Study In Revelation
Pergamos, The Corrupted Church: Rev. 2: 12-17
Pergamos is a church that has been corrupted by the world. There is great danger of becoming a corrupted church by allowing a worldly mind set to take over…
1. list some things that could be considered a worldly mindset and that could corrupt the church.
2. Pergamos had three things that made her famous and seem to have been the reason for the message from Christ.
a.Pergamos was a beautiful city set on a huge mountain, with a sense of royalty. The people could see the Mediterranean Sea, some 15 miles away.
b. Pergamos was one of the cultural and religious centers of the known world. It had been a capitol city for some 400 years. Their library was second only to Alexandria, Egypt.
But what the city was best known for was the acropolis, (a fortified hill) rising about 1,000ft in the middle of the city. Temple after temple had been built on it, like the temple to Asclepius, a serpent-like god of healing. The city was famous for the college of medical priest. The most famous altar was to Zeus. It towered above the city and was the most ornate (decorated) and most famous of them all.
c. Pergamos was the first city in Asia to openly support imperial worship. Imperial worship is the worship of the state and its leader.
When Rome seized much of the world, as they knew it, there was so much peace that food, trade and prosperity were more easily had. Life for many became a lot easier and more comfortable. During this time what is known as a Roman spirit arose in many quarters and the government capitalized on this and placed Caesar at the center of it. Temples, altars and images were built in Caesar’s honor and the man became a god. They even passed a law declaring that every citizen had to go to the temple once a year and bow before the image of Caesar and say, “Caesar is Lord.”
3. We have already discussed the fact that the message is given to the minister but let me make this point. Jesus holds that minister responsible for the path the church follows. If the church becomes worldly, it is usually because the pastor allows it or leads it.
2.Christ describes Himself: v12
The sharp two edged sword can mean at least two things.
1. The sword in His mouth means His word, which is the Word of God.
There is one thing that is needed in a worldly church and that is the true Word of God. The Word of God is sharp and able to cut through the most worldly and hardened heart. It convicts the worldly of sin. It is able to cut deep enough to separate a sinner from their sin.
The Word of God has two edges. It proclaims the Law of God and seriousness of living a righteous life or facing judgment and destruction. But on the other side it proclaims the love and grace of God to all who will come out of the world, receive and follow Jesus Christ.
Matthew Henry, in his commentary, 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]
Scripture Proof: Eph. 6: 17 * 2Th. 2: 8 * Heb. 4: 12 * Rev. 1: 16
2. The sword of His mouth means the power and judgment of His Word.
One of the things happening in Pergamos was the fact that some of the believers were being persecuted and even martyred for their faith.
Some government officials were abusing the power of the sword and execution and were killing innocent people, mostly those who refused to deny Christ and give homage to Caesar.
Christ is saying here that the power of His Sword - the power of His Word is greater than any other.
He warns those who are evil, in verse 16. For those who stay the course Christ words are a promise of protection.
If The Word of Christ is all powerful, and it is, then He can take care of us no matter what we face.
His power, the sword of His Word gives us strength to face what comes our way. He is able to deliver us from any situation. Finally, When our time comes to leave this world, His Word is able to deliver us right into the very presence of God.
Scripture proof: 2 Cor. 1: 10 [has delivered us, is and will…] * 2Tim 4: 18 * Heb. 2: 14-15 * 2Sam. 22: 2
3. Christ commends the church: v13
The church is recognized for three things that Jesus thought was worthy of mention.
1. The church was loyal to the Name of Christ even under the conditions they were facing.
The church had been established in a city where the people were consumed with worldly pleasure, with possessions and comfort of this world. Jesus described the city as the place where, “the seat of Satan” was. The true believers were refusing to give in, refusing to deny Christ and worship Caesar. They held fast to the only name that could really save them.
Scripture: Mt. 10: 32-33 * Mk. 8: 38 * Lk. 12: 8 * Rom. 10: 9-10 * Ph. 2: 11 * 2Tim. 2: 12 * 1Jn. 2: 22-23 * 1Jn. 4: 15
2.They were pure in doctrine. They had not denied their faith and the Word of God was being taught diligently in the church, even though some were literally being killed for their faith.
