THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF REVELATION
PERGAMOS—THE WORLDLY, CORRUPTED CHURCH
TEXT: Revelation 2:12-17
Revelation 2:12-17 KJV And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; [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. [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. [15] So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. [16] Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. [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.
I. INTRODUCTION—THE BATTLE WITH WORLDLINESS
-As I have contemplated this third church that our Lord Jesus Christ addresses through John, I have to remember some of the warnings in Scripture:
Jude 3-4 KJV Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. [4] For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 13:25 KJV But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
Ephesians 4:14 KJV That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
2 Peter 2:1-2 KJV But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. [2] And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
-It is important to notice that the enemy uses people to work as decoys. He places the decoys into a setting of believers and then uses their leavening influence to corrupt the church.
Joby Warrick writes a harrowing story in Triple Agent about how a Jordanian physician who was radicalized on Islamic websites. This young physician would stay up late at night after his work in the daytime among the pediatric patients in Amman, Jordan and be infused with the vitriolic rhetoric of the Islamic preachers on You Tube until he wanted to get involved in the jihad. He did so after he was picked up by the Jordanian spy agency who found his online postings. They were going to attempt to send him into Pakistan as a spy but when he got there, he revealed why he was there. He told the jihadists that he was working for the Jordanians and had some connections to the CIA. Over a period of about a year, this young physician put on a suicide vest and made it into the CIA compound in Khost in Afghanistan and killed himself along with 9 other top CIA officers working in the Middle East. Once the investigation was done by CIA Director Leon Paneta, it was discovered that the CIA had let down their very high standards that they normally followed because they were so desperate to get Osama bin Laden and his top two lieutenants. The same thing happens to churches when they allow their guard to be dropped in pursuit of all sorts of so-called success.
-Seemingly at the root effort of the devil is to get a church hooked on worldliness.
Milton Green—We can see both the true Church, the bride of Christ as well as the false church of harlotry. The latter has no understanding of God’s laws; therefore, she has no fear of God. She walks in darkness, death and destruction.
Matthew Henry—The heart of man is narrow, and cannot contain both loves. The world draws down the heart from God; and so the more the love of the world prevails the more the love of God dwindles and decays. . . The Spirit of God in true Christians is opposed to the spirit of the world.
-There are three branches or three carnal appetites that grow on the tree of worldliness:
• The lust of the flesh—pleasure, entertainment, amusement, comfort, addictions, movies, sports, travel, and a host of other activities that people are involved in.
• The lust of the eyes—the intense desire to have something that we can see. Usually revolves around possessions.
• The pride of life—the exaggerated estimate of one’s own value as a person. Self-ambition, a drive to be successful, to have more prominence, to have bigger and better than everyone else, or the prideful desire to be “the man (or woman).”
-When this becomes deeply rooted in the life of an individual, especially of one who is in the church, it can have a deadly effect on that person’s life. But the longer they linger in a church and are allowed to influence, the weaker the church will become.
-That is what happened to the church at Pergamos. They allowed the world to corrupt the church.
II. PERGAMOS—THE WORLDLY, CORRUPTED CHURCH
-We come now to the third church along the postal route in Asia Minor. It is called Pergamos and was about half-way along the trade route of the seven churches. Ephesus had some good saints in it but they had lost their first love. Smyrna was a church that was desperately impoverished in material things but incredibly rich in spiritual matters.
-While all of these churches had to deal with persecution from the Roman Caesars, how they dealt with it did something to them. It caused Ephesus to lose its first love, it led to great devotion at Smyrna, but at Pergamos, the pressure caused them to buckle to worldliness. Pergamos wanted to do something that would lead to their own acceptance.
-Pergamos is the modern day Bergama which is in the nation of Turkey. There are some other things we know about Pergamos in John’s day:
• Located about 20 miles from the coast of the Aegean Sea.
• About 100 miles north of Ephesus and about 70 miles from Smyrna.
