s even c hurches of a sia c hurch at p ergamos : c hurch t hat t olerated e rror
TRANSCRIPT
SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA
CHURCH AT PERGAMOS: CHURCH THAT TOLERATED
ERROR
THE TEXT
“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.”REVELATION 2:12,13
THE TEXT
“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.”REVELATION 2:14,15
THE TEXT
“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
2:16,17
BACKGROUND
• Located 30 miles north of Smyrna• Royal City of Asia• Capital city of Kingdom of Mysia,
after death of Alexander the Great• Parchment developed in Pergamos• Center of Caesar worship• Official capital of Asia Minor• Pliny the governor called it the most
illustrious city in Asia
parchment,untanned skins of animals, especially of the sheep, calf, and goat, prepared for use as a writing material. The name is a corruption of Pergamum, the ancient city of Asia Minor where preparation of parchment suitable for use on both sides was achieved in the 2nd cent. B.C. Parchment, which is more durable than papyrus and susceptible of being folded into book form, very gradually superseded papyrus. . .The skins were soaked in water, treated with lime to loosen the hair, scraped, washed, stretched, and dried, and then rubbed with chalk and pumice stone. . .Parchment is still used for certain documents and diplomas, for book bindings and lampshades, and for the heads of drums, tambourines, and banjos.
(www.encyclopedia.com)
BACKGROUND
• Pergamos (modern-day Bergama) was the first site for temple to the Caesar-cult dedicated to Augustus, 29 B.C.
• Library of over 200,000 volumes• Ultimately, the library was moved to
Egypt to be presented to Cleopatra
PERGAMUM’S PAGANISM
• Eumenes II actively promoted of the worship of Zeus and the other Olympian gods in Pergamum. He built up the great temple complex and library for which the city
became famous. This was a major religious center during the Hellenistic period, and second only to
Alexandria as a center of learning.
Reconstruction of the great altar
PERGAMUM’S PAGANISM
Aesculapium • The god of healing,
Aesculapius received worship in cultic centers around the Greek and Roman world. This large complex at Pergamum was originally constructed in the 4th century B.C. and became an official center in the the 3rd c.
In the 2nd c. A.D., Hadrian (76-138; Rom. Emp. 117-138) further developed the center and it was added to the list of "wonders of the world."
Courtesy of www.bibleplaces.com
Temple of Trajan
Courtesy of www.holylandphotos.org
THE AUTHOR
• Revelation 2:12-17• Author Described:• “He who has sharp two-
edged sword.”• Ephesians 6:17• Hebrews 4:12
GOD’S POWER
• Quick & powerful— Romans 1:16
• Sharp and piercing— cuts to the heart!
• Discerner of thoughts and intents—Hebrews 4:12
• Gets to man’s inner person!
COMMENDATIONS
• “I know thy works.”
• Take notes and inventory of all of our works!– Matthew 6:8
“Therefore do not be like them. For your
Father knows the things you have need of
before you ask Him.”
DWELLING PLACE
• “Where Satan’s Seat is.”
• All places have the devil to contend with
• Emperor worship and paganism– 1 Peter 5:8– 1 Corinthians
10:10-13
“Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary the
devil walks about like a roaring lion,
seeking whom he may
devour.”
COMMENDATIONS
• “Holding Fast to His name.”
• Refused to compromise their faith
• No excuses for failure—stay committed– Acts 5:29– Matthew 10:32,33
“But Peter and the other apostles
answered and said: We ought
to obey God rather than
men.”
COMMENDATIONS
• “Have not denied the faith.”
• Antipas, faithful martyr
• Not wavered• Steadfast– Jude 3
“Beloved, while I was very diligent to
write to you concerning our
common salvation, I found it necessary
to write to you exhorting you to
contend earnestly for the faith which
was once for all delivered to the
saints.”
COMMENDATIONS
• “Have not denied the faith.”
• Antipas, faithful martyr
• Not wavered• Steadfast– Ephesians
4:14
“That we should no longer be
children, tossed to and fro and
carried about with every wind of
doctrine, by the trickery of men, in
the cunning craftiness of
deceitful plotting.”