Scripture: 1Th. 2: 2-6 * 1Tim. 4:6 * 2Tim 4: 1-2 * Tit. 2: 1
3. The church was standing fast in persecution. We know that at least one believer has been martyred for confessing and believing in Jesus Christ. We don’t know anything about Antipas except what we read here. Tradition says that he was placed inside a Brazilian bull and slowly roasted to death. [A.T. Robertson. Word Pictures In The New Testament,vol.16., Tn: Broadman Press, 1933, p.305]
Jesus not only called him by name but called him, “My faithful martyr” This is one more proof that Jesus knows your name…
Did you know that the word witness and martyr actually mean the same thing?
What comes to mind when you consider this?
Scripture: Mt. 10: 17-18 * Mt 29: 4 * Lk. 21: 12 * Jn 15: 20-21 * Jn. 16: 2 * Ph. 1: 29 * 2Tim. 3: 12 * Heb. 12: 3 * 1Pet. 4: 12-13
4. The complaint: vv14-15
The complaint was that the church had become guilty of false doctrine . The church had, for the most part, developed a worldly mind-set.
There was actually two charges made against the worldly church.
1. The worldly church was guilty of the doctrine of Balaam. This means that corruption was not only around the church but had penetrated the barrier and had set up residence within the church. There is a mix of religion and worldliness within the body.
*Do we see this happening in the church today?
Who was Balaam? Balac, the Moabite king ruled right next to Palestine and was afraid of Israel, so he commissioned the prophet Balaam to curse Israel. Balaam first refused but the second time Balac approached him, he accepted. He tried three different times to curse Israel but nothing happened. He came up with a plan to corrupt Israel instead. He convinced Balac to have the Moabite women seduce the Israelite men into marrying them and then they could lead them to worship their gods. It worked and Israel became corrupted. (See Numbers 22-25)
Apparently this is what happened with the church at Pergamos. They had allowed some worldly minded people to come and those people began to corrupt the church from within…
Scripture: Acts 2: 40 * 1Cor. 5: 11 * 2Cor. 6: 14 * 2Cor. 6: 17-18 * Eph. 5: 11 * 2Thess. 3: 6 * Ex. 34: 12 *
Ps. 1:1
2. The worldly church was making a false profession of the Nicolaitans. We believe that the Nicolaitans believed two main things.
1. Christ had done away with the Law of the Old Testament and had replaced it with the law of Christian Liberty.
2. The soul and spirit of man are more important than his/her body.
Scripture: Mt. 5: 17 * 1Cor. 3: 16-17 * 1Cor. 3: 19 * 2Cor. 6: 16
5. The Council: v16
Christ calls the church to repent. What does repent mean? It means a change of direction. We stop going the direction we are going and change, completely, to a new direction.
In order for this to happen the church needs to do several things.
a. The church must deal with those who are worldly and lead them to true repentance.
b. The church needs to change their policy of accepting people into the church just because they profess Christ. There needs to be evidence of repentance.
c. The church must be willing to discipline those who refuse to repent and continue to live in worldly living.
d. The church must stop teaching false hope and security to those who are lost by offering baptism and church membership without true repentance.
e. The church must stop allowing the worldly to seduce and mislead the other believers.
Scripture: Mt. 3: 2 * Lk. 13: 3 * Acts 2: 38 * Acts 3: 19 * Acts 8: 22 * Acts 17: 30 * 2Chron. 7: 14 *
Is. 55: 7
6. The Warning: v16
Christ warns the church that becomes worldly that He will come quickly and will make war against them. Notice that the Lord will not punish the faithful, those who are spiritually minded. He will only punish those who refuse to let go of the world and repent…teacher who makes everybody stay after class.
We need to understand, however, that the church, as whole, is responsible for allowing worldly people to be baptized.
*Have we forgotten that the command of Christ is to repent and believe the gospel?
True belief always involves repentance, which is turning away from sin and turning to God.
Scripture proof: Heb. 2: 3 * Heb. 10: 25 * 2Pet. 3: 17
7. The Promise: v17
There are two parts to the promise.
