11월중 설교말씀

[Peter]

              Pergamos - The Laid-Back Church          

(Rev 2:12-17) 
Revelation 2:12-17 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; 13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. 14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. 15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
You might remember from last week that the church of Smyrna was persecuted by a group of Jews who Jesus said was of the synagogue of Satan.
But now Jesus addresses a church that dwelt in the same place that Satan had his throne.
So it was not just a place where many of the devil’s minions were making God’s people miserable. But it was where Satan himself had his seat!
It was a place that apparently, Satan had claimed as home turf, his property, his dominion.
And frankly, that doesn’t sound to me like the kind of place where a person should be laid-back in their approach to their faith.
But that’s exactly the word that we use to describe the church of Pergamus. They were a pretty laid-back group of people that didn’t get too excited over things.
Unfortunately, as we will see, it is not always good to be so laid-back about things. The Lord wants us to place the appropriate level of attention in the appropriate areas!
The City
The city of Pergamus was about 64 miles to the east of Smyrna. It sat on the Caicus River about 20 miles inland from the sea. It is the city of Pergama, Turkey today.
According to recent archeological findings, it had a library with over 2000 books. Now, that might not sound like a lot of books to you but remember that books were a lot more expensive in those days!
Along with that, Pergamus was famous for the invention of parchment, which is called “pergamena” in Greek.
Officially, it was the capital city of Asia but it was poorly situated and so it never really grew to economic greatness. Nevertheless, it was still the seat of Roman power.
Ephesus may have been the religious center of Asia with its far-reaching influence of the temple of Diana.
Smyrna, because of a better seaport, may have outdone Ephesus as the commercial center of Asia. But politically, Pergamos was the seat of government authority.
Pergamos had four patron deities:

• Zeus (the supreme deity of the Greeks)
• Athena (goddess of wisdom, skill and warfare)
• Dionysos (god of wine and revelry)
• Asklepios (god of medicine—symbolized by a serpent on a pole)

