The Church in Pergamum

 

[Jesus said] “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has ethe sharp two-edged sword. I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But 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. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’” (Revelation 2:12-17 ESV).

 

Jesus describes Pergamum as a city where “Satan lives” and where “Satan has his throne.” In this city one of the faithful Christians, Antipas, was put to death for his faith in Jesus. Faced with persecution and threats, the church in this city remained faithful to Jesus. John Updike, once wrote, “Sex is like money — only too much is enough.” But modern Americans aren’t the only people who obsess over sex; it has possessed the minds of men for millennia. The same held true for the third church addressed in our study of Revelation. Pergamum was like the Washington, D.C., of Asia. It was the seat of the Roman government for the province and the center of the imperial cult. It was the first to erect a temple to the Caesar Augustus, as well as to Zeus and the serpent-god Asclepius. And just like certain sectors in the church today, people in the church at Pergamum had succumbed to idolatry and were obsessed with sex which often go together.

 

In his letter to this community of believers, Jesus commended and praised the church for their loyalty. Indeed, remaining faithful at the risk of losing one’s life is to live by faith at a high price. Church communities continue to live in dangerous places. There are many communities in the world where believers live by faith in Jesus amid threats to life, property, and well-being. Many have also been forced to leave their homelands, where for centuries the church shone the light of Christ into dark places. Others have been killed or imprisoned.

 

Their continued loyalty as witnesses to Jesus provides strong encouragement to the church in all places. At great cost and even loss of life, they urge us to make the most of every opportunity to be faithful witnesses of Jesus. Today let’s remember those who, like Antipas, remained faithful, even at the cost of their lives. And let us pray for the safety of all believers who serve where Satan has power over many of the local leaders and citizens.