1.The person who overcomes will be given the right to eat manna which is the bread of heaven. This is a reference to the manna that was used to feed the children of Israel during the time they wandered in the desert. God actually caused bread to rain down out of heaven to feed the people. See Ex. 16: 4
Is Jesus talking about supplying those who overcome with enough food to last them for eternity?
What goes through your mind when I say that the bread Jesus was offering was Himself?
Scripture Proof: Jn. 6: 32-33 * Jn. 6: 35 * Jn. 6: 51 * Jn. 6: 58
Jesus doesn’t offer physical bread but Spiritual bread.
How long does bread last? So if Jesus was talking about physical beard He would spend eternity waiting tables, because there would be a constant need to have our hunger satisfied.
So what is this Manna? Jn. 6: 50-51 * Jn 6: 53-54 * Jn 6: 57-58 Will we be eating the Body of Jesus?
Think about what bead is good for. Satisfies hunger * Nourishes the body * Sustains life, for a short time. No matter how well fed you’re your body will some day die.
When you come to Christ and receive Him to yourself, your are receiving the Bread of Life. What does that mean?
The person who over comes worldliness, the one who stops feeding on the world will be given the food of heaven. That person will be allowed to eat the eternal bread of heaven and never die. There will be no “second death” for him/her. Christ is hidden from the worldly and they neither see nor feed upon the Bread of Heaven, which is eternal life.
2. The second part of the promise is: the overcomer is given a white stone. There is a new name written on this stone.
We are not sure what is meant by this white stone, but there were many customs of the day which may be relevant.
a) Black and White stones were used by juries in courts. If they believed that a person was guilty, they symbolized this by offering their black stone. If they believed they were innocent, they would offer their white stone. The White stone therefore may speak of our innocent status before God once we are forgiven.
b) White stones were also used as medallions in the Olympics and other sporting events and were also given to members of a conquering army. The White stone here may therefore be a symbol of our triumph of faith
c) White stones were also used as tokens (tickets if you will) into banquets or feasts or used as place cards at the dinner table. The White stone then would be a ticket ensuring that we could participate in the heavenly banquet with Christ.
d) They were given to a man freed from slavery as proof that he had been made a citizen of the province. The white stone then speaks of our citizenship of heaven.
e) White stones were sometimes carried around as lucky charms - often with a name of a protectorate god. If this was the meaning, the White stone would speak of the assurance we have that Christ would protect us.
What ever the meaning, the white stone spoke of the redeemed position we have through a relationship with Christ.
There can be and has been much speculation and guesses about this white stone but in order to keep the meaning clear we will stick to the scriptures for our understanding.
When you go to the movies you have to buy a ticket. When you purchase your ticket the attendant will tear off a piece and give it to you. If you loose it you can’t get in. That ticket stub is your only means of admittance in to the theatre.
The white stone is your only way of being admitted into heaven, into the very presence of God.
The stone is also important because it has a name on it - a New Name. Names in biblical times were significant as they spoke about the character of a person. New Names were given to many people through the bible with their new name speaking about their character or their role. Abram became Abraham - “Father of many nations;” Sarai became Sarah - “Mother of nations;” Simon became Peter - “The Rock;” The new name given to us will represent our new nature.
There is a new name written on the stone. What does this mean? there are a couple of suggestions.
1. The name on the stone is the name of Christ. If the name on the stone is Christ it means that Jesus Christ is the only name accepted for entrance into heaven. If you are to get in you must have your white stone with the name of Jesus written on it.
2. The name on the stone is your name. If this is the case then you are given a white stone as your ticket to enter and it must have your new name on it.
The church member who has an ear must hear the message given to the worldly church. Hearing the message and heeding the warnings is the only way to overcome worldliness and conquer the attacks of this world.
Scripture: Jn. 14: 6 * Rom. 10: 13
Study In Revelation
Pergamos, The Corrupted Church: Rev. 2: 12-17
1. list some things that could be considered a worldly mindset and that could corrupt the church.
