Seven Churches Of Revelations Part 4 Series

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The Seven Churches of Revelation Lesson 4

Revelation 2:12-13 – The Church at Pergamum

(Rev. Barry Johnson and Rev. Rodney Johnson)

Introduction

Hello everyone and welcome to lesson 4 in our study of the seven churches of Asia from the Book of Revelation. Today we look at Jesus’ message to the church in Pergamum. But before we begin, let’s pause, as we always do, for a word of prayer.

Pergamum was the home of a library that contained nearly 200,000 volumes. It was also a major agricultural hub that also included vineyards. But these attributes took a backseat to the city’s major attraction and source of income. It was the home for the temples of nearly every major man-made deity. To visit Pergamum would be like taking a star tour in Hollywood where they put you in a little van and drive you through the exclusive neighborhoods so you can see where all the important people live. Coming to Pergamum, in terms of worship, was just like that. The array of gods and goddesses was impressive.

For example, there was an altar to Zeus, the king of Mount Olympus, where all of the gods and goddesses lived. If you needed something done, you would go and see Zeus because he had all the power. But supposed you came to Pergamum for pleasure. You could make a reservation at the temple of Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry. You could get drunk and participate in orgies 24/7. What if you were in need of food or wanted a good crop? Then you would go to the temple of the goddess Demeter. Or, maybe you’re sick. The temple of Asklepios, the god of healing, was also in Pergamum. It was one of the major destinations for healing in the world. Pilgrims came from all over to this temple. And guess who did the healing? Snakes! The sick or ailing were given a drug that caused them to fall into a deep sleep. And while they slept snakes were set free to crawl over them. After reading this, l thought about the medical symbol that we see today. It’s a rod with snakes wound around it. Folks, this symbol dates back to the corrupt and immoral city of Pergamum.

This was the city that the Christians lived in. In addition to the temples of the gods and goddesses I just mentioned, there were temples for those seeking wealth, wisdom, fertility, and many other things that satisfied a person’s desires and lusts. So, if you were a follower of Jesus Christ and refused to bow the knee to all of this, it was a good thing for you to hear what Jesus said at the beginning of this letter, which Rodney will get into in a moment. There was a hymn that the early Christians sang, which was probably also sung in Pergamum as well. It’s about Jesus and recorded in Philippians 2:9-11.

9Therefore God also has highly exalted him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father.

With this introduction, Rodney is going to get us started with lesson 4, the church in Pergamum.

Barry, as you have stated, the church in Pergamum was that had compromised which we will go into in some detail as we discuss the verses. There was a lot of pagan worship going on during this time and Ephesus and Smyrna played prominent roles as two of the strategic centers of pagan worship in the Roman province of Asia. However, paganism in the city of Pergamum surpassed even Ephesus and Smyrna. Pergamum’s many temples and its centuries of incessant rituals caused it to be renowned as one of the most devout pagan cities in the Entire Roman Empire.