Pergamum: The Church of Idolatrous Compromise I
Dearly loved congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ,
This message to the church in Pergamum is challenging. Jesus knows what is going on in the church. He knows it’s a mixed bag. The Lord recognizes that Pergamum isn’t an easy place to live as a Christian – there are powerful evil forces at work in the town. While they are commended for their faith the aggressiveness of Jesus’ warnings sound harsh in our ears. The harshness comes right away with the first lines:
· Christ-title – refers to the author of the letter: Jesus, picking up an image from Revelation 1.
o These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword (12).
OT references
· Isaiah 49.2
He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
· Is 11:4
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Now think about this image. Not how absurd it seems for Jesus to have a sharp, double-edged sword, but how frightening. Here’s your Lord and Saviour, dropping by for a family visit and he’s approaching you with a sword.
It’s not just any sword; it’s a big sword. Most swords in John’s day were 2 ft long – standard issue for soldiers and gladiators. Jesus is talking about a rhomphaia. A Rhomphaia is 7 ft long. You use both hands to use it.
When the Thracian army used these swords against the Roman legions, they sliced them apart. Rome couldn’t defeat Thrace until they invented new armour and found a way to fight these terrifying weapons.
Jesus comes to this church with a serious weapon. Yet as I said earlier, he also recognizes how things are in Pergamum. It comes in the:
· Commendation – praise for what’s going well.
o I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.
It’s repeated twice: this is where Satan lives.
Sounds strange, doesn’t it? Pergamum is a university town – with one of the best libraries in the world, rivalling the Egyptian library in Egypt. They have a famous healing centre.
But they also have enormous temples to Zeus, Athena, and Dionysius. These temples, their altars, and the cultic dining rooms dominate the city, city-life, and the mindset. Walking through the market as a Christian is as intimidating as going to a Leafs’ home game wearing a Montreal Canadians’ jersey.
The Christians have faced this conflict – the Kingdom of God is in conflict with Satan’s lies. This conflict has produced casualties. The persecution has been so severe that one of the believers – Antipas – died for his faith.
Yet – despite the pressure – the Christians in Pergamum are holding fast to their faith. That’s the positive side of things.
There is also a negative side in this letter:
· Complaint – description of what not going well.
o I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality (14).
o Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans (15).
o Generally you remain true to Jesus’ name
§ Yet there are some who are open to idols.
§ “Balaam” and “Nicolaitan” both mean “conqueror.” When Israel was near Moab, Balaam was not permitted to curse the Israelites, but he did lead them astray, enticing them to idolatry.
§ There are suggestions that the Nicolaitans in the NT also encouraged participation in idolatry – eating and drinking at feasts dedicated to idols. By participating in such a feast, believers can get caught up in worshipping false gods.
§ Such idolatry is a danger in the church.
o HC Q&A 95 What is idolatry?
§ Idolatry is having or inventing something in which one trusts in place of or alongside the only true God who has revealed himself in his Word.
Note: Idolatry is not the policy of the church in Pergamum.
Jesus’ warning is against the influence of outsiders: Balaam and the Nicolaitans – people who would lead them astray to worship idols.
· Connection Point – I think that we find our connection to this letter at this point.
o Idolatry is not the official position of Trinity CRC.
o But in our culture there is a temptation to have confidence in all sorts of things: to trust in something in place of God or alongside of God.
o Medicine and vitamins are valuable things. They are gifts of God, saving lives and allowing us to live healthier, longer lives than anywhere else on the planet. But there is a temptation, within the medical field and for those who depend on medical intervention to trust in medical care at par with their trust in God.
We have confidence for the life and development of little Benjamin VanBerkel – not because he’s in the NeoNatal unit at Mac – but because he’s in the loving hands of our God.
o I alluded to it briefly this morning in our congregational prayer – sometimes we are tempted to have confidence for the future because we “have good things stored up for ourselves for many years.” In the gospels, Jesus calls this foolishness. Our confidence for the future is not in our investments, but in God’s providence and goodness.
· Correction – How do we fix the problem?
o Jesus’ solution is very direct: Repent therefore! Repent of letting such errors and idolatries crop up within the congregation. Repent of those errors and idolatries cropping up in ourselves.
o Confess our sin and be forgiven.
· Consequence – Jesus’ response to their action or inaction as a result of the complaint.
o Otherwise, [if you do not repent] I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth (16).
o Remember that sword: the rhomphaia? Jesus will fight against you with this serious 7 ft sword.
· Conquering Formula
o 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. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.
There’s a lot of comfort in this conquering formula. The church faced the temptation is to eat and drink at the feasts and festivals for Zeus, Dionysius, and Athena. There’s a parallel here.
In contrast to Balaam’s offer of Moabite delicacies, Moses offered the food of heaven: manna. Now Jesus offers the hidden manna – the promise of the feast in the Kingdom of God when Jesus returns. Jesus holds out a greater reward for those who overcome temptation to idolatry. Nike Christians have the privilege of eating and drinking with our God!
We will have a foretaste of that feast next week – anticipation of the wedding banquet when Jesus returns and His Kingdom comes in all its fullness.