Revelation 2:12-17: Letter to the Church in Pergamos

 Pergamos (also called Pergamum or Pergamon) means “Citadel” in Greek. Terms in this passage refer to sharp, double-edged sword, signs of judgment, and include witness (in Greek, “martyr,” which came to mean Christians killed for their faith), and hidden manna (deep intimacy with and knowledge of God unattainable by unbelievers).

Pergamos was in what is today western Turkey, near the modern city of Bergama, about 16 miles east of the Aegean Sea coast. It was on a prominent 1,000-foot-high hill in the middle of a broad and fertile plain; therefore named (Greek) “Citadel.”

The city is known in history beginning in the third century B.C. The region became a Roman province, with Pergamos as its provincial capital, during the late second century B.C. It was famous for a well-known medical school there.

By the first century A.D., three large temples were in the city to worship the emperor. Pergamos was the center of emperor worship in Asia Minor. The first temple for emperor worship in Asia Minor had been built there in 29 B.C. The huge throne-shaped altar to the pagan deity Zeus was at Pergamos. Jesus refers to this altar as “…where Satan has his throne…” (v. 13).

Pergamos was a cultural center, with a 10,000-seat amphitheater and a library that is reported to have contained 200,000 volumes, second only to the library at Alexandria in Egypt.

One interesting bit of trivia is that due to shortages of papyrus, a new medium made of calf skin was developed in Pergamos and took the place of papyrus in codices added to the library. It was much thinner and more flexible than either papyrus or vellum and was called “pergaminus” or “pergamena” after the city, a name which evolved into the anglicized word “parchment.”

Large quarries of white marble in the region were important to Pergamos’ economy. The city had first appeared in history in the third century B.C. as a small village for mining and selling white marble. Traditions evolved in which a defendant in court was given a small white marble stone as the sign of acquittal, a bondservant who had been freed was given a white stone with his or her name inscribed on it as the symbol of freedom, and the trophy for the winner in an athletic event was a white stone, symbolic of special status as having overcome his opposition. In addition, warriors returning from battle after a victory were presented with white marble stones with their names inscribed.

It is the white stone as a symbol of freedom and distinction to which Christ refers in v. 17: “…To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.”

That is a metaphor illustrating the assurance of security for the Christian who perseveres in faith. Persevering in the faith indicates authentic Christianity, according to Paul. Colossians 1:21-23: “²¹ Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. ²² But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—²³ if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.”

James agrees, calling for perseverance in the faith even when tested (James 1:12): “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

The church at Pergamos existed among extreme idolatry, with enthusiastic emperor worship. It also was a center of the cult of Zeus, whose altar was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The city was an important center for worship of several pagan cults, including Athena, Asklepios, Dionysius (also known as Bacchus, the god of drunkenness), and Zeus.

As in other regions, the Christians at Pergamos were tempted to compromise in their faith in order to enjoy the benefits of Roman citizenship. The Roman government tolerated any religious practice which also recognized and worshipped the emperor as a deity. In order to have the right to operate a business, work as a day laborer, own property, or expect to receive equal or fair treatment from the authorities and the courts, one had to recognize the Roman emperor as a god and attend worship services to him.

But the Christian religion was monotheistic. The authentic and faithful Christian could not take part in recognizing any other deity. The choice facing the Christian was to remain faithful and thus suffer the cultural and economic consequences or to compromise his or her faith in order to be permitted to work and prosper.

When we studied the letters to the churches at Ephesus and Smyrna, we found no sign of compromise. In fact, the letter to the church at Smyrna recognizes (and commends) the suffering they endured rather than worship false gods. But in the church at Pergamos, we find compromise has taken place (vv. 14-16): “¹⁴ Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. ¹⁵ Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. ¹⁶ Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”

While few details are known about the “…teaching of Balaam…” and the “…teaching of the Nicolaitans…,” both were problems in many of the early churches.

We have access to some information, however.

Irenaeus, a second-century church leader, describes the Nicolaitans as a sect that had arisen in the early days of Christianity which believed that since Christians are saved by grace and free from the law, nothing they do could be called evil. In his doctrinal work, Against Heresies, Irenaeus writes that the Nicolaitans “…lead lives of unrestrained indulgence…” as a right of Christian liberty.

Clement of Alexandria, another second-century church leader, wrote about the Nicolaitans: “They abandoned themselves to pleasure like goats, leading a life of self-indulgence.”

The Nicolaitans practiced sin in the name of Christian liberty, but the doctrine of Balaam simply allowed sin in the church. Balaam, a prophet from Mesopotamia, was willing to use his God-given talents for illicit purposes (see Numbers 22). The name “Balaam” is derived from the combination of “Ba’al” (meaning “to conquer” and the name of Canaanite god) and “a’am” meaning “people.”

Balaam’s doctrine is defined in scripture. Consider Micah 6:5; 2 Peter 2:15; and Jude 1:11. Even though he knew that Balak, the king of Moab, was God’s enemy, Balaam tried to sell his prophetic gifts to help him. When that didn’t work, Balaam counseled Balak on the most effective way to weaken Israel. He told Balak to use Moabite and Midianite women to tempt the Israelites into sexual relationships and into pagan rituals. The Israelites who took part brought God’s judgment upon themselves (Numbers 25:1–9).

According to 2 Peter 2:14-15, “…the way of Balaam…” is a choice to promote falsehood for financial reasons. Referring to “…those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority… (2 Peter 2:10), Peter wrote: “…they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! ¹⁵ They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness.”

Jude 1 discusses “…ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord…” (v. 4), adding that “…they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error…” (v. 11).

Conclusion

Jesus calls all of us to “…remain true to my name…” (v. 13). His will for us is that we live holy lives and that we recognize and correct those Christians among us who are leading sinful lives. We are called on, like the church at Pergamos, to remain faithful amid a sinful culture. But, sadly, some Christians today do not. Some in the church condone the lifestyles of loved ones who are involved in sin. Others hesitate because of the cultural influence of personal liberty. Still others emulate the western culture’s propensity to “live and let live” without moral judgment.

And, frankly, some churches today even hesitate to correct sin it their midst for fear that some may leave the church and therefore quit giving financially.