The city had four major groups in its population and each group was “sponsored” by one of the gods.
The Church (Rev 2:12)
Revelation 2:12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
It is not clear how long the church in Pergamos existed but records indicate that it was still in existence in the 800s.
Before Revelation was written, the government was already in opposition to Christianity. The opposition came as a result of the church’s rejection of “Caesar worship”.
Pergamos, being the seat of political power, was close to the very heart of Roman policy.
Ephesus faced problems from within, Smyrna faced problems from the common citizen, but Pergamos faced all of these problems and more.
Pergamos faced the powers of Rome itself! They dwelt where Satan’s seat was!
The church of Pergamus is called the “Laid-back” church because it had apparently taken a tolerant position against those that believed heresies.
We are told that there are those that hold the doctrine of Balaam and the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes.
These false believers were allowed to coexist with the believers and this was the issue that the Lord had against them.
We are not told that they were allowed to teach their false doctrines. However, it is obvious that the church knew they were amongst them.
The Christ (Rev 2:12)
Revelation 2:12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
The Lord addresses this church as he who has the power of life and death. It is Christ that has authority to sit in the place of rule. We saw this same thing in Revelation 1:16!
To the Roman, the sword was also a symbol of the highest order of authority. Those who held the position of “jus gladii” or “right of the sword” were vested with the power of life and death.
The sharp sword is that which should divide. The sword, being the Word of God, divides. It should have been used to separate those that were holding false doctrine.
Christ uses the Word of God to correct His people.
The Commendation (Rev 2:13)
Revelation 2:13 I know thy works, and where thou dwells, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
“I know thy works”. This is always the first thing that the Lord says to each church. It is a message that we do well to remember.
From the context of the letter, we can assume that their works were noble. They are never condemned for their works but for their attitude toward false doctrine.
“And where thou dwellest even where Satan’s seat is”. No circumstance escapes the eyes of the Lord. He knows our situations.
There is no valley so deep, no sky so dark that Jesus cannot see us. Note the words of the Psalmist:
Psalms 139:7-12 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
What an encouragement to Pergamos. They were close to Satan’s throne but not out of the reach of God’s tender mercies.
A lot of people think that hell is where Satan has his throne. Nothing could be further from the truth! Notice these verses:
John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Satan’s rule is here on earth and it would behoove us to understand that. He is not afar off. He is here. Yet we do not need to fear his presence for God knows our situation.
“And thou holdest fast my name”. In the midst of great persecution, these believers did not deny the name of Jesus. 
They held fast. They held on to their testimonies with strong determination.
You might remember that in Revelation 3:1, we saw that the church of Sardis had made a name for itself.
But Pergolas held to the name of Jesus! In Jesus own words, “thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith”.
These believers not only said they were Christians, they lived like they were Christians. Their words and their works matched.
It is easy to find ourselves in a dark place in life and become discouraged. During those times, our lives may not match our message. 
But the church of Pergamos is proof that it doesn’t have to be that way. Notice that they were faithful to the Lord “even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr”.
Very little is known of Antipas except what is recorded here. We are told that he was Christ’s martyr.
He did not die for his own cause or glory. Nor was it his choice. It was Christ’s choice, Christ’s cause, and to Christ’s glory!
He is called a faithful martyr. The Greek phrase for faithful martyr is the phrase, “pistos martus”. This is significant because Revelation 1:5 refer to Jesus Christ as a “pistos martus”.
Here it is translated as “faithful witness”. The implication is that Antipas truly was Christ-like. It doesn’t matter what man may say about us as long as Christ counts us faithful!
Apparently, Antipas was made a public example because he was slain “among” them. 
No records exist of the situation but it is clear that his death served the purpose of reminding them of the seriousness of their circumstances.
The Condemnation (Rev 2:14-15)
Revelation 2:14-15 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. 15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
What a scary statement, “I have a few things against thee”. In Ephesus, Jesus had “somewhat” against them (Rev 2:4).
But here in Pergamos, the problems are compounded. It is not just a simple problem. There are a few things that must be dealt with.
The warning is clear. When love for the Saviour begins to grow cold, the heart will begin to warm up to the fires of the world.
It is not that they had begun to practice fornication or idolatry, but they had learned to tolerate those that did. In short, they had become callous to sin.
But they had also become callous to false doctrine. They had there those “that hold the doctrine of Balaam who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel”.
Balaam is a false prophet spoken of in Numbers 22 - 24. He was hired to curse God’s people but could not.
Therefore he devised a plan to corrupt them from within. The plan was successful and as a result, we read the following in Numbers 31:16,
Numbers 31:16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
Balaam is mentioned in two other passages in the New Testament. In both cases, he is spoken of as a false prophet who was willing to forsake the ways of righteousness for filthy lucre sake:
2 Peter 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
Jude 1:11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
It is a sad but true fact that there are those who will tolerate this type of wickedness in the church.
It is an even sadder fact that there are those who would claim to be believers and still practice this form of wickedness.
In verse 14, Jesus stated that one of the things He had against them was that they ate things sacrificed to idols.
The problem mentioned here is not the same that Paul dealt with in 1 Corinthians. This seems to be directed more toward those that were engaging in idolatrous feasts.
This is a practice that is almost unimaginable to the western mind. However, in many Far Eastern countries, these types of practices still exist.