WORDS OF CONDEMNATION
• “I have a few things against you.”
• Balaam and Balak
• Some held to false doctrine
• Committed harlotry with Moab– Numbers 22-24
“Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come now, curse
them for me; perhaps I shall be able to
overpower them and drive them out.”
WORDS OF CONDEMNATION
• “I have a few things against you.”
• Balaam and Balak
• Some held to false doctrine
• Committed harlotry with Moab– Numbers 22-24
“And God said to Balaam, You shall not go with them;
you shall not curse the people,
for they are blessed.”
WORDS OF CONDEMNATION
• “I have a few things against you.”
• Balaam and Balak
• Some held to false doctrine
• Committed harlotry with Moab– Numbers 22-24
“If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the
word of the LORD, to do good or bad
of my own will. What the LORD
says, that I must speak'.”
WORDS OF CONDEMNATION
• “Danger of ungodly counsel.”
• Sexual immorality bring God’s wrath
• Pagan ceremony of heathen religion
• Guilty of teaching it?• Harboring ones who
did!– 2 John 9,10
“Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the
doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who
abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father
and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does
not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your
house nor greet him.”
WORDS OF CONDEMNATION
• “Error cannot be tolerated!”
• Compromising our faith with sin always proves unprofitable.– Ephesians 5:11
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness, but rather expose
them.”
WORDS OF CONDEMNATION
• “Error cannot be tolerated!”
• Compromising our faith with sin always proves unprofitable.– Romans 16:17
“Now I urge you, brethren, note
those who cause divisions and
offenses, contrary to the doctrine
which you learned, and avoid them.”
WORDS OF CONDEMNATION
• “Doctrine of Nicolaitans!”
• Lord hated the teaching.
• Hate the teaching—not the teacher– 1 John 4:1
“Beloved, do not believe every
spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets
have gone out into the world.”
WORDS OF CONDEMNATION
• “Doctrine of Nicolaitans!”
• Lord hated the teaching.
• Hate the teaching—not the teacher– Romans 1:32
“Who, knowing the righteous
judgment of God, that those who practice such
things are deserving of
death, not only do the same but also approve of those
who practice them.”
WORDS OF CONDEMNATION
• “Doctrine of Nicolaitans!”
• Lord hated the teaching.
• Hate the teaching—not the teacher– 1 Timothy 4:1-3
“…in latter times some will depart
from the faith, giving heed to deceiving
spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking
lies in hypocrisy, having their own
conscience seared with a hot iron.”
THE WARNING
• “Repent quickly!”
• Lord come quickly fight with the sword of His mouth.– Acts 17:30
“Truly, these times of
ignorance God overlooked, but now commands
all men everywhere to
repent.”
THE WARNING
• “Repent quickly!”
• Lord come quickly fight with the sword of His mouth.– 2 Corinthians
7:9-10
“Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your
sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that
you might suffer loss from us in nothing.”
THE CONSOLATION
• “Hidden manna to eat.”
• Bread of life.• Truth hidden to
those who are “blind.”– Exodus 16
“…Behold, I will rain bread from heaven
for you. And the people shall go out
and gather a certain quota every day, that
I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or
not.”
THE CONSOLATION
• “Hidden manna to eat.”
• Bread of life.• Truth hidden to
those who are “blind.”– John 6:32,33
“…Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did
not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread
from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the
world.”
WHITE STONE
• “New name written.”
• No one knows it but those who receive it
• New status— new relationship
• Only for the faithful--overcome-Revelation 6:11
“Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said
to them that they should rest a little while longer, until
both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was
completed.”
WHITE STONE
• “New name written.”
• No one knows it but those who receive it
• New status— new relationship
• Only for the faithful--overcome-Revelation 19:8
“And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and
bright, for the fine linen is the
righteous acts of the saints.”
NEW NAME
“It may be in some way the means by which God will receive those
who gain the victory. Since it cannot be known by others, it is useless to ask what it is. It is our business to overcome, the white stone and the new name we can leave to God to make plain in his
own time.”Hinds, John T. A Commentary on the Book of
Revelation. Nashville, Tenn.: Gospel Advocate, p. 46.