• Would have been a three-day journey from Smyrna.
• Known for its wealth and fashion. Could have been the Paris of its day. Garments that were purchased in Pergamos and sent abroad were highly valued.
• Royal city and was the seat of the Roman government in the province of Asia.
• It had a library of around 200,000 books and was second only to the library in Alexandria, Egypt.
• The 200,000 books were all hand copied by scribes on parchment made of animal skins.
• The parchment process had been perfected by the scholars in Pergamos.
• Marc Antony was so caught up with the library that he sent the books to his lover, Queen Cleopatra of Egypt.
• It was an educated city that was somewhat given to sophistication because of the exaltation of the human mind and learning.
-Even though it was an ancient city, the work and the effort of the inhabitants made it a very desired place to live in Asia. But just because there may be material advancement, it does not always translate into spiritual maturity.
A. Revelation 2:12—The Counselor
Revelation 2:12 KJV And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
-At each point in the address to the seven churches there is a very clear identification of the Lord Jesus Christ and his deity. This address holds the same pattern. It is the same picture that is given in Revelation 1:16 where the Lord is among His churches and is seen with a sharp, two-edged sword coming out of his mouth.
-This is the first threatening introduction that we can see of the Lord to His churches. He is coming as a judge and executioner and He is coming with His sword.
-The description of this sword is broadened when you understand the Greek word used—RHOMPHIA. This was the large sword that was 3 ½ feet long or so and had to be used as one would grip a baseball bat.
-The Word is powerful to come against worldliness that appears in any church. What is understood is that worldliness is the door that opens up the church to compromise. The church at Pergamos is a picture of so many apostolic churches over history.
-In 313 A.D., Constantine issued something called the Edict of Milan. It gave liberty to Christians and ended the horrific persecution that they had endured for almost three centuries. He made Christianity as the state religion and he then started merging all of the pagan practices with Christianity:
• Heathen priests became Christian priests.
• Heathen temples became Christian temples.
• Heathen feasts became Christian festivals.
-When this happens, then conversion to Christianity no longer matters. The New Birth no longer matters because the compromise promotes a universalism that means everyone is going to end up in heaven no matter what they ascribe to.
-The is only one remedy against that onslaught—for the Lord to show up with the double-edged sword of the Word of God (Heb. 4:12).
-The Word of God is powerful:
• It repairs and regenerates—Ps. 107:20
• It releases from bondage—John 8:32
• It illuminates—Ps. 119:130
• It produces righteous faith—Rom. 10:17
• It gives godly wisdom—2 Tim. 3:15-17
• It reproves and rebukes—2 Tim. 4:2
• It rejoices the heart—Jer. 15:16
• It regenerates—James 1:18
• It will judge the world—2 Peter 3:5-7
• It restrains the believer—Ps. 119:9, 11
• It guides our life—Ps. 119:133
• It brings joy to our heart—Ps. 119:47, 97, 162
• It produces spiritual growth—1 Peter 2:2
• It is the root of new life in a believer—1 Peter 1:23
• It is Truth—Ps. 119:142, 151, 160
-We need to read it privately, we need to meditate on it internally, we need to share it with others, and we need to preach it publicly. It matters that we spend time with the Word of the Lord.
-We can see the culmination of the power of the Sword of the Lord in the final portions of the book of Revelation:
Revelation 19:14-15 KJV And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. [15] And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
B. Revelation 2:13—The Commendation
Revelation 2:13 KJV 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.
-The next segment of the Lord’s address is that He knows their works but he also knows where they live. They are literally living at the seat of Satan. This is in contrast to where Smyrna and Philadelphia are; the synagogue of Satan.
-The word that is used here for “dwellest” is KATOIKEIN which means that they have a permanent residence there. The Lord is literally saying to them: You are living in a city where there is a strong satanic influence but you must stay there and not leave. Don’t pack your bags and go to an easier place. You are in a lion’s den and you must live out your purpose in that place.