In many cases, the feasts are a family affairs and Christian family members are ostracized and sometimes even disowned if they do not participate.
The church of Pergamos had begun to tolerate those who participated in idolatrous rituals. 
But Christ wants us to take a stand. That’s how families and cultures are changed!
Then, in verse 15, we find out that they were also committing fornication. And this is almost beyond belief because this is basic stuff! 
This is one sin everybody knows is definitely wrong. And this does not refer to spiritual adultery, as some would rather believe. This is the physical act itself.
This was the sin of Balaam, and it was the sin that the church had begun to tolerate.
Even in modern times, when sin creeps in to a church, it is more often than not, a sexual sin.
The problem is so great that many have begun to accept it as “human” or “inevitable”. The Lord makes it clear that His standards for the believer are much higher than that.
And then the Lord spoke of those that “hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes”.
In Ephesus, the deeds of this group were hated and rejected. Here in Pergamos, only 100 mile away from Ephesus, the group was tolerated.
In most cases, a church will not experience a singular problem. Usually, other closely related issues accompany it.
In any case, where sin is known to exist, it is the responsibility and obligation of the church to purge itself of the sin.
The current trend of toleration in the church has left it weak and ineffective. 
Those who should be dealt with must not be allowed to dwell in the midst of the saints as though nothing is wrong. Jesus said that He hates it!
The Challenge (Rev 2:16)
Revelation 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Repentance is the only cure to the problem. They are not told to take any other action but to repent.
Their repentance would logically lead to action but repentance must come first.
It is important to note that they could have sent away the Balaamites and the Nicolaitanes but without repentance, the sin of toleration would remain.
The promise of Christ is simply this. “If you do not repent, I am going to come and punish the offenders with speed and severity”. And this is exactly what happened.
Archeological findings show buildings that were started but not finished. Columns that were to be set in place were never moved. 
Pergamos came to a speedy demise. It was severely damaged by the invading Muslims under the Ottoman Empire in the 12th century and never recovered.
The Lord promises a speedy judgment of sin in the church. Though he is longsuffering, we must remember that judgment must first begin at the house of God.
1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
Now, I want to take note of the specific words that Jesus said. He said that He would “fight against them with the sword of my mouth”.
It is not the church that the Lord will fight against. He is never at war with his bride. No, it is the false brethren that He will fight against.
By allowing those who are in sin to continue, we give them a false sense of security. The Lord will judge sin. He will not allow the garments of his bride to be spotted by the filth of this world.
The Conquerors (Rev 2:17)
Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna”. This brings to mind several things. 
First there is the issue of God’s provision in the wilderness as He fed the Jews with manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16).
But this is not normal manna, if there is such a thing. No, this is hidden manna. The manna in the wilderness was not hidden. It was left out in plain sight every day.
At one point a pot of manna was taken and placed into the Ark of the Covenant. It was to be a perpetual reminder of the provision of God (Exodus 16:32-35).
Yet again, this was not necessarily hidden, for it was to be a memorial. This would seem to necessitate its presence to be well known.
The promise made here is that the Lord would provide a “hidden” manna to those who would overcome the sin of compromise in the areas of carnality or doctrinal purity.
Another obvious application can be drawn from John 6:32-35:
John 6:32-35 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Here, Christ is the manna from heaven. He provides complete satisfaction to those who are willing to forsake the things sacrificed to idols for the spiritual nourishment of Christ’s communion.
This type of spiritual abundance is available only for those who are “hid with Christ in God” (Col 3:3).
Getting back to our text in Revelation 2:17, Jesus also promised to give the overcomer a white stone with a name written that nobody would know except the one who received it.
But I think it stands to reason that the one who gave it would also know the name.
There are several explanations of the white stone mentioned here. 
First, in ancient courts of law, a guilty vote was cast with a black stone while a white stone was a vote for acquittal.
The word for stone is the Greek word “psephos” and is found in Acts 26:10 referring to Paul giving his voice (psephos) against the believers.
Although this is an excellent analogy, it does not capture the essence of the context.
Another application can be made from a stone that was given to a victorious gladiator who had proven himself in battle.
Again, this is a very interesting analogy and would seem to fit the context a little better than the first choice.
The Pergamos believers, who were in the midst of the very throne of Satan, could receive a stone of victory.
A third possibility can be made from the custom of using a white stone as a sort of ticket or coupon that was used for a variety of purposes.
It allowed entrance into an area that was set aside for only a select few. This is a good analogy too because the secret name implies a special relationship or privilege.
Revelation 3:12 has a few things to say about a special name:
Revelation 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
In Revelation 3:12, the Lord promises to write upon the believer his new name. It is a single name shared by all but here, it is a very private name.
This seems to speak of the personal and very intimate relationship between a saint and his Lord.
In the garden of Eden, Adam gave names to all the creatures over which he was to exercise dominion (Gen 1:28 with Gen 2:19,20).
In the same sense, Jesus Christ will give each believer a new name which not only shows the intimacy of their relationship but also indicates His authority.
Note the following verses from the book of Isaiah:
Isaiah 56:5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
Isaiah 62:2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.
This new name is an everlasting name given by God the Son himself.
Conclusion
We need to ask ourselves a question, “Have we become tolerant toward things in our lives that might bring us spiritual harm?”
Have we allowed things to creep into our homes or our church that may bring spiritual damage to our families later?
If the answer is yes, you know what to do. repent of your apathetic attitude toward your spiritual life and get rid of the danger!