* All scriptures within this study are linked to BibleGateway.com using the "NIV".
The persecution of the Smyrna Age of the church purified Christianity. But after suffering under ten Caesars, the church was eager for peace and security. Christianity found respite in Emperor Constantine, who brought religious freedom to his reign. However, with security often comes the snare of Satan.
The Church of Pergamum [Pergamos] - Revelation 2:12-17
We look first at the specific church in Asia Minor to which John sent this letter. Pergamum is described by Woodrow Kroll as "His church in a bad neighborhood." The Pergamum church managed to stay faithful to the name of Christ even in a very anti-God society, but they were unable to reject all negative influence. Christ calls them to repentance for accepting false teachers into their fellowship. The false doctrine these teachers used to corrupt the flock compromised their faith.
The church today is susceptible to the same bad influences of society. We are surrounded by the immorality and pragmatic rationalizations of the world. How easy it is to become like the world before we even realize it is happening. Like the old saying, when we allow a camel to warm his nose inside our tent, it will not be long before the whole beast pushes his way in! Once the door is open, even a crack, compromise follows.
The word Pergamum literally means "marriage." The Age of Pergamum represents the church age which becomes married to the world--the worldly church. This compromise came about as a result of the imperial support of Christianity by Emperor Constantine who supposedly converted to Christianity in approximately AD 312. When politics marries religion, it is a toxic relationship.
The Salutation, Verse 12:
These are the words of Him who has the sharp, double-edged sword--The Lord refers to Himself wielding the sword of the Word. Hebrews 4:12--"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
The Lord sees Himself wielding the sword of the Word because Pergamum is tolerating heresy and false teaching. The answer to compromising churches in our day is to wield the same weapon--teach the Word, in season and out of season, 2 Timothy 4:2-5. Paul told young Timothy to teach the Word when it was popular to do so, and even when it is NOT popular. The trend today is to dumb down scripture so as not to offend those of other beliefs or those of weak faith. The modern church is more concerned with UNITY than purity of doctrine, and yet our Lord said His truth divides, rather than unifies [Luke 12:51]. Truth divides the believer from the unbeliever. Our Lord wanted His Church to be more concerned with QUALITY than QUANTITY.
The result of editing the Word to make it more palatable to everyone is compromise with the world. Fewer preachers and teachers are willing to convince, rebuke, and exhort the followers of Christ with the complete Word of God because the world would rather hear what their itching ears want to hear. They would rather hear self-affirming platitudes, pop psychology and gooey, short sermonettes than the expositional, line-by-line teaching of the inspired Word of God. They want COMFORT rather than CONVICTION.
This rejection of the convicting Word is another sign of the times in which we live: "For the time will come when they will not endure [tolerate] sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." [2 Timothy 4:3-4] How long will our Lord allow His church to be so vapid and narcissistic before He comes wielding the sword of the Word, like a weapon of destruction on the lost?
The Commendation, Verse 13:
I know where you live--where Satan has his throne...You did not renounce your faith in me...
Although our Lord holds Pergamum accountable for purity of doctrine, He was well-aware Pergamum had a lot to contend with. The ancient city was well-situated on a 1,000 foot hill on a fertile plain about 20 miles inland from the Aegean Sea. It served as the capital of the Roman province of Asia Minor for over 250 years and was a religious center for four pagan cults--Athena, Asklepios the god of healing, Dionysius or Bacchus, the god of drunkenness,and Zeus, the king of the pagan gods. It was also the first city in Asia to build a temple to Caesar in 20 BC and became the capital of the cult of Emperor worship. Emperor worship in neighboring Smyrna, we saw, led to much of that church's persecution by the populace.
As Pergamum was such a cosmopolitan center for false religions, it was chosen by Satan as a headquarters of satanic opposition, which is why our Lord called it "where Satan has his throne..." Pergamum was the sin city of its day. Because Satan is not omnipresent--everywhere at once--as is God, Satan's power is limited and often centralized in one place. The Bible charts that Satan placed his throne in other historical cities of other times:
* Babylon, Isaiah 14
* Tyre [Ancient Phoenicia], Ezekiel 28
* Rome, Revelation 17--Antichrist's religious center in the Tribulation
* Babylon, Revelation 18--Antichrist's commercial/political center in the Tribulation
* Jerusalem, Daniel 11:45--Antichrist's brief capital after Babylon falls in the Tribulation
The final battle of God against Satan is fought over possession of Jerusalem. Satan attempts to usurp God's throne, but our Lord will return to defeat Antichrist, his False Prophet, and the power behind them--Satan himself. [See Revelation 19:19-20; 20:2; 20:10.]
