Pergamum

Rev 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; (1! " #now th$ wor#s%
and where thou dwellest% even where &atan's seat is: and thou holdest fast
m$ name% and hast not denied m$ faith% even in those da$s wherein Antipas
was m$ faithful mart$r% who was slain among $ou% where &atan dwelleth(
(1)! *ut " have a few things against thee% +ecause thou hast there them that
hold the doctrine of *alaam% who taught *alac to cast a stum+ling+loc#
+efore the children of "srael% to eat things sacri,ced unto idols% and to commit
fornication( (1-! &o hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the
.icolaitans% which thing " hate( (1/! Repent; or else " will come unto thee
0uic#l$% and will ,ght against them with the sword of m$ mouth( (17! 1e
that hath an ear% let him hear what the &pirit saith unto the churches; To him
that overcometh will " 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 #noweth
saving he that receiveth it(
Intro.: As we leave the &m$rna on our 2ourne$( &hortl$ we would come to
them to the small Tur#ish town Pergamum( A+out 23%333 in population and in
a small valle$% said he sits on an ancient hill( And in this ver$ attractive cit$ of
small +and of 4hristians worship the savior( "t is to that church that the third
letter is addressed(
1. Pergamos
a( The proper form of the name is Pergamum( The name
Pergamum means thoroughl$ married( "t is a compound of two
5ree# words meaning thoroughl$% and marriage( &o per gamun
means thoroughl$ married(
+( The original cit$ was +uilt on a loft$ hill% which afterward +ecame
the citadel as houses sprang up around its +ase(
c( The local legends attached a sacred character to the place%
which% together with its natural strength% made it a place of
deposit for ro$al treasure(
d( The cit$ was mainl$ inde+ted to 6umenes ""( (+(c( 177-1-7! for
its em+ellishment and e8tension( "n addition to wal#s and pu+lic
+uildings% he founded the li+rar$% which contained two-hundred-
thousand volumes% and was second onl$ to that of Ale8andria(
e( The #ingdom of Pergamum +ecame a Roman province +(c( 13;
+ut the cit$ continued to 9ourish% so that Plin$ st$led it by far
the most illustrious of Asia(
f( All the main roads of :estern Asia converged there( Pergamum
was cele+rated for the manufacture of ointments% potter$%
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tapestries% and parchment% which derives its name (charta
