The Compromising Church

This week, we are looking at the compromising church, the Church of Pergamos. The city was also called Pergamon, which is the modern-day historic city of Bergama located in Turkiye (Turkey). Its culture and location may have contributed to its compromise. The Caicus River ran close to this city, which made it a fertile region perfect for agriculture and easy to access, which was vital for trade. It was also very accessible for people to go worship their pagan gods at temples near this river. Compromise may have seemed inevitable. Therefore, it is understandable why Jesus gave this church a stern warning.    

“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. 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. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 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.” ’ Revelation 2:12-17

You might remember that Balaam was a prophet for profit, hired by Balak the Moabite king to curse the Israelites. He was spiritually compromised, corrupt, and worldly. All of which created stumbling blocks for God’s people. The Church of Pergamos had many stumbling blocks in their way, some of which they caused for themselves. Unlike the Church of Ephesus, which hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans as Jesus did, the Church of Pergamos embraced the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, who indulged in lewd behavior, adultery, and idol worship disguised as Christian liberty.  Although this church held on to their faith and had the faithful martyr, Antipas, who was killed in a place “where Satan dwells,” “where Satan’s throne is.”  Why did Jesus describe it as such? Barnes Notes on the Bible gives us some insight.

Even where Satan's seat is - A place of special wickedness, as if Satan dwelt there. Satan is, as it were, enthroned there. The influence of Satan in producing persecution is what is particularly alluded to, as is apparent from the reference which is immediately made to the case of Antipas, the "faithful martyr."

Pergamom was by no means a righteous city. But could it be that Jesus characterized this city as where Satan dwells because of how its citizens worshiped Aescupalius, who was at that time the Greco-Roman god of medicine and healing? Plus, this city had many pagan temples. So it is no wonder that Christians would be killed there, as they believed they served the one true God. Vincent Word Studies delves more into what was happening in the city at that time.

All the main roads of Western Asia converged there. Pergamum was celebrated for the manufacture of ointments, pottery, tapestries, and parchment, which derives its name (charta Pergamena) from the city. It contained a celebrated and much-frequented temple of Aesculapius, who was worshipped in the form of a living serpent fed in the temple. Hence Aesculapius was called the God of Pergamum, and on the coins struck by the town he often appears with a rod encircled by a serpent. The great glory of the city was the Nicephorium, a grove of great beauty containing an assemblage of temples. The city has been described as a sort of union of a pagan cathedral-city, a university-town, and a royal residence, embellished during a succession of years by kings who all had a passion for expenditure and ample means of gratifying it. 

The rod encircled by a serpent reminds me of the story of the Israelites in the wilderness complaining against God and Moses, and in God’s wrath, He sent venomous snakes to bite them . Therefore, many died. However, later, in His mercy, after the Israelites confessed their sin, God told Moses to make a serpent and place it on a pole so that whoever looked at this bronze snake would live if they were bitten. Satan is devious and duplicitous. Look how this false god had a similar symbol for healing. Modern medicine now uses this rod with a snake as its symbol as well. It is a bit scary when I think about it. This is stated on the World Health Organization’s website:

The staff with the snake has long been a symbol of medicine and the medical profession. It originates from the story of Asclepius, who was revered by the ancient Greeks as a god of healing and whose cult involved the use of snakes. Asclepius, incidentally, was so successful at saving lives that, the legend goes, Hades the god of the underworld complained about him to the supreme god Zeus who, fearing that the healer might make humans immortal, killed Asclepius with a thunderbolt.

The healing god was killed. Thankfully, we have a God with the sharp double-edged sword in His mouth, who lives and will never die again. He is the one who makes us new and gives us a new name written on stone. We just need to stay firm in the faith and establish our identity in His Word, which is the two-edged sword. When we obey God’s Word, then we are fearing Him, not man. But, those who rebel against Him will fear this sword. They will dilute and manipulate His Word to justify their disobedience. Hence, it is of utmost importance that we are in the Word. And although we are in the world, just like Jesus, we are not of it and we are sanctified by the truth, which is the Word of God. We must avoid compromise and remember that where we are positioned may determine the posture of our hearts. So, we need to be on the alert while staying close to Jesus.