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In every Church there are two groups of people. There is a minority that does just about everything and there is a majority that does just about nothing. Someone once described a football game as 22 men on the field desperately in need of rest and 60,000 people in the stands desperately in need of exercise. The normal situation in the Church is just about the same. You always have a majority that is complacent and a minority that is committed. You have a minority that is hungry for God’s blessings and a majority that is a hindrance to God’s blessings. Many times the minority’s vision had been hindered by the majority’s vote.
The Church at Pergamos was no exception. There was a minority that delighted the Lord and a majority that disturbed the Lord. The third letter that Jesus sent was sent specifically to the minority. In summary, Jesus commended their testimony of commitment and condemned their tolerance of compromise. Jesus condemned them for allowing worldliness in the Church and commanded them to alleviate worldliness in the Church.
As we look at the Church at Pergamos, we see:
1. THEIR PLACE IN THE WORLD
Jesus said, “I know thy works, and where thou dwellest” (Vs.13). Jesus spoke of Pergamos as a dwelling place for both saints and Satan. As we look at this dwelling, we see:
A. The Evil Presence Of Their Dwelling
Pergamos was more than an earthly location. It was an evil location. It was described as “Satan’s seat” and where “Satan dwelleth” (Vs.13). The word “seat” means “throne” and “dwelleth” implies that the power of Satan was greatly manifested in Pergamos. J. Ralph Grant says that Pergamos was “Hell’s Headquarters.”
The city of Pergamos was a prestigious city in many aspects. Pliny called it “by far the most famous city in Asia.” It had been a capital city for over 400 years. It was famous for its library, which contained over 200,000 volumes, making it the second largest library in the world at that time.
The city was a pagan city. It was one of the great religious centers of pagan worship in the world. Pergamos was the headquarters of pagan worship. In the city was the temple of Athene and in front of the temple was an altar to Zeus that stood forty feet high. All day it smoked with the sacrifices offered to Zeus. There were also the temples of Jupiter, Minerva, Apollos, Venus, and Bacchus. The main temple was for Aesculapius, the god of medicine. It is possible, that Jesus called it Satan’s seat since it was the headquarters for so many false religions.
Yet Pergamos was above all things a perverted city. Satan not only ruled in the city, he ruled over the city. It was a city without restraints. The people knew nothing about morals. It was a city that appealed to man’s lower nature. It was a moral sink-hole in which sin ran rampant and uncontrolled. If anyone ever doubted that Satan was alive and well, Pergamos removed those doubts.
Furthermore we see:
B. The Eternal Purpose Of Their Dwelling
It was in such an evil city that God had a people. The word “dwellest” (Vs.13), that Jesus used is most interesting when used in reference to Christians. There are two words for dwell. The word paroikein speaks of a temporary residence. It describes one who is a stranger or sojourner. The word Jesus used to speak of these believers is katoiken which refers to a permanent residence.
The word suggests that the Lord had placed them in Pergamos and it was His will that they dwell there. Pergamos was a dark place but the Lord wanted them to be a light there. It was a wicked place but they were to be a witnessing people. It was not escape that Jesus wanted for them, but expression.
I have had people say to me, “Preacher, the place where I work is a terrible environment. I am the only Christian there and all the people do are cuss and tell dirty jokes. I believe I will get me a job where I don’t have to put up with all that.” I have often wondered if God had not specifically put them there to be a witness.
A young seminary student worked for a construction company during the summer. When the foreman learned that he was a Christian, he determined that he would break him. He cursed the lad, criticized his work without grounds, and made him do jobs over without reason. He even kicked him on one occasion. Many days the boy would come home saying, “Dad, I don’t think I can take another day.” His father would pray for him and encourage him to stick with it. A few months later, the young student saw his foreman walk into a Church service. When the invitation was given, the foreman walked the isle and was saved. The young man’s testimony was the key to the man being saved.
Secondly, we see:
2. THEIR PERSECUTION BY THE WORLD
It would only be expected that if one lived in Satan’s seat they would encounter and experience persecution. If one lives in the devil's backyard, they should not expect anything less. Like the Church at Smyrna, Jesus commended them for their faithfulness in persecution.
In this scene of persecution we see:
A. A Faithfulness That Was Exemplified To Them
Jesus reminded them of “Antipas. . . My faithful martyr, who was slain among you” (Vs.13). They had seen real faithfulness modeled and exemplified in the life of Antipas. There is not much known about Antipas, but it is commonly believed that he had been their pastor. We are told that he was burned to death in a brazen bull as the people of the city stood around and watched. Jesus spoke of him as “My faithful martyr” (Vs.13). The word “martyr” literally means “witness.” These believers as well as Pergamos had witnessed in Antipas true faithfulness to God.
A little fellow named Joe had been sent to bed by his mother for using foul language. When his father came home, his mother told him about it. The father roared in anger, “I’ll teach that young fellow to swear.” He started up the steps and tripped. You never heard such cursing in your life. Even the wife had to hold her ears for a moment. After the air had cleared somewhat, she said to him, “You better come down now. He’s had enough for his first lesson.”
There are times when we are the wrong example. But Antipas was a good example. They had learned from his life and death the lesson of faithfulness.
Furthermore, we see:
B. A Faithfulness That Was Expressed By Them
Jesus not only spoke of the pastor's faithfulness but He also commended the people’s faithfulness. Jesus said, “Thou holdest fast My name and hast not denied My faith” (Vs.13). They had seen faithfulness and they had shown faithfulness.