-It is easy to run from things when we find ourselves under great pressure and seemingly all things are coming against us. No part of our Christian life is to flee and run because our aim is not escape but rather great conquest. The Lord knows where you are!
Charles Spurgeon—Let it comfort you that your Lord knows all about it and he can either remove you from the trying position, or else he can still more glorify his grace by supporting you in it, and enabling you to overcome the enemy. He knows that “Satan desires to have you, that he may sift you as wheat”; and he prays for you that your faith fail not. He knows your perils, and he considers your trials. Right well he perceives the way in which Satan would first mislead you, and then accuse you. The subtlety of the old serpent he understands. He sees your struggles, your failures, and your desperate endeavors to hold fast the faith. He knows how at night you are grieved as you make your confession before him of your shortcomings; but he knows also the peculiar circumstances in which you are placed, and he judges you with great mercy.
-The seat of Satan in Pergamos could be in reference to a couple of things:
• The Altar of Zeus: In a gigantic temple that was built on a very high hill that towered around 800 feet. It was shaped like a horseshoe that 120X112 feet and the altar to Zeus was 90X40 feet. Pagan worship in all of its excesses took place there.
• The Temple of Asclepius: This was another very morbid place. The serpent wrapped around the staff as the symbol of medicine comes from the worship of Asclepius. There was another large temple to Asclepius where people would come in hopes of being healed. They would enter the temple and lie down on the floor and there were thousands of non-poisonous snakes crawling around on the floor of the temple and the sick were in hopes that these snakes would crawl over them and heal them.
-Those apostolic Christians in that era would have been reminded of the connection with the devil:
Revelation 12:9 KJV And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Revelation 12:14-15 KJV And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. [15] And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
Revelation 20:2 KJV And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
-During the reign of Diocletian there were some Christian stonecutters who refused to carve an image of Asclepius in stone and they were killed because of their refusal to do so. We live in a day when people think we should not have strong convictions about our religious beliefs. But there comes a time in life when we cannot move any further back toward compromise. It does matter what we believe!
-If you have not been converted, if there is no relationship with the Lord, then you can never understand the price that some pay for their faith in the Lord.
-The Lord then commends the faithful martyr, Antipas, one of the leaders of the work in Pergamos. He stood strong against the worldliness and against the compromise and he was killed by Domitian. Tradition says that he was roasted to death inside of a brass bull.
-The faithful martyr (MARTUS) literally could mean “witness.” That is what Antipas was. He was a man who paid with his life for his refusal to compromise. He stood as a stark rebuke to the false teachers who would not be devoted to the Lord.
-We have to ask ourselves: How devoted are we to our cause?!
C. Revelation 2:14-15—The Correction
Revelation 2:14-15 KJV 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. [15] So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
-We now come to the correction portion of the letter that was sent to Pergamos. The Lord had commended the overcomers but there was a faction of that church that was wrong in belief and practice.
-This segment of the letter brings home to us ever more crucially the importance of the apostolic doctrine. Doctrine matters although there are so many in so-called Christendom today that want to downplay it. Far too many make light of doctrine and perceive it as being boring and unimportant. Biblical and theological error are rare considerations in our day.
-The Lord does not see it that way. In fact, He holds any church that is in error guilty. The Lord does not want doctrinal error tolerated in any manner:
Titus 3:10-11 KJV A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; [11] Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.
-There were two prevailing doctrinal errors at Pergamos. One had to do with the teachings of Balaam. He was an Old Testament prophet who was from Pethor where a group of sorcerers lived. There are some scholars who believe that Balaam never was a true prophet but a sorcerer like Simon in Acts 8. He received a strong condemnation in Peter’s epistle (2 Peter 2:15-16) as such.
-The church at Pergamos was practicing the doctrine of Balaam which allowed them to eat things offered to idols and permitted fornication.
