To the Church at Pergamum – Revelation 2:12-17
October 28th, 2005The Christian church at Pergamum is referred to only twice in all the scriptures. Here and in chapter 1 where John is told to write on a scroll what he sees and send it to the seven churches of which Pergamum is one. We know nothing else about the congregation except what we’re told right here. We don’t know who founded it, if it’s big or small, has money problems or if they have a contemporary service.
We do know something however about the city of Pergamum. History informs us that Pergamum was the capital of the province of Asia and that when papyrus became scarce, Pergamum developed a product called “parchment” – the predecessor of what we would call “paper.” The word ‘parchment’ comes from the name Pergamum. It was a thriving city known for it’s wealth, education, sophistication and culture.
My impression is that it was one of those trend setting type of places where it was cool to be able to say you were from. People of Pergamum were politically correct. And it was politically correct to be “open-minded” about everything and everyone except of course, those who were close-minded. It was a place of tolerance. Tolerance meant not just a respect for others, but an acceptance of every belief and lifestyle. No religion was rejected except the religion that dared to presume that it was the only true one.
And it was this philosophy of the day that made life in Pergamum difficult for Christians. Christianity is “open-minded” about people. It sees all as the same, there is no difference, all fall short of the glory of God. But it is rather “close-minded” about the way all people are to be reconciled to God. Christianity is very tolerant in that it is for everyone, excluding not one, no not one. But it is particularly “close-minded” about the who the one, true God is and what the one, true religion is. “I am the Lord Your God. You shall have no other gods but me” says God. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” says the Son of God.
We feel many of the same difficulties and pressures in our world today as they felt in theirs. Christianity is becoming increasingly counter-cultural. It shouldn’t be very hard to find ourselves in the lives of the Christians in Pergamum. And so lets just put ourselves in their place and read this letter to them as if it were addressed to us – which it is.
You Christians are an insult to Pergamum. Your neighbors sometimes talked loud enough for you to overhear about how they are “deeply offended” that you wouldn’t join them in their festivals. They consider your doctrine that only baptized believers in Christ have a home in His kingdom and a place at His table to be downright rude. They say that you are being judgmental and intolerant because you call certain behaviors “immoral.”
But your neighbors are more than angry. They are enraged to the point of violence. One among you, a brother named Antipas was put to death because he refused to confess that Jesus was just one of many and gods an equal among all the others.
Your reaction has been to remain faithful and stand your ground in the face of pressure, resistance and rejection. That’s not to say you haven’t been afraid, downright scared at times. But you’ve remained faithful.
Yet, there are signs that the influence of the society and culture in which you live is starting to have it’s effect upon your faith and upon your congregation. There is a growing acceptance of compromise among you. There are some who claim that you can still be faithful to Christ even if you go with the flow. There is even some pressure from some of the membership of the congregation to adopt some of the practices of the pagans. It is being said that this will help you appeal to them better. There even seems to be a growing willingness to tolerate what you know to be immoral because you’re afraid of scaring people off if you practice church disciple and expel the immoral brother or sister.
I’m sure that the debates and arguments that were heard in the congregation of Pergamum were along the same lines as the ones we hear today. Why get so hung up on doctrine. You need to make the gospel of Christ appealing to people if you want to reach them. Doctrine just turns people off. Besides, if God is gracious and merciful, what does it matter? He’ll forgive us if we do wrong.
Beware of this “stumbling block” that is the work of Satan himself. What seems so innocent and harmless is really the forsaking of the gospel.
“Repent therefore!” As Christians, you have been called to die to sin and live to righteousness. There needs to be a thorough going change of heart take place in you. You are to “hate what is evil and cling to what is good.” (Rom. 12:9). We must to say ‘no’ to the easy, compromising religion of the Nicolatains who would tempt us to mix what pleases us and what pleases God together into an unholy stew. We are to say ‘yes’ to the faith of Antipas, who endured death rather than concede one ounce of what God has completed for us in Christ crucified. Our very own Antipas is a member of that great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us.
Therefore let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us and run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3).
“Repent therefore!” “Otherwise, I will come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” The sword is the Word that comes from the mouth of God. It’s a sharp sword. It cuts to the very dividing line between soul and spirit. It will cut away all of the lies and excuses you use to cover up the problem. It will cut away the cancer that is in you and that will kill you if it isn’t removed. His Word is like a double edged sword. The Law cuts away at everything that covers up your sin. And the Gospel cuts your sin out of you so that you may live. It’s a double edge that will both kill you and raise you up to new life.
Whoever has an ear needs to hear this sharp word that comes from His mouth. Remain in Christ. Put all of your hope and confidence in Him for He will defend and protect you against every threat against you. Christ remained firm through all of the persecution and suffering that was thrown upon Him by Satan and He rose victoriously from the dead. In your baptism, you have died with Christ, been buried with Him and you have been raised with Him. Remain in Christ and you too will overcome.
There is a great reward that awaits us – whether we be Christians in Pergamum or in Waterville. “To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna.” The manna from that sustained and nourished the people of God in the desert while they made their way to the promised land, was hidden away in the ark of the covenant. Christ is that ark of the covenant and the manna is hidden in Him. He is the bread of life. He will sustain you with His own body now so that you may enter the promised land that flows with milk and honey.
“To him who overcomes, I will give a white stone with a new name written on it.” God has seen the charges made against you. He has seen the wounded and bleeding body of His Son, His arms outstretched on the cross pleading for you. He has seen the blood of Christ and His righteousness that covers you. The judgment has been made. God has taken the two stones – the black one for guilt and the white one for innocence and has inscribed your new name on the white one.
Like our brothers and sister in Pergamum, we live in a place and time where the temptation to compromise the gospel both out of fear and out of the desire for acceptance is all around us. We pray that this word of God would be that sharp, double edged sword that kills us to make us alive until we overcome.
Related Entries:
» To the Church at Sardis – Revelation 3:1-7» Sermon – Easter 2 – "The Patient Endurance" – Revelation 1:9-20 – 4/11/10
» Sermon – Easter 7 – "Paradise Restored" – Revelation 22:1-6, 12-20 – 5/16/10
» To the Church at Thyatira – Revelation 2:18-29
» Sermon – Easter 4 – "Out Of The Great Tribulation" – Revelation 7:9-17 – 4/25/10
» Sermon Index – Lutheran – LCMS
