Church at Pergamum

TO: Church at Pergamum

FROM: Him Who has the sharp two-edged sword

1. I know where you dwell: the devil’s throne is there

2. Yet you are true to Me, and did not deny your faith in Me,

even in the days of Antipas My faithful witness who was

martyred among you, in the place where the devil dwells.

3. I have a few things against you:

a. Some cling to the teachings of Balaam, who taught

Balak to put a stumbling block in the way of the

descendants of Israel -- to eat what had been

sacrificed to idols and commit fornication.

b. Some cling in same way to the teachings of the

Nicolaitans

4. Repent at once; or else I will come quickly and will make

war

upon them with the sword which is in

y mouth.

PERGAMUM

The city of Pergamos was built on a hill 1,000 feet above the surrounding countryside, creating a natural
fortress. It was a sophisticated city, a center of Greek culture and education, with a 200,000-volume
library. But it was also the center of four cults, and it rivaled Ephesus in its worship of idols. The city’s
chief god (Esculapius) was a serpent, who was considered the god of healing. People came to
Pergamos from all over the world to seek healing from this god. (LB)
Pergamum means citadel (Zond)
Eating - sign of fellowship
Lax in discipline
Faithful but terribly flawed; dreadful immorality
The devil had his headquarters in Pergamum at that time on top of a mountain because he loves
looking down on people and surveying his kingdom (DP)
Pergamum is a small city at the bottom of a sugarloaf shaped mountain which towers over the city and
over the whole region. Can only get there through a narrow winding track. On the top of the mountain
are magnificent ruins. One of the larges libraries in the ancient world is on top of that mountain.
Theatres, stadiums, and temples are there. The biggest temple is a gigantic, square temple with tall
columns and was the temple of Zeus. This was the residence of satan. From the altar there was smoke
rising day and night from the fires kept going by the priest. You could see the smoke ascending like it
was a volcano. Currently the temple is gone - it has been removed and rebuilt in East Berlin. Some feel
that the moving of this at the beginning of the 1900’s had a profound effect on that country (DP)
(Side note: a simple principle looking around the world would bring you to the conclusion that the enemy’
s headquarters cannot possibly be in America, or Britain, or Europe. The signs of his activity are in the
third world. That is where the church today is growing more rapidly and the battles most fierce.) (DP)
City dominated by humanism and self-worship. Man sees himself as his own savior, his own god.
Pergamum most important area in world to control. It set over the east-west road. Whoever controlled
this situation could influence the world. (DP)
The churches nearest Pergamum had one kind of problem and the further away had different problems
They are in a dangerous position: live where devil has his throne established
It tolerates evil men and has grown lax in discipline
Commendation: remain true to Christ’s name
True revelation of Christ no longer proclaimed
Condemnation: lax in discipline
Without discipline, it is exposed to evil, seduction of false doctrine, and to degenerating influence of the
world
Command: repent
Counsel: aspire to hidden manna and a new (secret) name; be diligent and be disciplined; never allow
evil men to camouflage the distinction between the church and the world

2:12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says he who has the
sharp two-edged sword:

The church of Pergamos was infested with men of corrupt minds, and Christ being resolved to fight
against them by the sword of His word, takes the title of Him that “has the sharp sword with two edges”
(MH)
Two-edged sword - His prophetic word that separates spirit and soul
The word of God is a sword; it is a weapon both offensive and defensive (MH)
It is sharp – no heart is so hard but it is able to wound it (MH)

References: Revelation 1:16; 2:16

2:13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where satan’s throne is. And you hold 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.

The church in Pergamum occupies a dangerous position for the text tells us that Pergamum is the place
where satan dwells – where his very throne is established. (TB)
Throughout this age satan is the instigator of all opposition against the churches of Christ. This city is
portrayed as a stronghold where the devil could have full and undisputed sway were it not for this
stronghold of Christ in the center of a sinful city. (TB)
Antipas martyred. His name - against everybody. Against all he paid for his faith with his life. Martyr
means someone who gave testimony in the law court. Those who are faithful to give testimony gave it
with their life. (DP)
Martyr – a passage like this marks the beginning of the transition of the meaning of Greek ‘martys’ from
‘witness’ to ‘martyr’. (Zond)
satan’s throne - a place of great wickedness (WNT)
The devils’ seat is in some place that is infamous for wickedness, error, and cruelty (MH)
Throne – the devil, in impious mimicry of God’s heavenly throne, sets up his earthly throne. (JFB)
Hold fast His name – they are not ashamed of their relation to Him, but account it their honor that His
name is named on them (MH)

References: Matthew 4:10; 1 Timothy 5:8; Acts 22:20

Reproof for sinful errors (MH)

2:14 “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.