-Eating food that had been dedicated to idols was a challenge for the NT believers in that day. When an animal was sacrificed at a pagan temple only a small amount of the sacrifice was burned. The pagan priest would have the choice cut and then the rest would be given to the worshiper. He would then throw a feast for his family and friends. Most of this feast would take place in the banquet rooms of the pagan temples.
-The question that arose at the time was whether or not believers should attend these parties in pagan temples and eat the food that had been dedicated to the idols. Furthermore, the church members were involving themselves in interaction with the temple prostitutes in sexual perversion and wickedness. The Lord rebuked His church for their behavior.
-The false teachers or carnal leaders believed it was acceptable for them to do this and that they should not cut themselves off from others socially.
-This was a matter that Paul dealt with very strongly in Corinth:
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 KJV Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? [15] And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? [16] And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [17] Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, [18] And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. [7:1] Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
-There was one more doctrinal heresy that was at odds with holiness and righteousness. The doctrine of the Nicolaitanes was very similar in practice to that of Balaam which allowed them to participate in the pagan lifestyle of immorality.
-There were many believers who did not practice the sins of the teachers of Balaam and Nicolas but the Lord’s indictment against them was that they tolerated it. By tolerating the behaviors and teachings of these small groups and not practicing church discipline, they shared in the guilt of the impact that was had on the undiscerning.
-All church members are responsible in spiritual matters. This is not a cruise ship heading toward heaven. . . It is a battleship that is in a war with the flesh, the world, and the devil.
D. Revelation 2:16—The Counsel
Revelation 2:16 KJV Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
-What is the advice from the Lord to this church? They are to repent! But repentance is more than just a tearful time at the altar or feeling guilty for what they had been doing. Repentance was a change of mind and a change of behavior.
-They were going to have to do the hard work of reform and stop tolerating the sinful actions that was going on in the church. The church cannot tolerate evil in any form or else they will face the judgment of the Lord.
-The Corinthians were so boastful in their display of spiritual gifts but they were allowing horrible sexual sin to exist. Paul rebuked them:
1 Corinthians 5:6-8 KJV Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? [7] Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: [8] Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
-A church fails when it becomes a place where people are comfortable with their lifestyle of sin. The church cannot afford to be a place where unbelievers feel comfortable with never being converted as well.
-A church is a place where people hear the truth and are convicted of their sin and can turn to the Lord in repentance and be saved (Rom. 10:13-17). It needs to be done with love and grace but firmly (2 Tim. 2:24-26). We cannot afford to deal so haphazardly with the souls of the lost and never tell them the truth.
-The KJV states the Lord will fight against those who are guilty of this. The NASB says the Lord will make war against those false professors.
E. Revelation 2:17—The Commitment
Revelation 2:17 KJV 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.
-Lastly, there are always overcomers who will be in every church. The Lord’s reward to those were the hidden manna and a white stone that had a new name on it.
-The manna was the source of food for the children of Israel during their exodus out of Egypt and then their wanderings in the wilderness. It kept them for forty years in their travels. The hidden manna was different:
• It represents Jesus Christ
• It is He who is the Bread of Life
• It is He who supplies the life that comes down from heaven
• It is spiritual food for those who put their lives in His
• It is a symbol of the blessings and benefits of knowing Him (Eph. 1:3)
-But the white stone was another benefit to those who are overcomers. It was white which leads some to surmise that it may be a diamond.
• The white stone is a symbol of being acquitted of a crime
• The white stone is a token to a slave that had been set free
• The white stone was a mark of authority
• The white stone was given to the victors in the Greco-Roman games
• The white stone represented hospitality from a host
• The white stone was a manner of showing friendship
• The white stone for a believer shows the mystery name that only the Lord and you will know
-That is what we all should be striving for!
III. CONCLUSION—THE NECESSITY OF OVERCOMING
-We do not want to be a believer or a church that is marked by worldliness or corruption in spiritual matters. We have great hope in heaven but we also know that there is an empowering work of the Holy Ghost to help us in this life as well.
Philip Harrelson
August 31, 2016
