We live in an age where consistency, being true or faithful to a person or an idea is generally despised. We think that unswerving commitments are signs of 'fanaticism' because today everything is considered relative, objectionable, and changing. The only commitment that seems to be praised and encouraged today is the commitment to one's own perceived 'happiness' and convenience, something that nobody is ever allowed to challenge as it is considered a person's "sacred right".
Shining examples of unswerving commitment and faithfulness to Jesus Christ, as their Lord and Saviour, in spite of hard persecutions, are some of the local churches to whom the Apostle John addresses in the Book of Revelation. What these men and women had found in Jesus was so precious and real that they would not have exchanged it for anything in the world, not even their own life. Could we ever come to share their attitudes, even today?
We will consider today the particular message which, through John, the risen Christ had sent to the leaders of the Christian congregation in the city of Pergamon. This was overall a faithful church, and for this, it was praised. It had still to deal, though, with some problems which the Lord did not fail to remark and which had to be corrected. Their calling needed an allround consistency. What were their strong points and what was still missing?
The church of Pergamon knew what it meant to be persecuted for their faith in Christ, but also did the apostle John himself. Persecution did not discourage John and neither did the cause of the Gospel have a setback because of it. On the contrary, it advanced the work even more! Just as the enemies of Christ think that when they persecute Christians, they can silence the preaching of the Gospel, they discover that in so doing, to their dismay, they further promote Christianity. The exile or imprisonment of Christian leaders sometimes even gives them the opportunity of producing testimonies and astonishing literary works for the comfort and guidance not only of their generation, but beyond. I am thinking here of the Puritan preacher and writer John Bunyan, but this too was the case for the apostle John, whose activity as God’s messenger continued and reached its peak when he was exiled on the island of Patmos, where he wrote the last book of the Bible, Revelation.
The hope of Christ’s enemies to isolate and silence him was thus defeated by God’s providential care. He wrote: “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: ‘Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea’” (1:9-11).
God’s Word through John achieved the purpose for which it is sent1. His prophetic and pastoral activity continued even from afar, addressing the specific situation of seven local churches in what was then the Roman province of Asia, and foretelling events which would have occurred in their lifetime. Not only this, but, like the other New Testament Apostolic letters, the purpose of the book of Revelation, although bound to the specific situation of the Christians to whom it was addressed, was wider. These texts have become the message that God directs to Christians of every time and place living in comparable situations. God’s message through John then becomes God’s Word for them too. This is why God's written Word is always relevant.
1. A message to church leaders. The message is addressed “To the angel of the church in Pergamon” . The term “angel”, literally means “messenger” and it is used here as indicating the representatives of a local church, its leaders2 who, as “guardian angels”, are responsible for the moral and spiritual condition of the church under their care. This is a formidable responsibility indeed. Let's support and encourage our church leaders.
2. An important city. Pergamon was a Greek city located in Mysia (Asia Minor) and built on a high hill, which afterward became the fortress dominating the city as houses sprang up around its base. Today it corresponds to the the Turkish city of Bergama. Its name is associated with the invention of the parchment (or “charta pergamena”) a material for writing on, made of calfskin, sheepskin or goatskin, produced there under the patronage of king Eumenes (197-159 BC), founder of that city, as a replacement for the papyrus. The city itself hosted a large library made of 200.000 volumes, the second of importance in the ancient world. The kingdom of Pergamon became a Roman province in the year 130 BC. The city continued to flourish and was considered the most eminent of the whole region. All the main roads of Asia Miinor converged there. Full of imposing buildings, witnessing to its riches, the city also contained a famous and much-frequented temple of Asclepius, “the healing god", who was worshipped in the form of living serpents fed in the temple and through sexual rituals. In honour of Asclepius, a particular type of non-venomous snake was often used, in fact, in healing rituals, these snakes crawled around freely on the floor in dormitories where the sick and injured slept. The temple attracted thousands of people. Christianity reached Pergamos early and, in spite of harsh continued persecutions, churches survived until now.
