The Compromising Church

Pergamum - the Compromising Church

Revelation 2:12-17

 

Jesus sends a letter to the Christians living in Pergamum, a church that was compromising the truth.  Pergamum was a large impressive city in Asia Minor in 95 A.D. when Jesus sent his letter to the Christians (the church) living there.

 

 The great temple and altar to the god Zeus, a significant architectural monument, was in Pergamum and everyone in town was under intense pressure to join in the temple worship of the god, Zeus. Also, the citizens of Pergamum were expected to burn incense before a statue of the divine Caesar.  The city of Pergamum was part of the Roman empire and the Roman emperor, Caesar, was considered a god.  Worshipping pagan gods and worshipping the emperor was what everyone did in that day. 

 

 A Christian believer named Antipas lost his life for refusing to worship other gods and the believers in the church in Pergamum were afraid that they might be killed too if they didn’t go along with what was expected of them.  Some professing Christians asked questions like, “Can’t we all just get along?  If we don’t believe in worshipping Caesar or Zeus as a god, why not just go through the motions and burn the incense?  Why not compromise and keep out of trouble? 

 

It seems that Jesus did not agree with this way of thinking.  Here is Jesus’ letter to the church in Pergamum.  “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: “These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword.  I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.  And you held fast to My Name and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

 

But I have a few things 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 things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.  Thus, you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which things I hate.

 

Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”  (Revelations 2:12-17)

 

Jesus praised the church in Pergamum for being faithful and holding fast to Him even when great persecution had come.  Even when one of them was martyred for his faith.  But Jesus was also concerned that some of the church members in the Pergamum church held to the doctrine of Balaam!  They were worshipping other gods along with worshiping our one true God.

 

The story of Balaam is in the Bible. (Numbers 22,23,24) The name “Balaam” means “devourer of the people”. Balaam was from the land of Moab and he had been given a gift from God – the gift of prophecy.  The king of Moab tried to pay Balaam a lot of money to curse the nation of Israel and even though Balaam wanted the money, God wouldn’t let him curse Israel.   

 

So, Balaam cursed Israel another way.  He invited and encouraged some of the Jewish men to come with him to a fun party with their neighbors, the Moabites. What was so wrong with that?  Some of the Jewish men left home to join in the good times.    

 

 Fires lit up the night at the wild parties and sex orgies of the Moabites as they sacrificed and worshipped their heathen gods. The exciting loud drum beat and dancing, trances, drugs, food, alcoholic drinks, and lots of sex with the temple prostitutes always went along with the pagan worship to their gods. For days the Jewish men partied and even brought some of the wild women home with them.  Balaam’s influence had cursed the Jewish people after all. 

 

Jesus was warning the Christians in Pergamum that they couldn’t mix their faith in God with a little pagan worship.  That what they let into their lives usually will overcome them. Jesus tells them that even though they “live where Satan’s throne is” that he expects them to stay faithful to God alone.

 

 Bible scholars believe that when Jesus spoke of “Satan’s throne” He was talking about the “Temple of Zeus” which was right there in Pergamum.  These pagan gods or idols were backed by demons.  God’s people were always throughout Scripture forbidden to have anything to do with worshipping  other gods or religions.  And we are too.  

 

The first and second commandment in the Bible commands us: “You shall have no other gods before Me.  You shall not make for yourselves a carved image – or bow down to them or serve them, for I am the Lord your God, a jealous God …(Exodus 20:3-4-5)  It is all important to our heavenly Father that we never worship other gods.   Scripture teaches that Jesus is the only Way to God the Father.  (John 14:6, John 1:17, Ephesians 2:18, John 1:4) 

 

Jesus ends His letter to the church in Pergamum calling them to repent and turn away from worshipping other gods.  To purge all un-Christlike accommodations in their lives.  Jesus was calling this little church to walk in the Narrow Way.  And He calls all of us to walk in the Narrow Way as well. (Matthew 7:13-20)  He rewards those who make every decision with the Word of God.  (Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs 28:13, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)   

 

Dangers lurk in our own culture today that threaten to corrupt our church or already has.  Perhaps our own church may be compromising the Christian faith like the church in Pergamum did.  Jesus’s call to the Christians in Pergamum so long ago is still His call to all Christians today.  To stay true to Him even when we are living “where Satan’s throne is”.  (Revelation 2:13)   Can we do it?

 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

    

 

  

 

.  

 

 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

 

.