REVELATION 2:12-17
Pergamos
"And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges, 'I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat [throne] is.'"
The city of Pergamos was a city filled with sensuous worship of pagan deities.
"And thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith" (Revelation 2:12-13). A faithful remnant in this city of pagan worship is holding fast to the name of Jesus Christ.
"Even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful
martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth" (Revelation 2:13).
Jesus knows the works of the church of Pergamos - holding fast to His name in a pagan world, not denying the faith even at the martyrdom of Antipas, one of its members.
"But I have a few things against thee, because you have there those that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication"
(Revelation 2:14).
The worship of these pagan deities was usually marked by the most abominable practices. The pagan temples had priestesses who were actually prostitutes, and the revenue for most of the pagan temples was gained through prostitution.
Part of their religious rites involved sexual orgies with these priestesses. In that area of Asia the Gnostics said that everything material was evil. Their belief was that God had nothing to do with the material world. Therefore, it
didn't matter what you did to your body. They taught that you could do anything you wanted, because God wasn't concerned with your evil body.
He was only concerned with your spirit. Thus, the Gnostics allowed all kinds of lasciviousness. Peter warned against this in his epistle (I Peter 4:1-3).
In Pergamos some were saying, "We can do whatever we want! We're Christians and we're covered by grace.
The body doesn't count, anyhow." Even though they were now professing Christians, they advocated worshipping in these pagan rites.
This was the doctrine of Balaam - the worship of idols and committing fornication.
"Also you have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes" - the establishment of a priesthood. Jesus said, "Which thing I hate."
The Lord's word to them was, "Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth" (Revelation 2:15-16).
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.
The "hidden manna" is that life in Jesus Christ. He said, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger" (John 6:35).
Some clubs have adopted a similar practice today. White or black balls are dropped into a ballot box whenever an applicant is considered for membership, and he is rejected, or black-balled," if someone drops in a black ball.
Jesus said that He will give us a white stone - "Accepted." I've been accepted by God in Christ.
The white stone has "a new name written, which no man knoweth
saving he that receiveth it" (Revelation 2:17).
Two evils had begun to creep into the church - the introduction of idolatry and the introduction of a priesthood.
The church of Pergamos historically is the development of the church-state system under Constantine in 316 A.D.
It was the beginning of the Roman Catholic Church.
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