The believers of Pergamum were able to pass some difficult tests, such as the martyrdom of their pastor, Antipas. Tradition says Antipas was burned to death inside a brass bull. The word "martyr" means literally "witness." Because so many of the witnesses faithful to Christ were put to death, the word "martyr" came to mean one who dies as a faithful witness. In every age, there is a remnant of true believers. Antipas represents the true believers yet in Pergamum.
The Complaint, Verse 14:
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: the teaching of Balaam and the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
Even the sacrifice of Antipas did not excuse the church from their compromise of Apostolic doctrine. Christ specifically calls them to account for two false teachings that originated with two false teachers, Balaam and Nicolas. Balaam was a false prophet from the Old Testament account of Numbers 22 to 25. He was a false prophet, in it for the money. The church is full of professing teachers in our day who are only interested in power, fame and money. Such men entice Christians to commit "spiritual fornication" by indulging in worldly passions. They promise their followers perfect health, perfect wealth, and worldly comforts--all the things pagan religions provide but the Bible tells us to forsake. We are to seek spiritual things, rather than temporal. Such teachers bring the church down to the level of the world instead of holding the world up to the standard of Christianity. Such heresy can also begin under the guise of not offending unbelievers until the church is so full of worldly professing Christians, there is no place for the teaching of the Word.
The heresy of Nicolas began with an apostate believer who tried to pass himself off as a deacon of the church in the book of Acts. We saw the heresy of Nicolas in the Ephesian church, but what the Ephesians rejected, Pergamum allowed. Nicolaitans instituted the rule of a clergy hierarchy over the laity [laymen] of the church. The motivation was to replace the Apostolic line with a succession of chosen leaders. Such superiority is not taught in scripture. Those with the gift of leadership and teaching are to shepherd the flock as a servant of Christ, not reign over it. Once the clergy was elevated, sinful human nature seduced them with the desire for power and wealth. They began to impose their own dictates on the church rather than depending on the word of God for guidance. Both of these heresies, which were just taking root in the ancient church of Pergamum would flourish in the Church Age of Pergamum.
The Warning, Verse 16:
REPENT! If they do not leave the false teaching, the Lord threatens to judge them with the sword of His mouth, the two-edged sword of the Word. The Word condemns even unto eternal life.
The Promise, Verse 17:
HIDDEN MANNA. Just as Israel received the manna bread in the wilderness, God promises to give the true believer who rejects the compromise of Pergamum the spiritual bread from heaven which the unbelieving world cannot see--Jesus Christ, John 6:51. He is the living bread. The world desires only the bread of worldly materialism and comfort, but a true believer is called to spiritual bread which endures to eternity. "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God," Luke 4:4.
A WHITE STONE. On the stone will be written a new name which no one knows except the receiver. Have you ever asked, "Who am I really?" Someone has said, "We are not who we think we are; we are not even what others think we are. We are what we think others think we are..." Only in heaven will all artifice, self-centered focus, and false assumptions be stripped away to reveal our true spiritual nature. That nature will reflect our new name, bestowed on us by Christ who sees us as we are. We can only speculate on that name. Serves With Joy, Giver to All Who Knock, Soul of Sacrifice... Dr. McGee believes no two believers will have exactly the same new name because no two believers have the same blending of spiritual gifts, talents and abilities. What a delight when Christ addresses us by His pet name for us.
THE AGE OF PERGAMUM--The State-Controlled Church, AD 312 to AD 606
What is worse than persecution? Compromise. The Emperor Constantine was responsible for changing the historical tide of the church by creating a seductive, worldly atmosphere of peace and security for the Church.
