Pergamos: The Worldly Compromising Church

Revelation 2:12-17

 

INTRODUCTION: The City of Pergamos was a city that had given ground to Satan. Pergamos was the most famous of the seven cities of Asia Minor. When John wrote the Revelation, Pergamos had been a capital city of the province for 400 years.

Pergamos was a city given to art and fashion. The citizens of Pergamos loved:

          1. Art                     4. Painting

          2. Education           5. Architecture

          3. Sculpture

But this city did not love God.

Pergamos could boast of one of the largest and most famous libraries of all antiquity. The library at Pergamos housed over 200,000 volumes, quite an accomplishment when you consider that every copy used to be copied by hand.

They invented and perfected the use of animal skins called vellum or parchment for writing material. Thus the name for a diploma “Sheep skin,” The word parchment is derived from the name Pergamos.

The name Pergamos has a double meaning:

1.    Elevated to power

2.    Married

Pergamos was elevated in power and married to the world system.

 

I. VS.12, CHRIST DESCRIBED

         

A.   Our Lord is described as having “the sword with two edges.”

B.   This sharp sword is descriptive of Christ and of the double-edged character of the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12).

C.   John F. Walvoord makes this interesting statement about the two-edged sword, “It’s representation as a double-edged sword indicates on the one hand the sword as the Word of God which separated the ones who are the vessels of grace from condemnation with the world and which by its promises and message of salvation cuts lose the claims of sin and condemnation which binds the helpless sinner (66).”

 

II. VS. 13 COMMENDATION

 

A.     ‘I know thy works…”

1.     They were laboring under extreme pressure and he Lord knew this.

2.     This church was a witness in a worldly city.

 

B.     “Where thou dwellest.”

1.     They were living in a difficult place.

2.     The Lord took note of their circumstances and He certainly takes note of ours.

 

C.     Even where Satan’s seat is.”

1.     Satan had a base of operation in Pergamos.

2.     Reasons why Satan had a stronghold at Pergamos:

 

a.     Idolatry – four Greek gods were honored at Pergamos:

 

1. Zeus- head of all Gods

2. Dionysus- god of wine and drama

3. Athena- god of art

4. Aeculapius- god of healing- symbol, the serpent

b.    It seems that is was at Pergamos that idolatry began to deeply influence the church. Such practices as prayers for the dead, worship of saints and angels, worship of Mary, celibacy of priests, the doctrine of purgatory etc. have their roots in paganism.

3.     Friends wherever evil is allowed to abound Satan get a stronghold.

 

a.     We are not to give ground, surrender jurisdiction, to the devil in our lives homes or communities, “Neither give place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27). 

b.    We are to pull down strongholds (2 Cor. 10:4-5).

c.     Ephesians 6:1tells us that we are wrestling “against principalities…” and evil prince, a demon who has been given charge of a “pality’ an area much as a municipality. Daniel 10:13 tells us that Daniel was hindered by an evil prince.

 

D.     “Thou holdest fast my name.”

 

1.     This church was loyal to Christ. They were doctrinally pure, but they failed in that they took in pagan practices.

2.     They faithfully defended the deity of Christ, that Christ is God.

 

E.     “Thou hast not denied my faith.”

 

1.     They had not thrown the truth out.

2.     They believed the fundamentals of the faith, the pre-existence of Christ, the Virgin birth, the sinless life, the sacrificial death, the burial and resurrection of Christ etc.

3.     They were faithful where they lived.

 

F.      They had been strong in the face of death – the martyrdom of Antipas.

 

III.  VSS. 14-, COMPROMISE REBUKED

 

A.   Vs. 14 The church at Pergamos was tolerating sin.

 

1. In the church there were those who held to the doctrine of Balaam.

2. Balaam entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by being sexually immoral.

3. Although the church at Pergamos held to the Gospel   and was doctrinally sound it was not separated from the world.

 

a.     Sensuality, lust, intermarriage with pagans and fornication were tolerated.

b.    We are to walk close to Christ and deny the vain philosophies of the world (Col. 2:6-8).

 

B.   VS. 15 The Ephesian church hate the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, Pergamos embraced it.

 

1.    We ought to hate what God hates, and He hates this doctrine.

2.    We know from our study of Ephesus that this doctrine gave clergy powers not given in the Bible. McGee said, “… it probably was agnostic cult developed by Nicolaus, which advocated license in matters of Christians’ conduct and apparently a return to religious ritual, by clergy, ignoring the priesthood of all believers.” (Vol. 5, 98).

3.    Immorality is also a part of this doctrine.

 

IV.  VS. 16, COMMAND TO REPENT

         

A.   This command is given to a compromising church where discipline was needed (Rom. 16:17).

B.    Jesus is saying, “Deal with it or I will.”

 

1.     His dealing is more severe than church discipline.

2.     The church needs to be pure.

 

VI.  VS. 17, CONQUERORS

 

A.   Faithful Christians were cut off from the worldly social life of Pergamos. They could not eat meat offered to idols.

 

1.    Christ had something better for them. All believers have eaten of the Bread of Life (John 6:31-35).

2.    Hidden manna is food from heaven that the world cannot receive.

 

a.     God feeds us with daily bread from His Word.

b.     He reveals secret, hidden things, to His faithful few. (Psa. 25:14; Prov. 3:32).

 

B.   A white stone is given to the overcomers.

 

1.    Juries made their decisions by casting white stones for acquittal or black if guilty. This white stone says we have been acquitted.

2.    White stones were used in numbers and calculations – we are numbered among God’s children.

3.    White stones were used for admittance to events. We have our reservation in heaven.

4.    The white stone is known as the Treasure Hospitalis, the stone of two friends. The stone is divided with each having their names on the other’s part of the stone, a symbol of unending friendship. What a friend we have in Jesus!

 

CONCLUSION: The church need not compromise; it needs to conquer. 

 

 

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