The Church in Pergamos
And to the messenger of the church in Pergamos write: These things says He who has the sharp sword with two edges. I know your works and where you live, even where Satan’s seat is, and you hold fast to my name and have not denied my faith, even in those days in which Antipas was my faithful martyr who was slain in front of you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you because you have those who hold to the doctrine of Balaam who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block in front of the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication. You also have those who hold to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and fight them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him that overcomes, I will give to eat of the hidden manna and will give him a white stone. And in the stone is a new name written, which no man knows except the one who receives it. (Revelation 2:12-17)
The City and Religion of Pergamos
In Maisia, this stunning metropolis served as the political and cultural center of the government. There were more cults and more gods worshipped by the people of this city than in the majority of other ancient cities around the world. The gods that were worshipped in the city’s pagan religion encouraged and instructed people to engage in wicked behavior. Lasciviousness and fornication were commonplace in Pergamos, and they were considered to be part of everyday life. The concept of sexual immorality did not exist at the time. In the city of Pergamos, sin was regarded as a normal and acceptable component of the religious way of life. It should come as no surprise that John, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, wrote that the city was the location of Satan’s seat. Furthermore, their religion both taught and permitted sin; thus, it was completely acceptable to them. One could commit sins while maintaining a clean conscience.
What a Place for a Church
In addition to the typical challenges that are faced by all churches, this particular church was also subjected to the increased strain of heathenism. There was opposition from religious and demonic forces in other barbarian cities. However, it appeared that this metropolis served as the headquarters for Satan’s own evil activities. The biggest aim that Satan has is to position himself in a situation where immorality and religion have come together. There are a number of churches in our country that assert that they are situated in the occult or witchcraft capital of the United States. It is possible that the pastors ought to get knowledge regarding the church that is located in Pergamos. There is usually demon activity in the vicinity of practices such as idolatry, witchcraft, and fornication. “But I tell you that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to have fellowship with demons” (1 Corinthians 10:20).
It is relatively simple to get people out of sin when a church is situated in a city that is rife with sin, but it is challenging to keep sin away from the people who attend the church. The majority of the church congregation, however, resisted the temptation toward immorality until Antipas’s death, despite the fact that Pergamos was a deeply immoral city.
The Martyrdom of Antipas
It was a local church that the people of Pergamos despised and attempted to destroy. They decided to use Antipas as an example because he was a well-known believer in both the city and the church. A massive bull made of metal was fashioned and then heated with fire below it. Antipas was commanded to renounce Jesus, but he refused to do so. On account of this, he was thrown into the bull in front of a large number of spectators. Despite this, the church continued to expand and become more powerful. Because persecution led to the expansion of the church, it was necessary to devise a fresh strategy for eliminating the church.
What Does God Have Against This Church?
Should the Pergamos church prove impervious to external destruction, it could potentially face internal destruction. There must have been a few students of biblical history in the area, perhaps from the Jewish community. A budding sect of Christianity was forming in many cities called the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. It was founded by Nicholas himself, one of the seven deacons chosen by the Jerusalem congregation in Acts 6. The error was based on the plans of Balaam, an Old Testament prophet who sought to destroy Israel for his own financial gain (Numbers 25:1-3, 31:16, 17). He was hired by the king of Moab, Balak, to keep Israel from entering the land of Canaan, and it almost succeeded.
After three sizable financial offers and three unsuccessful attempts to curse Israel, the Jewish prophet, Balaam, told King Balak it was impossible to curse the nation God had blessed. Then Balaam had an idea. He would send prostitutes, beautiful women of Moab, into Israel’s camp to commit fornication with their men. Balak did not believe it would work. Prostitution was not an evil in Moab, and what did sex with a prostitute have to do with Israel turning against God? Balak did not know God’s laws and was surprised at Balaam’s suggestion. But the plan worked. Israel’s men committed fornication, and a large number of the inhabitants of Israel died because of the sin. Subsequently, Israel repented and went on to inherit the land of Canaan.
