Renewing the Church (10)

The third letter
We want to examine the third of seven letters in Revelation 2-3 which Jesus evaluates His church. The first letter that Jesus dictated to John the Apostle concerned the church of Ephesus. Jesus declared that the Ephesian church had lost its first love. The second letter, on the other hand, to the church in Smyrna, is one filled with praise. That church, beset with persecution and poverty, remained faithful even under pressures that could well lead to the martyrdom of some of its members.

Pergamum was on the perimeter of a natural ellipse connecting the seven cities containing the seven churches to which Jesus addressed His letters. It would thus have been a stop for a messenger instructed to carry copies of this letter to all seven churches (John 1:4, 11, 19).

Jesus’ letter to the angel of the church of Pergamum teaches us that even though part of a local church might well remain faithful, its failure to root out certain wicked practices might result in Christ coming to that church and “[warring] against [that faction] with the sword of [His] mouth” (Rev. 2:16). Pergamum is mentioned only twice in the New Testament, here and in Rev. 1:1

The city of Pergamum
The name Pergamum means “citadel,” or “fortress.” Pergamum was a major Asian cultural center as well as a center of the healing arts. Its massive library of over 2,000 volumes was second only to that of Ptolemy Philadelphus Alexandria in Egypt, the largest library in its day. Situated on a cone-shaped hill 1,000 feet high, Pergamum consisted of three sections, the upper serving the royal and rich, the middle visited by common people as a center of worship for Zeus, Athena as well as temples for emperor worship, and the lower level containing the temple and spa of Ascelpsius, the god of healing. The temple of Zeus protruded from the side of the hill like a seat, and the snake was the form that Ascelpsius assumed. Jesus states, “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is” (Rev. 2:13). Some postulate that Jesus is referring to Zeus’s temple, others to that of Ascelpsius, but it could be referring to the whole pagan religious enterprise of the city, especially that of emperor worship. Known as a manufacturing center for writing materials made from sheepskin, it leant its name to the product in that pergamena is the Latin name that became our English “parchment.”

Emperor worship
As mentioned in the last article in this series, under the Roman Emperor Domitian in AD 81-96, annual compulsory emperor worship went into effect with penalty of death being imposed upon those who refused. In Revelation 12, Satan and Rome seem linked; thus the phrase, “where Satan dwells” might well assume added import with Pergamum being a center of Roman emperor worship with its temple dedicated to Augustus and to the goddess of Rome. Emperor worship consisted of offering a pinch of incense on the god-emperor’s altar while proclaiming, “Caesar is Lord”; this act enabled one to receive a certificate stating one had met the requirement of emperor worship for that year. Many Christians refused to do this, declaring, instead, “Christ is Lord.” Antipas, whom Jesus calls His “faithful servant” in 3:13, might well have been martyred because of his refusal to proclaim Caesar as Lord. Tradition states that as bishop of Pergamum Antipas was roasted alive inside a brazen bull located in the temple of Diana.

The self-title of Jesus
Jesus call Himself “...him who has the sharp two-edged sword.” Because of Pergamum’s strong ties to Rome, its governor was granted the rare right to employ capital punishment. Capital offenses charged against Roman citizens resulted in their beheading with the sword. Paul tells us in Romans 13:4 that government is given the sword, capital punishment, in order to restrain evil. Isaiah states that the promised Messiah’s mouth would be like a “sharp sword” (Is. 49:2). We know that the Word of God is like a two-edged sword because it can penetrate into the very depths of a person and cut through excuses, rationalizations and distortions, exposing one’s true inner being. There are three pertinent passages employing the word “sword” in Revelation: 1:16, here, and 19:15. The psalmist declared, “If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword” (Ps. 7:12). Jesus is saying likewise to this compromised group in the Pergamum church; repent, or “I will come soon” and wield the sword as I “war” against you. Jesus is also reminding the Pergamum believers that even though they live under Roman dominion, their allegiance is to Him whose sword is much more powerful than anything the authorities of Pergamum can brandish; His sword brings some to eternal life and others to eternal damnation.