The epitaph on the tomb of Bob Jones Sr., reads: “A Fight Well Fought, A Race Well Run, A Faith Well Kept, A Crown Well Won!” This could have very easily been the epitaph of these believers. May I say it should be the testimony of every believer!
“Old Faithful” in Yellowstone Park gets its name from the fact that it follows a dependable time schedule. Every 65 minutes, it shoots a stream of boiling water over 170 feet into the air. May God help us to be “Old Faithful’s!”
Someone has said that the test of a man’s character is what it takes to get him down. We seem to let everything get us down, but these believers would not let anything get them down.
Someone has written:
If you strike a thorn or rose, Keep a-goin,' If it hails or if it snows, Keep a-goin,' Ain’t no use to sit and whine, When the fish ain’t on your line; Bait your hook and keep a-tryin’; Keep a-goin’.
If the weather kills your crop, Keep a-goin,' Though it’s work to reach the top, Keep a-goin,' Suppose you’re out of every dime, Getting broker ain’t no crime; Tell the world your feelin’ fine, Keep a-goin’.
Thirdly, we see:
3. THEIR PATRONIZING OF THE WORLD
As with Ephesus, first the Lord commended them and then condemned them. Jesus said, “But I have a few things against thee” (Vs.14). There was a minority that was being faithful to God, but the Lord reprimanded them for how they were allowing the majority to behave in the Church.
In our Lord’s condemnation we see:
A. What The Lord Despised In The Church
The matter that Jesus had against them was “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. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate” (Vs.14-15). The Lord was pleased with the minority for their commitment but displeased with their compromise. They were allowing certain false teachers and their doctrine to remain in the Church.
What they were allowing the Lord stated “I hate” (Vs.15). Jesus said of the Church at Ephesus, “thou canst not bear them which are evil” (Rev.2:2, 6). Yet that could not be said of Pergamos. They were allowing false teachers to remain in the Church and spread their false teaching.
There was what was called the doctrine of Balaam. The Bible speaks of the “way of Balaam” (II Pet.2:15), the “counsel of Balaam” (Num.31:16), and the “doctrine of Balaam” (Rev.2:14). To understand what they were teaching, you have to go back to the story of Balaam in Numbers 23-24.
The children of Israel were on their way to the promise land. King Balac wanted to stop them so he hired the prophet Balaam to curse them. But each time he opened his mouth to curse them; God caused him to speak a blessing. When that did not work, Balaam enticed the men of Israel to go into heathen temples and defile themselves with the maids who lived there. He led them into immorality that ultimately led them into idolatry.
Jesus spoke of how these false teachers were a stumblingblock to the believers at Pergamos. They were leading the believers into immorality and idolatry (Vs.14). The doctrine of the Nicolaitanes was very similar in that basically what was taught was that since a believer is eternally saved, they could live anyway they pleased. Both were teachings that embraced the world and the things of the world. It was a doctrine that said the Church could be friendly with the world and indulge in the things of the world.
The tragedy was that the majority of the Church was accepting this doctrine. There was a minority that was faithful to God and rejected such teaching. Yet, the thing the Lord had against was, the minority was allowing the majority to teach and believe such teaching.
The Bible is very clear about what our attitude as a Christian and Church should be concerning the world. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the father in not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (I John 2:15-16).
The world was creeping into the Church and Jesus said He hated it. As Vance Havner said, “The Church has become so worldly and the world so Churchy, you can’t tell the two apart.” It seems that in many cases, instead of lifting the standard, Churches have lowered the standard. In our desire to be “user friendly,” we have in many cases allowed the world to creep into the Church until the Church is no longer distinguished from the world. I believe it was D.L. Moody that said it was all right for the boat to be in the water, but it is perilous for the water to get in the boat.
The attitudes of the world have been adopted by the Church. The way we run, operate, and manage the Church has in many cases been conformed by the methods and procedures of the world. We forget that we are not a business but a body. We are not a company but a Church. We are not the Whitehouse but the Lord’s House.
The approval of the world has been advanced for the Church. We do not want the world to look down on the Church. We do not want to be offensive to this world system. We forget that the Church was never intended to be a trophy in the world’s system, but a thorn in the world’s side.
The affluence of the world has been appealing to the Church. We measure ourselves by how big and expensive our buildings and budgets are. We take more pride in our property than we do our purpose. We are more concerned about how big our steeple is than how barren our altars are. The Church is in this world to get sinners ready for another world. Instead, the world has gotten into the Church and tied the saints down to this world.
It was this very thing that Jesus condemned in the Church at Pergamos. Jesus had put the Church in the world, but Satan had put the world in the Church. Satan had not been able to destroy them by coming as a roaring lion. Instead, he had been able to defile them by coming as a subtle serpent. Instead of going the way of the cross, they were going the way of the crowd.
Furthermore, we see:
B. What Jesus Demanded Of The Church
Jesus gave the Church at Pergamos two options. First, there could be repentance on their part. Jesus said, “Repent,” (Vs.16). Now remember, He is speaking to the minority that had been faithful, not to the majority that had been unfaithful. It was the minority that Jesus told to repent. He held them responsible for allowing worldliness to creep into the Church.
As in every Church, the majority may not take the things of God seriously, but those who do have a responsibility of seeing that the Church remains faithful to God. The minority must never allow the majority to turn the Church into a mirror of the world.
Secondly, there could be retribution on God’s part. Jesus said, “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth” (Vs.16). Simply put, He would judge them. What does the Church at Pergamos say to us in these days? Let the Church be a light in the world, not a reflection of it! |