The doctrine of Balaam is not fornication, but a believer, an insider, teaching unbelievers how to destroy God’s people. Solomon also weakened himself when he married foreign women. “King Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; and it came to pass when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God as was the heart of David his father (1 Kings 11:1, 4).
The Nicolaitans—New Testament Example of the Seat of Satan
Solomon told us there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). We have a similar saying, “What goes around, comes around.” There may be a new name attached to an old sin, but there is never a new sin that has never been thought of before. Nicholas, during the days of the founding of the early church, must have wanted a church group of his own and looked for something to teach that had a great appeal. He found it in the Old Testament story of Balaam. Nicholas is a Greek military name (Nikao—to conquer, laos—the people). Irenaeus told us in early church history that the followers of this teaching led lives of unrestrained indulgence. It was a distortion of the message of grace. It was taught that we are saved by grace, we are free from the law, and a born-again Christian, no matter what he does, can do nothing evil. Early writers tell us they committed fornication, adultery, and uncleanness and had their wives in common. All of this was done in the name of Christian liberty, and promoted ungodliness in the name of grace.
Today, the trends in the contemporary church are in the place where Satan sits. It is one thing for these sins to go on in the world, but another thing altogether in the church. Grace was never given as a license to sin, but as the freedom to serve. Grace teaches us a whole new level of love toward God, who would send His Son to die for our sins, redeem us from Satan’s curse, and bring us into His own family as children of God. Because of this level of love toward God, we do not want to sin against Him; we want to serve Him. “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world” (Titus 2:11-12).
Who Are Overcomers?
In the closing verse of our study of the church at Pergamos, we are told that the one who overcomes is given two privileges: to eat of the hidden manna and to be given a white stone. There are times the word “overcomer” means only a born-again Christian (1 John 5:5), and other times it is used also for a Christian who lives an overcoming life. Jesus overcame Satan for us on the cross but has now given us the power and authority to overcome Satan in our everyday walk with God. We can overcome in two ways, through salvation and a walk of sanctification. This verse is speaking of a believer who overcomes in his daily walk with God.
We overcome Satan first by being born again. He cannot keep us out of heaven, but he will try to keep us from daily victory and joy. We overcome Satan in our daily lives by walking and growing in holiness, which reflects a righteous lifestyle before God and the world. This walk is part of our testimony before the world, or part of our witness for Jesus. We do not just witness with the words of our mouth but also with our lifestyle, our good works done in the power of the Holy Spirit. God’s plan for our lives, after salvation, is to produce beneficial works. Ephesians 12:10 tells us we were saved “unto good works.” The world needs to do more than hear our testimony; they need to see it in action. They need to see that God can do more than save us from sin. He can also save us from sinning. The Holy Spirit and the Word of God do not end their work when we are saved. They provide us power in our daily life to resist sin and live for the Lord in righteousness. So, not only is our spirit redeemed, but our daily walk is also redeemed. We live out what we have in our inward man, God’s righteousness. No wonder Paul tells us, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). In other words, take what is on the inside (God’s righteousness) and work it to the outside where the world can see God’s life in us.
The Hidden Manna and the White Stone
The hidden manna was the food of the priests of the Old Testament, the showbread. However, with sin in their lives, they were not allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, much less to eat of the bread. God has special blessings for the believer who walks in God’s holiness and resists the temptations of the world.
Second, a white stone is given to the overcomer. This was used by a judge who sat on the bench and declared the defendant guilty or not guilty. A black stone was shown when the sentence was guilty, and a white stone was shown when the defendant was not guilty. God’s analogy to us is this. When we walk free from sin or confess the sins when we commit them, Satan has no case against us in the courtroom of heaven. He can accuse us, but the case is always thrown out of court (Romans 8:33, 34; Zechariah 3:1, 2). God shows Satan a white stone.
So, is it worth it to walk in God’s holiness and let our light shine before the world? Is it worth it to eat of God’s hidden manna and walk in His divine protection? If so, then welcome to the overcoming daily walk of the Spirit.
***Written by Bob Yandian***