Commendation and criticism
Jesus knows the pressure this church is undergoing and commends them for their faithfulness, even in the days of Antipas’s martyrdom (Rev. 2:13)

He states He “has a few things” against them. It appears that the Pergamum church condoned certain practices that were inimical to the faith, such as the teachings of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. The names “Balaam” and “Nicolaitans” both mean “conqueror of the people”, very appropriate names for two heresies. The next church to receive a letter from Jesus, that in Thyatira, was also troubled by Balaam’s error. The story of Balaam is found in Numbers 22-25. Balak, king of Moab, threatened by the advance of Israel as it moved towards the Promised Land, solicited Balaam, a prophet who employed sorcery and who accepted fees to curse or bless, to curse Israel outright, but Balaam refused, supposedly because he seemed to be a devout servant of Yahweh. Deuteronomy 23:5 reveals that Balaam’s intention was to curse the Israelites in accordance with Balak’s desires, but Yahweh changed Balaam’s curse into a blessing against Balaam’s will. Numbers 31:14-16 reveals how Balaam then connived to have the Moabite women seduce the Israelite men and thus induce them into sacrificing and worshipping Baal-peor.

It’s instructive that Balaam was later killed battling the Israelites—killed by a sword! (Nu. 31:8) We really do not know the exact heresy that flourished in Pergamum. It appears, however, that Paul seemed to be grappling with a similar problem in the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 5-8, where sexual immorality was tolerated as well as eating foods dedicated to idols. Perhaps members of the Pergamum church indulged in the services of the temple prostitutes of that city and partook of pagan celebrations by knowingly participating in their fellowship meals.

The application of Jesus’ criticism to today’s Church
Despite our not understanding the exact details of the heresies tainting the church of Pergamum, we can, however, surmise the principle behind Jesus’ criticism: He cannot condone immorality in His church. He will hold to account those within a church who are immoral. He is informing church leaders to be on their guard and not to put on eye patches blinding them to blatant immorality.

Another principle behind Jesus’ criticism is that He cannot tolerate syncretism. Many people in today’s church view “religion” as if various teachings from all religions were clothing on sale spread out on a table; we simply mix and match, trying on various items, and finally wearing those which are the most “comfortable”. We have people in our churches who believe in reincarnation. Others believe there is nothing wrong with singles sleeping together. Others have accepted Jesus as Savior, but have not accepted Him as Christ the Lord. “Putting on Christ” involves only one suit of clothes per individual, cut from the same cloth, a suit that fits all sizes, and one whose fabric penetrates the heart and alters it irrevocably. This suit is definitely not mix and match.

The promise given by Jesus
Jesus then offers this promise: “To him who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.” Manna was the tasty and nutritious food that God provided Israel in the wilderness (Ex. 16), what the psalmist called “the bread of heaven” (Ps. 78:24-25). Jesus is the “bread of life” (Jn. 6), and to feed on Him is to feed on the bread of heaven. Thus the promise of manna is a promise that the conqueror will participate in the Messianic banquet of Revelation 19. Various meanings have been put forward to explain the significance of the white stone, some of which are: the courts of that day issued a white stone for acquittal, a black one for condemnation, thus the conqueror will be acquitted; white stones were used as tickets into the theaters of that day, thus the conqueror will be granted access into God’s presence; stones were a part of Aaron’s priestly robe, thus the conqueror will have the access granted to a priest.

More significant, however, are the words “white” and “new.” “White” appears numerous times in John’s vision, as does the word “new.” The conqueror will have a new identity in a new heaven and new earth in the New Jerusalem singing a new song robed in white! We cannot imagine what this will be like, because it is “new,” something never seen before, something replacing that which currently exists.

Here is a list to evaluate your church in light of this letter:

• Does rampant immorality exist in your church which is being ignored by your church leaders?
• Is your church teaching solid Christian doctrine?
• Is syncretism endemic among many of your church’s members?
• Is your church resisting the secularization or the paganism that is creeping into American culture of today?
• Can you distinguish between what are true forms of the faith and what are not?

Next steps

Use David’s questions to evaluate the state of your own church. Share your conclusions with some fellow church members. Do they agree with your assessment? Find at least one area where you can agree to work together to begin helping your church overcome this situation and move on toward greater health and maturity.

For more insight to the Church and its ministry, order a copy of Chuck Colson’s book, Being the Body, from our online store. Or download the free PDF ViewPoint series, “The Vision of the Church,” by T. M. Moore.

 PRINT

 RSS

EMAIL