3. An authoritative message. The message to this church is introduced by:"These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword” (12 b). Through the apostle John, God addressed to the Christians of Pergamon his “words”. These are, rather prophetic utterances, “solemn pronouncements”, as a king would do to his subjects. It is no "formal" speech. It is a royal decree meant to be carefully minded, understood and diligently obeyed as every word that comes from God should be received. These words are described as sharp and piercing like a sword or, in modern terms, like a surgeon’s scalpel. God makes careful assessments of the moral and spiritual condition of His people. He cuts deep. Indeed, the sword of the Spirit, which is God's Word, cuts in every way. It analyses in depth human hearts. The Bible says: "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?"3.God knows and has revealed it. It scans people as a tomography in hospitals today in order to detect things which otherwise would be hidden to the eye. The assessment God’s word does on human society, church or individuals is described in the Bible like this: "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart " (Hebrews 4:12). Have we experienced the Word of God as such? In fact, it convinces people of sin, righteousness, and judgement. We would rather not bear the results of God's investigation because often they are imbarassing and "inconvenient" to us. We would rather deny the evidence and delude ourselves that it's all right with us. In fact, no hypocrisy could stand at God’s inspection. The Lord Jesus Christ, God's living word, now cuts deep in order to heal. One day, nevertheless, He will come as a rightful Judge and His sentence will be unappealable.
What is now God's assessment of Pergamon's church?
4. A challenging environment. First of all, He says, “I know where you live—where Satan has his throne.” (13 a) God is fully aware of the particular setting, context, where His churches live. In the case of Pergamon’s church, God knew that it was located “where Satan has its throne”, a place of special wickedness. What a frightful location for a church to be: living within a society that has enthroned Satan as its king! It is not difficult to imagine a society that, refusing to worship the true and living God and obey to His rightful laws, has set up His enemy as their king and are happy to submit themselves his laws and control. Pergamon was not only the centre of a corrupt government, but a place where dishonest gains made many people wealthy and without moral scruples. Furthermore, it was the seat of false religions and idolatry, where people were flocking hoping to be healed from their diseases and, for this reason, were ready for anything, even worshipping a serpent!
The Gospel of Jesus Christ was preached in a city like that and several people were converted from its lifestyle. Their eyes were opened and they were turned from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, in order to receive the forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Christ4. Their conversion, though, was not “a private matter” but it called into question the lifestyle itself of a whole city who felt challenged, judged and reproved by them. Challenging the society in which we live is, in fact, a "requirement" for confessing Christ, as the apostle Paul wrote: “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:11). No wonder that they were harshly persecuted, as the verse itself says: “Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives”. Is this our situation as a result of our presence and action?
Now, to dwell where Satan has his seat, his throne, where Satan has a kingdom, a power, must be very uncomfortable, as well as dangerous. It requires great care, circumspection, and prudence how to behave. God knew that living as Christians in such a place implies being exposed to many temptations. Where sin is popular and commonplace, it fascinates and seduces. It may lead even Christians to accept it as "normal" because it is not seen as God sees it, but through the distorted vision of the majority. It is, in a way, much easier to be virtuous and pious in some circumstances more than in others. In order to determine how much credit is due to a man or a woman for his or her virtues, it is necessary to understand how much he or she has been called to resist, how many temptations he or she has encountered, what allurements may have been presented to his or her mind to draw him or her away from the path of godly living.
5. Faithfulness notwithstanding. In spite of all this, the Christ said to His people there: "You remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me", which may also be translated: "You continue to cling to my name and you have not denied your faith in me". They had professed the name of Christ; that is, they had professed to be His followers, and they had steadfastly adhered to Him and His cause in all the opposition made to him. They had not been ashamed of or denied the name Christian, given in honour of Christ, and indicating that they were his disciples. It was this name that subjected the early Christians to reproach. The Apostle Peter wrote: “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, who is the Spirit of God, rests on you”5. Notwithstanding that the profession of Christianity exposed this church to the bitterest persecution, they held fast the name of Christian, which they had received from Jesus Christ, and did not deny his faith; for when brought to the trial they openly professed themselves disciples and followers of their Lord and Master, as did their dear brother Antipas. It is supposed that Antipas was murdered by some mob as he was preaching the Gospel outside the temple of their god Asclepius, "where Satan lives". Would we have a similar daring courage?
