CHURCH IN PERGAMUM

Revelation 2:12-13 'And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: 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. '

In the above passage we read about the church in Pergamum. We see the Lord appreciates certain things and also give them a warning. When we read through the instructions given by the Lord to these churches in the book of revelation, we can understand the pattern of the church that is there in the mind of Christ. When each and every member of a church is diligent and faithful, the entire church will be faithful. We see Pergamum was an influential city in Asia Minor which is known for its wealth, culture and devotion to pagan worship. This Asia minor is a peninsula in western Asia which is also known by its Greek name Anatolia. This Anatolia is a large peninsula in modern-day Turkey. This city was a home to temples for Zeus, Athena and other gods as well as emperor worship. This earned it a title 'Where Satan has his throne'. We can only imagine the exposure of this place when Satan himself sets his throne. Despite the overwhelming opposition, the church in Pergamum stood firm in their faith. But at the same time, they also had lot of struggle to compromise with the world. When we talk about church we cannot assume that the Lord is seeing the Church as a whole in general. Our Lord Jesus is watching over each and everyone in the church individually. He is observing all our activities we do on a daily basis. The Lord knows our work and our efforts we take on certain things.

Faithfulness amid opposition

Revelation 2:13 'I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.'

Living a normal life is one thing but when we stand firm for the Lord during opposition is a different thing. Here we see the Lord acknowledges the challenges faced by the church. In Pergamum, living in a hostile environment is not an easy task yet they held fast to the name of the Lord. We might face a lot of challenges and oppositions in our family. But when we remain faithful amidst of all these oppositions, the Lord will acknowledge it. We also read in verse 13 '...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 Lord speaks about a person called Antipas who lived in those days. The quotes this person's name out of all the people in the church. The Lord speaks about his unwavering devotion.

Who is Antipas ? He is believed to have been a Christian leader (possibly a bishop or elder) in Pergamum during the first century. The phrase 'Where the Satan has his throne', suggests that Pergamum was a center of Pagan worship, particularly to Zeus, Asclepius, and other Roman emperors. Despite intense persecution, Antipas remained faithful to Christ and refused to worship other gods or the Roman emperor. Although the scripture talks about Antipas who was a martyr however it does not reveal how he was killed. We can understand it when we read about the -Martyrdom of Antipas in history. Historians like Tertullian claim Antipas was martyred by being burned alive inside a bronze bull during the reign of Emperor Domitian (81-96 AD). This method of execution was used pagan sacrifices, symbolizing Antipas refusal to participate in emperor worship. Antipas was a model of faithfulness under persecution. He encourages Christians to stand firm even in hostile environments. The name 'Anti-pas' means against everything. Some believe it signifies his resistance towards Pagan practices.

Even in our lives, the Church of Pergamum urges us to be faithful in all given situations. When we remain faithful, the Lord will look into it and he will appreciate us. The Lord God sees our struggles and commends our faithfulness when we remain true to him.

Compromised with the world

Revelation 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.'

The Lord who was appreciating this church earlier is now condemning its act of compromising with the world. We see some people in the church tolerated false teachings. This led them to idolatry and sexual immorality. This is very similar to Balaam's influence on Israel (Numbers 22-25). In these last days, we need to very vigilant towards the teaching of Balaam. When we read in Numbers chapter 25 and will Numbers 31:16 we read about the teachings of Balaam which led the Israelites to sin. We all know the history where Balak summons Balaam to curse the children of Israel as they are all blessed. When Balaam realised he cannot curse the children of God directly, he advised Balak some alternatives. He devised a strategy to attack the people with sin instead of attacking them with swords. When we read in Numbers 25:1-3, he set a snare where he seduced the Israelites using Moabite women to led them into sexual immorality. Due to their sins, over 24,000 Israelites died in the plague on account of God's judgement. This is also confirmed by Moses later when we read in 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.' Although Balaam was a prophet from God, his actions and preaching's were deceptive which caused people to trespass against the Lord.

Therefore, we need to commit ourselves into the hands of the Lord. We need to stay away in compromising with the world. We need to keep evaluating ourselves if the patterns of the world is attaching on us. We also see the people accepted the teachings of Nicolaitans, a group that promoted compromise with pagan practices. A fisherman noticed a small hole in the boat but he neglected it. He proceeded to went inside the sea for fishing only to realise the waters are coming forth through the small hole. He tried to draw the water out of the boat but it was too late. He ended up drowning into the sea. Even in our lives, let us not ignore the small signs of sins which can cause a greater damage. We also need to be vigilant and guard ourselves from the patterns of the world. We need to ask for the grace of the Lord to give that uncompromising attitude towards the world.

Jesus warnings to repentance

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

The same Jesus who appreciated gives a different message to church. He gives a warning to the church to repent and come back to him. Since the church compromised with the Lord, it receives the warning from the Lord. The Lord God gives them a chance to repent from their false teachings and sins. The judgement is depicted as a sharp double edged sword. It symbolises the power and authority of his word. The Lord wants his fellowship to be renewed and redeemed. Repentance is essential for restoring our relationship with God. It helps us to align ourselves with the truth. Every night, we need to evaluate if our words have hurt people. It is very key we repent for our actions. Before going back to bed, we need to renew our relationship with God by repenting in his presence. If we have sleeplessness, we need to analyse our life if it is becoming toxic. Let us surrender ourselves for the words of the Lord.

The promise to overcome

Revelation 2:17 '...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.'

The Lord gave the message which he intended to give to this church. Now he is giving his promises. The church becomes a church which received the promises of the Lord when it overcame things. The Lord gives them a hidden manna. This symbolises the spiritual nourishment and eternal life provided by Christ which is the bread of life. When we are spiritually weak, he gives them hidden manna through his words which will strengthen the inner man. We need to listen to the words spoken during sermon and allows those words inside our hearts. The Lord also gives them a white stone with a new name. It represents the acceptance, purity and a personal relationship with God. In ancient times, a white stone was used as a symbol of victory or invitation. Faithfulness to Christ brings eternal rewards and a deeper connection with the Lord.

Conclusion : A call to stand firm - The church in Pergamum teaches us the importance of faithfulness and the danger of compromise. Though we live in a world full of spiritual challenges, we are called to stand firm in Christ. Whenever we fall down, we need to repent. We need to keep our eyes on the eternal rewards which is given to the overcomer that is promised by the Lord Jesus.

How can we apply these teachings today ?

@Remain faithful in a hostile world - Like the church in Pergamum, we may face opposition and pressures to compromise but God calls us to stand firm in our faith.

@Guard against Compromise - Be vigilant about false teachings and worldly influences that can lead us away from God's truth. Whatever we hear as doctrine these days, we need to test and discern them before acceptance. We read this in I John 4:1 'Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.'

@Repent and align with God's word - Repentance is not a one-time event but a continual process of turning away from sin and towards God. Allow the word of God to guide your decisions and lifestyle.

@Look forward for eternal rewards - The promises of hidden manna and the white stone remind us that faithfulness to Christ will be richly rewarded in eternity.

Amen!