Pergamena! from the cit$(
g( "t contained a cele+rated and much-fre0uented temple of
Aesculapius% who was worshipped in the form of a living serpent
fed in the temple( 1ence Aesculapius was called the 5od of
Pergamu $ou m% and on the coins struc# +$ the town he often
appears with a rod encircled +$ a serpent(
h( There was also in this cit$% a temple to the god ;eus( ;eus was
+elieved to +e the father of all gods% and this will +ecome
signi,cant% +ecause we are told that in this cit$ &atan<s seat
dwelled(
i( There is also in this cit$ the ,rst temple that was +uilt to
6mperor worship( Add this to the two previous mentioned
temples% and $ou see that this cit$ was a cit$ wholl$ given over
to idolatr$(
2( And again in #nowing this% we +egin to appreciate wh$ the =ord
referred to Pergamum as the dwelling place of &atan's seat(
#( All false religion is satanicall$ inspired% satanicall$ motivated%
some religions are openl$ satanic% while others reveal their
satanic origins as the$ fail to teach the truth of &cripture(
l( The cit$ also had springs which had m$sterious healing powers(
>uch li#e =ourdes% ?rance( The healing that was e8perienced in
Pergamum was not divine% +ut satanicall$ ena+led(
m( The cit$ has +een descri+ed as a sort of union of a pagan
cathedral-cit$% a universit$-town% and a ro$al residence%
em+ellished during a succession of $ears +$ #ings who all had a
passion for e8penditure and ample means of gratif$ing it(
2. The Description of the Lord - The sharp sword with two edges
&ee on Rev@1:1/(
a( A two edged sword was used +$ the Roman arm$ in a
devastating wa$( Asing this sword as a sledge hammer meat
cleaver( The Roman soldier would +ring it down forcefull$ slicing
men% in half(
+( The use of the word here portra$s the =ord as Budge% defending
his children and 2udging his enemies(
3. The Commendation Re 2:13 !
a( Dwe""est #$%&'($)(*+, &ee on =u#@11:2/; see on Act@2:-(
i( &atan's seat is in a scholarl$% religious% miraculous
healing% cosmopolitan area(
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ii( The 4hristian 4hurch was dwelling% where &atan e8ercised
his dominion(
iii( -eat #./01'+, rightl$% throne% which is a transcript of the
5ree# word( it is intended to represent &atan as e8ercising
dominion there( The word is used in the .ew Testament of
a kingly throne (=u#@1:2% =u#@1:-2; Act@2:3!: of the
judicial tribunal or bench (>at@17:2C; =u#@22:3!: of the
seats of the elders (Rev@):); Rev@11:1/
+( 2o"dest fast #$/%&)(*+, &ee on >at@7:; see on Act@:11(
i( >$ name &ee on 1Bo@1:7( - right in the midst of Pergamum
is a group of 4hristians who are holding fast to the name
of Besus(
ii( "n the midst of that idolatr$% hedonism% are those who are
convinced that Besus is the son of 5od% the savior of the
world(
iii( :hile &atan captures the multitudes of small remnant
faithfull$ cling to 4hrist( This must have +rought great
pleasure to the =ord(
c( >$ faith &ee on Act@/:7(
i( :hen pressed +$ their societ$% the$ would not surrender
the faith that was delivered to them(
ii( 3ntipas - There is no other record of this mart$r( &ome
of them mart$red here in Pergamum +ecause of their faith
in 4hrist(
d. -atan4s dwe""ing
i( he again recogniDes that the$ live where &atan e8ercises
his dominion(
5. The Comp"aint - Re 2:15 E Pergamum tolerated false teaching(
a( Doctrine #6(6%781, teaching(
i( 9a"aam - &ee .um@2-:1-7; .um@1:1-% .um@1:1/(
4ompare 2Pe@2:1-; Bud@1:11( 1e was hired +$ *ala# to
curse the children of "srael( Asing 5od to enrich $ourself(
1( 3 stum:"ing-:"oc; #<$=16%>'1, Is ofend%
>at@-:27% and see on ofense% >at@1/:2(
2( 9efore #)?1@A('1, =it(% in the sight of( &ee on
=u#@2):11(
( Things sacriBced to ido"s #)(?6C>0.D&%, "n
times of persecution% tasting the wine of the
li+ations or eating meat oFered to idols% was
understood to signif$ recantation of 4hristianit$(
)( Re 2:1E E -o 6ven as *ala# had *alaam for a
false teacher% so hast thou the .icolaitan teachers(
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ii( Fico"aitans - &ee on Rev@2:/(
1( "t is impossi+le to #now what this doctrine is(
2( There is some speculation% however% some +elieve
it's the doctrine of self-indulgence% living as $ou
please% +ecause we live under grace(
( Gthers speculate that this is the +eginning of the
clerg$ and lait$ dichotom$(
)( .ico - to con0uer% laitans - the people( The name
means to rule over the people(
E. The Counse" - Repent; or else " will come unto thee 0uic#l$% and will
,ght against them with the sword of m$ mouth(
a( Repent% change $our wa$s put out of $our church(
i( Ho not tolerate false teachers(
ii( Bohn does not command them to convert the false
teachers
iii( 1e does not sa$ show 4hristian love to those false
teachers(
iv( 1e does not sa$ to +e patient with them% the$ are
unlearned(
v( ?alse teachers are never to +e tolerated in a church(
vi( 4hange $our attitude towards false teachers( "f churches
toda$ practiced this command% the$ would not +e in the
state the$ are toda$((
+( Gi"" Bght against #A'>)HI<C, - The words fght and against
occur oftener in Revelation than in an$ other +oo# of the .ew
Testament( IAn eternal roll of thunder from the throneJ (Renan!(
/( The Ca"" - Re 2:1J - 1e that hath an ear% let him hear what the
&pirit saith unto the churches;
7( The Cha""enge - To him that overcometh will " 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 #noweth saving he that receiveth it(
a. The allusion ma$ +e partl$ to the pot of manna which was laid
up in the ar# in the sanctuar$( &ee 68o@1/:2-); compare
1e+@7:)( That the imager$ of the ar# was familiar to Bohn
appears from Rev@11:17( This allusion however is indirect% for
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the manna laid up in the ar# was not for food% +ut was a
memorial of food once en2o$ed(
:. Two ideas seem to +e com+ined in the ,gure:
i( 4hrist as the +read from heaven% the nourishment of the
life of +elievers% the true manna% of which those who eat
shall never die (Boh@/:1-)% Boh@/:)C--1!; hidden% in that
1e is withdrawn from sight% and the 4hristian's life is hid
with 1im in 5od (4ol@:!(
ii( The satisfaction of the +eliever's desire when 4hrist shall
+e revealed( The hidden manna shall not remain for ever
hidden( :e shall see 4hrist as 1e is% and +e li#e 1im
(1Bo@:2!( 4hrist gives the manna in giving 1imself IThe
seeing of 4hrist as 1e is% and% through this +eati,c vision%
+eing made li#e to 1im% is identical with the eating of the
hidden manna% which shall% as it were% +e then +rought
forth from the sanctuar$% the hol$ of holies of 5od's
immediate presence where it was withdrawn from sight so
long% that all ma$ parta#e of it; the glor$ of 4hrist% now
shrouded and concealed% +eing then revealed to 1is
peopleJ (Trench!(
c. 3 white stone #KL*M'1 >)D$81, &ee on counteth% =u#@1):2C;
and see on white% =u#@7:27( The foundation of the ,gure is not
to +e sought in 5entile +ut in Bewish customs( I:hite is
ever$where the color and liver$ of heavenJ (Trench!( &ee
Rev@1:1); Rev@:-; Rev@7:7; Rev@1):1); Rev@17:C% Rev@17:11%
Rev@17:1); Rev@23:11( "t is the +right% glistering white( 4ompare
>at@2C:; =u#@2):); Boh@23:12; Rev@23:11; Han@7:7(
i( "t is impossi+le to ,8 the meaning of the s$m+ol with an$
certaint$( The following are some of the principal views:
The Arim and Thummim concealed within the 1igh-
Priest's +reastplate of 2udgment(
ii( The new name he regards as the new name of 5od or of
4hrist (Rev@:12!; some revelation of the glor$ of 5od
which can +e communicated to 1is people onl$ in the
higher state of +eing% and which the$ onl$ can understand
who have actuall$ received(
d. 3 new name !
i( &ome e8plain the new name of 5od or of 4hrist (compare
Rev@:12!; others% of the recipient's own name(
ii( IA new name however% a revelation of his everlasting title
as a son of 5od to glor$ in 4hrist% +ut consisting of and
revealed in those personal mar#s and signs of 5od's
peculiar adoption of himself% which he and none other is
ac0uainted withJ (Alford!(
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iii( *engel sa$s: I:ouldst thou #now what #ind of a new
name thou wilt o+tainK Gvercome( *efore that thou wilt
as# in vain% and after that thou wilt soon read it inscri+ed
on the white stone(J
C"osing: the church of Pergamum represents an$ church toda$ who
tolerates false doctrine( The church of Pergamum represents an$ church%
whose is thoroughl$ married to politics or the state(
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