where Satan’s throne is. Idolatry is satanic.
Surrounded by the worship of idols and of the Roman emperor as a god, the church
at Pergamum refused to renounce its faith. The believers held fast to the name of Christ, even after
Satan’s worshipers had killed one of their members.
It was not easy to be a Christian in Pergamum. Believers experienced great pressure to compromise or leave the faith. Nothing is known about Antipas except that he did not compromise. He was faithful as a witness for Christ (see 1:5), and he was killed for his faith.[6]
Faithfulness (Consistency,
Endurance, Perseverance)
What examples of faithfulness do
we find in the Bible?
bible reading: Lamentations
3:1–66
key
bible verse: The unfailing love of
the Lord never ends! By his
mercies, we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his
faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. (Lamentations
3:22–23)
In
the midst of despair, Jeremiah clung to God’s faithfulness.
Jeremiah saw one ray of hope in all the sin and sorrow surrounding him: “The
unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By his mercies, we have been kept from
complete destruction.” Jeremiah knew from personal experience about God’s
faithfulness. God had promised that punishment would follow disobedience, and
it did. But God also had promised future restoration and blessing, and Jeremiah
knew that God would keep that promise also. Trusting in God’s faithfulness day
by day makes us confident in his great promises for the future.
God willingly responds with help
when we ask. Perhaps there is some sin in your life that you thought God would
not forgive. God’s steadfast love and mercy are greater than any sin, and he
promises forgiveness.
bible reading: 1
Kings 19:1–21
key
bible verse: Elijah replied, “I
have zealously served the Lord God
Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down
your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I alone am left, and now
they are trying to kill me, too.” (1 Kings
19:10)
God
always has a remnant of faithful followers. Elijah thought he was the only
person left who was still faithful to God. He had seen both the king’s court
and the priesthood become corrupt. After experiencing a great victory at Mount
Carmel, he had to run for his life. Lonely and discouraged, he forgot that
others had remained faithful during the nation’s wickedness. When you are
tempted to think that you are the only one remaining faithful to a task, don’t
stop to feel sorry for yourself. Self-pity will dilute the good you are doing.
Be assured that even if you don’t know who they are, others are faithfully
obeying God and fulfilling their duties.
bible reading: Mark
9:42–50
key
bible verse: Salt is good for
seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must
have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.
(Mark 9:50)
Faithfulness
should be characteristic of God’s people. Jesus used salt to illustrate
three qualities that should be found in his people: (1) We should remember God’s faithfulness,
just as salt used with a sacrifice recalled God’s covenant with his people (Leviticus 2:13). (2) We should make a difference in the “flavor” of the world we live in,
just as salt changes meat’s flavor (see Matthew
5:13). (3) We should
counteract the moral decay in society, just as salt preserves food from
decay. When we lose this desire to “salt” the earth with the love and message
of God, we become useless to him.
Related Topics: Consistency, Endurance, Perseverance[7]
Denial (Excuse, Refuse, Rejection)
How are Christians tempted to
deny Jesus?
bible reading: Matthew
26:69–75
key
bible verse: Suddenly, Jesus’
words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me
three times.” And he went away, crying bitterly. (Matthew
26:75)
Denial
usually isn’t a sudden act. There were three stages to Peter’s
denial. First, he acted confused and tried to divert attention from
himself by changing the subject. Second, he denied that he knew Jesus,
using an oath. Third, he began to curse and swear. Believers who deny
Christ often begin doing so subtly by pretending not to know him. When
opportunities to discuss religious issues come up, they walk away or pretend
they don’t know the answers. With only a little more pressure, they can be
induced to deny flatly their relationship with Christ. If you find yourself
subtly diverting conversation, so you don’t have to talk about Christ, watch
out. You may be on the road to disowning him.
Denial
comes when we don’t anticipate its effects on us. Peter
wept bitterly, not only because he realized that he had denied his Lord, the
Messiah, but also because he had turned away from a very dear friend, a person
who had loved and taught him for three years. Peter had said that he would never disown Christ, despite Jesus’
prediction (Mark 14:29–31; Luke 22:33–34). But when frightened, he went
against all he had boldly promised. Unable to stand up for his Lord for even
twelve hours, he had failed as a disciple and as a friend.
We need to be aware of our own
breaking points and not become overconfident or self-sufficient. If we fail
him, we must remember that Christ can use those who recognize their failure.
From this humiliating experience, Peter learned much that would help him later
when he assumed leadership of the young church.
Related Topics: Abandon, Faithfulness, Suffering[8]
Revelation 2:13 “You Are Holding Fast to My Name, And You Did Not Deny Your Faith in Me...”[1]
[1] Barton, Bruce B. 2000. Revelation.
Edited by Grant R. Osborne. Life Application Bible Commentary. Wheaton, IL:
Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
DS
Deeper Study
[3] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
[4] Butler, John G. 2010. Analytical Bible
Expositor: Revelation. Clinton, IA: LBC Publications.
f following
[5] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation.
The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership
Ministries Worldwide.
NRSV
Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard
Version of the Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of
America, and are used by permission. All rights reserved.
[6] Barton, Bruce B. 2000. Revelation.
Edited by Grant R. Osborne. Life Application Bible Commentary. Wheaton, IL:
Tyndale House Publishers.
[7] Wilson, Neil S. 2000. In The Handbook of
Bible Application, 208–9. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc.
[8] Wilson, Neil S. 2000. In The Handbook of
Bible Application, 143–44. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc.
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