Doctrine of Balaam - his principles and corrupt policy. Though he was not permitted to curse Israel, he
may, by suggestion, have brought them to a fearful state. (WNT)
Doctrine of Balaam – spiritually or symbolically. Literal eating of idol meats and fornication in Pergamos
were accompanied by spiritual idolatry and fornication (JFB)
Balaam – for an offer of money – lead people away from God (LB)
It appears that there were some then in the church at Pergamos who held eating things offered to idols
in honor of those idols, and fornication, indifferent things. They associated with idolaters in the heathen
temples and partook with them in their religious festivals. (AC)
Filthiness of the spirit and of the flesh often go together (MH)
We may not participate in idol feats but there is probably pornography, sexual sin, cheating, gossiping
and lying in our area. We are not to tolerate sin under the pressure to be open-minded. (LB)
Stumbling block – that part of a trap on which the bait was laid, and which, when touched, caused the
trap to close on its prey; then any entanglement to the foot.
Children – sons of Israel (JFB)
Sacrificed to idols – the temptation to eat idol meats was a peculiarly strong one to the Gentile converts.
For not to do so involved almost a withdrawal from partaking of any social meal with the heathen around.
(JFB)
To sacrifice – to kill (JFB)
Sexual immorality – often connected with idolatry (JFB)

References: Numbers 31:16 (Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass
against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord); Acts 15:29 (that you
abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these,
you will do well..); 1 Corinthians 6:13 (Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but Go will destroy both it and them. Now
the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body); 2 Peter 2:15 (forsaking the right way they have
gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness); 1 Corinthians 10:20
(No; but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God; and I do not want you to
become sharers in demons)

2:15 “thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, likewise thing I hate.

The difference between this church and Ephesus was that in Ephesus they hated them and cast them
out, but here they are in the church (JFB)
Nicolaitans - Acts 6:5 - Nicolas one of seven deacons appointed; thought to have degenerated from his
position; from statement of “those that have wives as though have none” it evolved to having wives in
common. (DP)
Nothing is known about Antipas except that he did not compromise (LB)
Compromise can be defined as “blending qualities of two different things” or “a concession of
principles” (LB)

2:16 “Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of
My mouth.

I will come – I am coming (JFB)
When God comes to punish the corrupt members of a church, He rebukes that church itself for allowing
such to continue in its communion, and some drops of the storm fall upon the whole society (MH)
The word of God will take hold of sinners, sooner or later, either for their conviction or their confusion.
(MH)
Fight against them – war with them (JFB)
Sword of My mouth – allusion to the drawn sword (JFB)
Sword of My mouth – the self-fulfilling word of divine judgment (Zond)
Sword of My mouth – the long sword (NIV)
Conditions in Pergamum are not as precarious as those in Ephesus and therefore the church isn’t
threatened with the removal of its lampstand. (TB)
Because the sole defect is a weakness in discipline, the Lord will come with the double-edged sword, his
prophetic word, to separate spirit and soul, in order that the church may repent and excommunicate the
impenitent evil-doers (TB)

References: 2 Thessalonians 2:8 (And then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His
mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming)

2:17 “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.”

Hidden manna - the true spiritual Manna-Christ, of which the literal manna was a type (WNT)
Hidden manna – the heavenly food of Israel, in contrast to the idol meats (JFB)
Hidden manna – the influences and comforts of the Spirit of Christ (MH)
Hidden manna – It was a constant tradition of the Jews that the ark of the covenant, the tables of stone,
Aaron’s rod, the holy anointing oil, and the pot of manna were hidden by King Josiah when Jerusalem
was taken by the Chaldeans; and that these should all be restored in the days of the Messiah (AC)
Hidden manna – spiritual nourishment (LB)
Hidden manna – another expression for eternal life (Zond)
The manna which is hidden – as the manna hidden in the sanctuary was by divine power preserved
from corruption, so Christ in His incorruptible body has passed into the heavens, and is hidden there
until the time of His appearing. Christ Himself is the manna “hidden” from the world, but revealed to the
believer, so that He has already a foretaste of His preciousness.) (JFB)
White stone – this is the absolution from the guilt of sin, alluding to the ancient custom of giving a white
stone to those acquitted on trial and a black stone to those condemned (MH)
White stone – some think it an allusion here to conquerors in the public games, who were not only
conducted with great pomp into the city to which they belonged, but had a white stone given to them, with
their name inscribed on it; which badge entitled them, during their whole life, to be maintained at the
public expense (AC)
White stone – a glistening diamond, the Urim borne by the high priest in the breastplate of judgment
(JFB)
Urim means light, answering to the color white. None but the high priest knew the name written upon it,
probably the incommunicable name of God, “Jehovah”. (JFB)
In Roman times stones were given to people to designate a person’s right to enter a banquet (similar to
our engraved invitations today). (LB)
The new name is the name of adoption. None can read the evidence of a man’s adoption but himself.
(MH)
The “new name” is “Christ’s” – “I will write upon him My new name” – some new revelation of Himself
which shall hereafter be imparted to His people, and which they alone are capable of receiving. (JFB)
A person’s name represented his character. (LB)
Known only to him – purveyors of magical amulets knew how important it was that a name of power
should be kept secret; the power of Jesus’ name is not to be commanded by magic arts, but is known in
the experience of His servants. (Zond)
As Phinehas was rewarded with “an everlasting priesthood” for his zeal against these very sins to which
the Old Testament Balaam seduced Israel; so the heavenly high priesthood is the reward promised here
to those zealous against the New Testament Balaamites tempting Christ’s people to the same sins (JFB)

References: Exodus 16:33 (And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a pot and put an omer of manna in it, and lay it up before the Lord,
to be kept for your generations), 34 (As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept);
Revelation 3;12; John 6:49 (Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died); Isaiah 56:5 (To them I will give in My
house and within My walls a memorial, and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name
which will not be cut off); 62:2 (And the nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; and you will be called by a
new name, which the mouth of the Lord will designate); 65:15