Pergamum: Compromise in a local church
"And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write......I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent."
-Revelation 2:12a, 14-16a
Pergamum was widely recognized by historians as "the most famous city in all of Asia by far." It was a grand city that sat atop a coniferous hill in the midst of the plains, leaving it a city that was literally high and lifted up above its surroundings. It became a capital city during the reign of Alexander the Great of the Greek Empire and remained a capital for well around 400 years.
Pergamum was a cultural center of Asia, boasting it's feats in academia as well as being an administrative center. The proconsul's headquarters were in Pergamum. It was a city known to be "one of the great religious centers" in Asia, which boasted various temples, most notably to the god Asclepios - the god of healing. Temples of Ascelpios were used much like hospitals of today and many viewed Asclepios as a savior.
This was the environment surrounding the gathering of believers in Pergamum.
The Christians of Pergamum Church had much to contend with culturally, but the lone praise Jesus gives them in the letter recorded in Revelation 2 was that they held to the truth. Their local congregation maintained faith in the name of Christ and held to sound doctrine, even after experiencing persecution which led to the horrific death of their own pastor, Antipas (v.13). They didn't quit and they didn't leave, even after losing their pastor.
However, Jesus quickly charges them to repent and confront the issue of some holding to the teachings of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. These are no small accusations.
In short, Pergamum Church was experiencing alot of false and harmful teaching within their membership. Some were believing and teaching that living in sin was 'ok' because it afforded the believer more grace from God (teaching of the Nicolaitans) along with it being 'ok' to partake in sexual sin, idolatry and greed (teaching of Balaam). Essentially, some at Pergamum Church believed it was perfectly 'ok' to serve two masters in this life.
What was Christ's response to these teachings?
"Repent..." (v.16) If these individuals involved in the Balaam and Nicolaitan doctrines did not repent, Christ Himself would wage war on them through the conviction of His Word.
This thought is what I want to conclude with today: It isn't 'ok' to continue living as our old sinful, unregenerate selves and proclaim the name of Christ.
Its being taught today in many "modern" churches that if you feel you were made a certain way, or if you have certain sinful tendencies that you simply cannot shake, then those things are 'ok' with God because that's how He made you. It is being taught that sin is 'ok' because it isn't really sin if that's who you believe you are at the core.
This teaching is a lie from the "seat of Satan" - it's the teaching of Balaam and Nicolas rolled into one. Its a teaching condemned by Christ Himself.
Notice how the Holy Spirit led Paul to confront this same problem of Christians actively living in sin within the Church at Corinth: "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.....But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him." (1 Cor. 6:9-11, 17)
In the host of sinful behaviors being lived in at Corinth, Paul doesn't necessarily single any of them out - he simply states: "And such WERE some of you." This is past tense. These sinful lifestyles are left in the past when one comes to Christ. How? Believers are "washed....sanctified...justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God." We are called to leave our sins behind. Will we sin here and there? Sure (Rom. 7). But are we to live in those same lifestyles of sin, continuing on as if no decision was made to follow Christ, as if no sanctification is taking place in our lives, as if we may receive more grace and love from God for sinning? Certainly not!
If anything can be said of us as Christians, let's be sure that "compromise" of the truth isn't one of them.
-Revelation 2:12a, 14-16a
Pergamum was widely recognized by historians as "the most famous city in all of Asia by far." It was a grand city that sat atop a coniferous hill in the midst of the plains, leaving it a city that was literally high and lifted up above its surroundings. It became a capital city during the reign of Alexander the Great of the Greek Empire and remained a capital for well around 400 years.
Pergamum was a cultural center of Asia, boasting it's feats in academia as well as being an administrative center. The proconsul's headquarters were in Pergamum. It was a city known to be "one of the great religious centers" in Asia, which boasted various temples, most notably to the god Asclepios - the god of healing. Temples of Ascelpios were used much like hospitals of today and many viewed Asclepios as a savior.
This was the environment surrounding the gathering of believers in Pergamum.
The Christians of Pergamum Church had much to contend with culturally, but the lone praise Jesus gives them in the letter recorded in Revelation 2 was that they held to the truth. Their local congregation maintained faith in the name of Christ and held to sound doctrine, even after experiencing persecution which led to the horrific death of their own pastor, Antipas (v.13). They didn't quit and they didn't leave, even after losing their pastor.
However, Jesus quickly charges them to repent and confront the issue of some holding to the teachings of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. These are no small accusations.
In short, Pergamum Church was experiencing alot of false and harmful teaching within their membership. Some were believing and teaching that living in sin was 'ok' because it afforded the believer more grace from God (teaching of the Nicolaitans) along with it being 'ok' to partake in sexual sin, idolatry and greed (teaching of Balaam). Essentially, some at Pergamum Church believed it was perfectly 'ok' to serve two masters in this life.
What was Christ's response to these teachings?
"Repent..." (v.16) If these individuals involved in the Balaam and Nicolaitan doctrines did not repent, Christ Himself would wage war on them through the conviction of His Word.
This thought is what I want to conclude with today: It isn't 'ok' to continue living as our old sinful, unregenerate selves and proclaim the name of Christ.
Its being taught today in many "modern" churches that if you feel you were made a certain way, or if you have certain sinful tendencies that you simply cannot shake, then those things are 'ok' with God because that's how He made you. It is being taught that sin is 'ok' because it isn't really sin if that's who you believe you are at the core.
This teaching is a lie from the "seat of Satan" - it's the teaching of Balaam and Nicolas rolled into one. Its a teaching condemned by Christ Himself.
Notice how the Holy Spirit led Paul to confront this same problem of Christians actively living in sin within the Church at Corinth: "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.....But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him." (1 Cor. 6:9-11, 17)
In the host of sinful behaviors being lived in at Corinth, Paul doesn't necessarily single any of them out - he simply states: "And such WERE some of you." This is past tense. These sinful lifestyles are left in the past when one comes to Christ. How? Believers are "washed....sanctified...justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God." We are called to leave our sins behind. Will we sin here and there? Sure (Rom. 7). But are we to live in those same lifestyles of sin, continuing on as if no decision was made to follow Christ, as if no sanctification is taking place in our lives, as if we may receive more grace and love from God for sinning? Certainly not!
If anything can be said of us as Christians, let's be sure that "compromise" of the truth isn't one of them.
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