Constantine came to power in Rome after a period of civil war over the succession to the throne. On the eve of the final battle of Milvain Bridge, Constantine testifies to seeing a vision of the cross in the setting sun with the words "In This Sign Conquer" above it. He fought under the sign of the cross and won the battle. When his throne was secure, he issued the Edict of Toleration in AD 313, granting religious freedom to all religions, including Christianity. Although he stopped short of instituting Christianity as the state religion, his favoritism made this cross religion the "in" philosophy of the day. He filled chief offices around the throne only with Christians and exempted Christian ministers from taxes and military service. Naturally, this encouraged anyone with political aspirations to convert.
He turned government buildings called basilicas over to the church and provided costly vestments for church leaders, adding to the elevation of clergy above the congregation. Some of Constantine's reforms were welcome for the beleaguered saints as he abolished gladiatorial fights, crucifixion and the killing of unwelcome children [abortion]. He also legislated that Sunday would be a day of rest, forbidding ordinary work and permitting Christian soldiers to attend church services and giving slaves the day off as well. All of these reforms gained Constantine a great deal of political support within the empire. In order to entice and pacify those clinging to the pagan traditions, Constantine also married pagan holidays to Christian events. The pagan Queen of Heaven [Jeremiah 44:17, 25] was a name transferred to Mary, the mother of Christ, also elevating her humble role to that of co-redemptrix with Christ Jesus. [Ref. Halley's Bible Handbook and Larkin]
Instead of solving all Christianity's problems, the church lost her freedom and came under the control of the state in order to maintain their exalted status. An example of the compromise of religion with politics emerged in the first general synod or general council of the Christian church at the Council of Nice in 325 AD. This council was not called together by the church, but by the emperor. At the Council of Nice, the cult of the Nicolaitans was evidenced by the fact that although the laymen outnumbered the Bishops five to one, the bishops dominated the council, claiming superior insight and calling. Other heresies encroaching on the Truth were disavowed at Nice, but the worldliness of Balaamism and the religious hierarchy of Nicolas were very much present. The Nicene Creed was written to correct the false teaching of Arius who taught that Christ was a created being and not one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Pelagius, who denied the doctrine of original sin, was also corrected by Augustine. But the roots of compromise were firmly entrenched. [Ref. Larkin, The Book of Revelation]
Although Christianity spread throughout the world at this time, doctrine was already being compromised in its Apostolic clarity. With comfort and security, the church let down its spiritual defenses. It is interesting that Post-Millennial views of Christ's Second Coming also arose at this time. This is the false view that Christ will not return until after the Kingdom on earth is already established by the church. Naturally, a Church that believes it is successful and has triumphed begins to believe they can conquer the world and bring peace and prosperity by itself... Today, the comfortable North American church is also rejecting the Pre-Millennial return of Christ, thinking the church doesn't need Christ's presence to establish His Kingdom. But as M. R. DeHaan states, the only hope for this world is the return of Christ. When persecution and judgment begins to fall, one of the bittersweet realities is that the church may well begin to look with eagerness for the Lord's return again and Pre-Millennial teaching will return.
What About Constantine? Believer--Or Poser?
Some point out that Constantine used Christianity more as a political tool than a religious truth. As though to make the welding of Church and state more certain, Constantine was baptized upon his deathbed in 337 AD. [Readers Digest Bible Life & Times, p. 186]
Emperor Theodosius who ruled after Constantine, AD 378-398, made Christianity the official state religion of the Roman Empire and made church membership compulsory. This was the worst calamity that has ever befallen the Church, forcing conversion on unregenerate people.
Christ taught that conversion is voluntary--a response by means of the Holy Spirit to teaching of the Word. Only a genuine repentant spirit and change in heart and life can bring true conversion, but Theodosius used force resulting in great bloodshed, tearing down pagan temples and prohibiting idol worship. This was the final melding of the church and Imperial Rome. The church had conquered the Roman Empire but in reality the Roman Empire had conquered the church. As a result, the church became a political organization, paving the way for the next Church Age--THE CHURCH-CONTROLLED STATE.
In Him We Wait, Work, and Watch,
[Luke 12:35-59]
Sharon
[Prophecy Chat is a weekly commentary of current events in light of Bible prophecy. Sharon L. Clemens is an evangelical, premillennial, dispensational teacher of eschatology. She can be reached for comment or questions by e-mail at farmgrove@frontier.com]
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