2. Pergamos had ______ things that made her famous and seem to have been the reason for the message from Christ.
a. Pergamos was a beautiful city set on a huge ____________, with a sense of royalty. The people could see the Mediterranean Sea, some ___ miles away.
b. Pergamos was one of the ________ and _______ centers of the known world. It had been a capitol city for some ___ years. Their library was second only to Alexandria, Egypt.
But what the city was best known for was the _________, (a fortified hill) rising about 1,000ft in the middle of the city. Temple after temple had been built on it, like the temple to Asclepius, a serpent-like god of healing. The city was famous for the college of medical priest. The most famous altar was to _____. It towered above the city and was the most ornate (decorated) and most famous of them all.
c. Pergamos was the _____ city in Asia to openly support _________ worship. Imperial worship is the worship of the ______ and its _________.
2.Christ describes Himself: v12
The sharp two edged sword can mean at least two things.
1. The sword in His mouth means ____ word, which is the W____ of ______.
Scripture Proof: Eph. 6: 17 * 2Th. 2: 8 * Heb. 4: 12 * Rev. 1: 16
2. The sword of His mouth means the p______ and j_________ of His Word.
Some government officials were abusing the power of the ________ and ___________ and were killing innocent people, mostly those who refused to deny Christ and give homage to Caesar.
His power, the sword of His Word gives us s________ to face what comes our way. He is able to d_________ us from any situation. Finally, When our time comes to leave this world, His Word is able to deliver us right into the very presence of ______.
Scripture proof: 2 Cor. 1: 10 [has delivered us, is and will…] * 2Tim 4: 18 * Heb. 2: 14-15 * 2Sam. 22: 2
3. Christ commends the church: v13
The church is recognized for three things that Jesus thought was worthy of mention.
1. The church was _________ to the Name of Christ even under the conditions they were facing.
Scripture: Mt. 10: 32-33 * Mk. 8: 38 * Lk. 12: 8 * Rom. 10: 9-10 * Ph. 2: 11 * 2Tim. 2: 12 * 1Jn. 2: 22-23 * 1Jn. 4: 15
2.They were p____ in doctrine. They had not d________ their faith and the Word of God was being taught diligently in the church, even though some were latterly being killed for their faith.
Scripture: 1Th. 2: 2-6 * 1Tim. 4:6 * 2Tim 4: 1-2 * Tit. 2: 1
3. The church was standing fast in p______________.
Did you know that the word witness and martyr actually mean the same thing?
What comes to mind when you consider this?
Scripture: Mt. 10: 17-18 * Mt 29: 4 * Lk. 21: 12 * Jn 15: 20-21 * Jn. 16: 2 * Ph. 1: 29 * 2Tim. 3: 12 * Heb. 12: 3 * 1Pet. 4: 12-13
4. The complaint: vv14-15
The complaint was that the church had become guilty of false d______ . The church had, for the most part, developed a worldly mind-set.
There was actually two charges made against the worldly church.
1. The worldly church was guilty of the doctrine of B_________. This means that corruption was not only around the church but had penetrated the barrier and had set up residence w_______ the church. There is a mix of religion and worldliness within the body.
*Do we see this happening in the church today?
Apparently this is what happened with the church at Pergamos. They had allowed some worldly minded people to come and those people began to corrupt the church from within…
Scripture: Acts 2: 40 * 1Cor. 5: 11 * 2Cor. 6: 14 * 2Cor. 6: 17-18 * Eph. 5: 11 * 2Thess. 3: 6 * Ex. 34: 12 *
Ps. 1:1
2. The w_______ church was making a false profession of the Nicolaitans. We believe that the Nicolaitans believed two main things.
1. Christ had done away with the ______ of the Old Testament and had replaced it with the l___ of Christian L________.
2. The s____ and s________ of man are more important than his/her b_____.
Scripture: Mt. 5: 17 * 1Cor. 3: 16-17 * 1Cor. 3: 19 * 2Cor. 6: 16
5. The Council: v16
Christ calls the church to r_____. What does repent mean? It means a c_______ of di________. We stop going the direction we are going and change, completely, to a new direction.
