WEEK 6
“A Message To The Compromising Church”
Date: July 3, 2002
Place: Allendale Baptist Church
Text: Revelation 2:12-17
Introduction
We continue tonight in our study of the book of Revelation in chapter 2 and the letters or messages to the 7 churches in Asia. This is the 3rd letter and directed to the church at Pergamos.
Remember each of theses churches represents the church age from Pentecost to the Rapture:
Ephesus – the days of the Apostles
Smyrna – the days of persecution
Pergamos – the days the church married the world
Read passage of scripture
Verse 12
“And to the angel of the church”
Again this refers to the pastor of the church. Always the Lord speaks His message through the pastor.
“In Pergamos”
Pergamos means “citadel” or fortress and the word from which we get “parchment” – a writing material developed from animal skin, which was apparently developed in that area.
Pergamos was built on a 1000 – foot hill in a broad fertile plain about 20 miles inland from the Aegean Sea.
It had served as the capital of the roman providence of Asia Minor for over 250 years.
“Write theses things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword.”
He who has – again is another characteristic of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sword represents the Word of God.
When Jesus speaks it is with authority and at times with judgment.
He says “I have a word for you.” Or “I have the answer to all your problems
Let me stop and say here “GOD’S WORD HAS THE ANSWER TO ALL OUR PROBLEMS
Verse 13
“I know your works”
I know the total accomplishments of the church
This should remind us also He knows the accomplishments of our church and of us.
“I know where you dwell”
He says I know the circumstances in which you live.
We may live in the worst of sin-infected cities but God offers no excuse to Christians who are transformed by the world.
“Where Satan’s throne is”
When Lucifer and a third of the angels were cast from heaven they did not go to hell. Satan is not in hell at the present time. He has not yet been to hell. Satan is loose and is the prince of this world, controlling kingdoms & going up & down the earth as a roaring lion, hunting those he may devour (1 Peter 5:8)
If Satan had a throne then it must mean he has one now.
The reason He says that Satan’s throne was in Pergamos was because of the heathen temples there. Pergamos was the center of worship of at least 4 of the major gods.
At the top of the city was the temple of Zeus – the chief god. Its ruins can still be seen today.
Then there was the temple of Bacchus – the god of wine & alcohol often called the goat god. This god was depicted as half goat, the upper half, and half man, the bottom half
Then there was the temple of Athena – the god of wisdom, art & war.
Then there was the temple of Asklepios – the god of healing. This god was depicted as a serpent. Outside the temple was a marble statue of this god. Two serpents twined around a pole.
This today still is the symbol of doctors and medicine. (Story of Jethro Clampitt who was asked if he knew what M.D stood for he said Mr. Doctor)
At this temple was the greatest hospital in the ancient world. The Mayo clinic of its day.
Here is how you were treated at this hospital: You go down a long hallway and tunnels. Above you are holes that look like airholes for ventilation but through those holes sexy voices would come through the holes saying, “ you are going to get better, you are going to be healed.” Then you would go down to the hot tubes and then given a massage. If you were not healed as a last resort they put you in the temple at night & turn loose non-poisonous snakes. And if one of the snakes crawled over you or touched you it was as if Asklepias himself touched you and you were healed.
It is very easy to see this was a city full of paganism and false doctrine.
Then the word of commendation…
“And you hold fast to my name.”
They were faithful to the defense of the deity of Christ.
Although this was a time in the church age that the church married the world, it was also a time that produced great giants of the faith. Men such as Athanasius and Augustine who rose up against these false teachings and preached the truth of God’s Word.
“and did not deny my faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you.”
Antipas is said by historians to be one of the first Christian martyrs. He may have been the pastor of the church at Pergamos at one time. Tradition says he burned inside of a brass bull for refusing to renounce his faith in Christ.
“where Satan dwells”
In these last few words of commendation to the church Jesus uses a different word for “dwell”. It means in the place of your home. It has the implications of somewhere you are supposed to be.
Sometimes God places us where its not easy for us to be or easy for us to stay.
Verse 14
“But I have this 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 the things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.”
Doctrine of Balaam can be found in Numbers chapters 22-25. Balak king of Moab had asked Balaam, a magician, to curse the nation of Israel for money. Every time Balaam tried to curse the people of Israel he would bless them. Then he came up with the idea to have the Moabite women seduce the Israelite men into marriage. The result was the blasphemous union of Israel with fornication & idolatrous feasts.
Verse 15
“Doctrine of Nicolaitians”
We saw that the church of Ephesus hated this doctrine, but this church holding to this doctrine.
The word comes from two words nike- meaning victory and laos meaning people.
This is probably referring to a Gnostic cult developed by Nicolaus which advocated freedom in matters of sin of Christians and also a forced the return of religious rituals by clergy.
They also taught that clergy had not only a greater authority than the laity but were above the ordinary people in their ability to gain knowledge of God.
We can still see this in some religions today.
This doctrine ignores the priesthood of all believers.
I have to stop here to say when we come into a personal relationship with God through the Lord Jesus we all are seen as priests, we all can come boldly before the throne, we all can be used of God.
But… there are requirements God has for some positions in the church. God’s Word tells us in 1 Timothy the head of the church is Christ, the position of the pastor is reserved for a man. The position of a deacon is that of a man, who has one wife. I’ don’t believe we can debate those things.
The priesthood of believer’s does not cover all things.
Verse 16-17
The Remedy
“repent”-turn and go the other direction
“or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.”
“Overcomes”- the true believer
“Hidden manna”
This is referring to living bread, which is Jesus
John 6:51 Jesus tells us “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever…”
“And I will give you a white stone, and on the stone a new name is written which no one knows except Him who receives it”
When an athlete won in the games, he was given, as part of his prize, a white stone which was an admission pass to the winner’s celebration.
As believers we have been given a pass to a greater celebration in heaven one day.
Stones were also used in ancient times in elections, A black stone represented a vote against and a white stone represented a vote for. As His child, God cast a vote for you. Remember we are elected in Christ, Ephesians reminds us of this over A7 over again.
The people of Asia Minor whom John was writing had a custom of giving to intimate friends a tessera, a cube or rectangleular block of stone or ivory, with words or symbols engraved on it.
Jesus says He is going to give to each of His own a stone with a new name engraved upon it. Not a new name for us but I believe a new name for Him.
I believe each name will be different because He means something different to each one of us. It will be personal and intimate.
It may be a nickname Jesus has for you…
Or it may be a term of endearment….