In order for this to happen the church needs to do several things.
a. The church must deal with those who are w_______ and lead them to true r____________.
b. The church needs to change their policy of accepting people into the church just because they profess C______. There needs to be e_________ of r____________.
c. The church must be willing to d___________ those who r_______ to repent and continue to live in worldly living.
d. The church must stop teaching false h___e and s________ to those who are lost by offering b________m and church m_______________p without true repentance.
e. The church must stop allowing the w______y to seduce and m________d the other believers.
Scripture: Mt. 3: 2 * Lk. 13: 3 * Acts 2: 38 * Acts 3: 19 * Acts 8: 22 * Acts 17: 30 * 2Chron. 7: 14 *
Is. 55: 7
6. The Warning: v16
Christ warns the church that becomes w________ that He will come q________ and will make w__r against them.
*Have we forgotten that the command of Christ is to repent and believe the gospel?
T____ belief a______s involves re____________e, which is turning away from sin and turning to God.
Scripture proof: Heb. 2: 3 * Heb. 10: 25 * 2Pet. 3: 17
7. The Promise: v17
There are two parts to the promise.
1.The person who overcomes will be given the right to eat m_____a which is the bread of heaven. See Ex. 16: 4
Is Jesus talking about supplying those who overcome with enough food to last them for eternity?
What goes through your mind when I say that the bread Jesus was offering was Himself?
Scripture Proof: Jn. 6: 32-33 * Jn. 6: 35 * Jn. 6: 51 * Jn. 6: 58
Jesus doesn’t offer p________ bread but Sp_______l bread.
How long does bread last? So if Jesus was talking about physical beard He would spend eternity waiting tables, because there would be a constant n____ to have our h_______r satisfied.
So what is this Manna? Jn. 6: 50-51 * Jn 6: 53-54 * Jn 6: 57-58 Will we be eating the Body of Jesus?
Think about what bead is good for. Sat_____s hunger * N________es the body * Su_______s life, for a short time. No matter how well fed you are your body will some day die.
When you come to Christ and receive Him to yourself, your are receiving the B______ of L_____.
What does that mean?
2. The second part of the promise is: the overcomer is given a w_____ s_____. There is a new n_____ written on this stone.
customs of that day and time:
a) Black and White stones were used by juries in courts. If they believed that a person was guilty, they symbolized this by offering their black stone. If they believed they were innocent, they would offer their white stone. The White stone therefore may speak of our innocent status before God once we are forgiven.
b) White stones were also used as medallions in the Olympics and other sporting events and were also given to members of a conquering army. The White stone here may therefore be a symbol of our triumph of faith
c) White stones were also used as tokens (tickets if you will) into banquets or feasts or used as place cards at the dinner table. The White stone then would be a ticket ensuring that we could participate in the heavenly banquet with Christ.
d) They were given to a man freed from slavery as proof that he had been made a citizen of the province. The white stone then speaks of our citizenship of heaven.
e) White stones were sometimes carried around as lucky charms - often with a name of a protectorate god. If this was the meaning, the White stone would speak of the assurance we have that Christ would protect us.
When you go to the movies you have to buy a t______t. When you purchase your ticket the attendant will tear off a piece and give it to you. If you loose it you can’t get in. That ticket stub is your only means of admittance in to the theatre.
The white stone is your only way of being ad__________ into heaven, into the very presence of God.
The stone is also important because it has a name on it.
There is a n___ name written on the stone. What does this mean? there are a couple of suggestions.
1. The name on the stone is the name of Christ. If the name on the stone is Christ it means that J_____ C______ is the only name accepted for e_________e into heaven. If you are to get in you must have your white stone with the name of Jesus written on it.
2. The name on the stone is your name. If this is the case then you are given a white stone as your ticket to enter and it must have your new ________e on it.
The church member who has an ear must hear the message given to the worldly church. Hearing the message and heeding the warnings is the only way to overcome worldliness and conquer the attacks of this world.
Scripture: Jn. 14: 6 * Rom. 10: 13
Names in biblical times were significant as they spoke about the character of a person. New Names were given to many people through the bible with their new name speaking about their character or their role. Abram became Abraham - “Father of many nations;” Sarai became Sarah - “Mother of nations;” Simon became Peter - “The Rock;”