The truth of the Gospel, that is, salvation by grace alone, through faith only in Christ alone, was dear and valuable to them. They held it fast with great courage and strength. Though the greater number was against them, and they were the object of reproach and persecution, they did not "sell out" easily. This is the same truth which the Protestant Reformation passed on to us, and for which many martyrs gave their lives. Do we also hold it dear or are we ready to compromise it following the current fads?
6. Tolerating inconsistencies and false doctrines. As it often happen, not every member of the church in Pergamon was of the same mind. There were believers who, for different reasons, were rather ready to compromise the received faith with inconsistent attitudes and ideas, and even embraced doctrines foreign to "the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints" (Jude 4). The fact was that the leaders of that church did not challenge them. This is why the risen Christ, through the Apostle John, reproaches them. In fact He says: "I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans".
Here the charge is that they were somewhat tolerant that among them there were some that held deviant doctrines similar to those of Balaam, of whom the Old Testament referred to6. As a church they had strong points that made them commendable, but in this matter they were utterly inconsistent: they had tolerance to dangerous practical errors - an error that tended to sap the very foundation of Christian ethics and the witness of the Church. Balak had, in fact, tempted God's people by encouraging them to marry foreigners, defile their moral and spiritual separation from the world, and abandon their "pilgrim character". Instead of exposing and denouncing the perverted lifestyle and worldly philosophy, some among them sought and even theorized a compromise between it and Christ. In the church at Pergamon some considered a matter of indifference eating things offered to idols in honour of those idols, and even sexual immorality. They associated with idolaters in the heathen temples, and partook with them in their religious festivals. On the other side, we are not quite sure what the group of the Nicolaites taught. It is commonly supposed that they were a sect of the Gnostics, who taught impure doctrines, and followed impure practices. The Nicolaites taught the community of wives, that adultery and fornication were indifferent things, that eating meats offered to idols was quite lawful; and mixed several pagan rites with the Christian ceremonies.
Sexual immorality would have been only the beginning of a deeper corruption, the unchastity and pollution which derives by "reconciling" the principles, lifestyle and worldview of this world with the principles, lifestyle and worldview of Christ as He speaks in the Bible. This is rather common today. What do we do about this? Certainly our time boasts of being a time of "tolerance" and many would not want to be considered "intolerant", but a certain kind of tolerance would not have wounded the witness of the whole church? Does it not do so now?
The Apostle Paul wrote: "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).
6. A call to repentance. Christ hates false doctrine and corrupt practices, therefore His message does not leave space to ambiguity: "Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth". Young's Literal Translation renders it as: "Reform! and if not, I come to thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth". The risen Christ would come against the church if its leadership persisted to tolerate these inconsistencies. The church would cause the Lord's displeasure and would run the risk to be disowned by him. If the church would repent, or if it would separate itself from the evil, then the Saviour would not have come against them. Otherwise they would feel the vengeance of His sword, and be subjected to a right punishment. The church always suffers when it tolerates unrepentant offenders in its midst. It has, nevertheless, the power of saving them by repenting of its own unfaithfulness, and striving for their conversion.
How true that churches often fear to be "to strict" or judgemental" and, for this reason they retain its communion with corrupt people. They should protest against unbiblical evil doctrines and practices and apply discipline, which is one of the marks of a sound church. Oftentimes, nevertheless, it seems more "convenient" to ignore deviations and inconsistences. This is why God's word calls the faithful church to repent of its "lukewarmness", negligence, and sinful complacency. The Lord of the church constantly acts upon the church "to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless" (Ephesians 5:26-27).
Repentance is the duty of churches as well as each one of us continually; those who sin together, should repent together!
7. Bread and a pledge from heaven
The message of the Lord Jesus to the church in Pergamon concludes by saying: "To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it." The meaning of these words is somewhat obscure and mysterious. We recognize in them, nevertheless, the "style" of Jesus himself who, in his public ministry, never taught without using parables. Parables had a "discriminating effect" on those who listened to them. Their meaning, in fact, remained hidden to those who were harbouring in themselves prejudice and malice, but Jesus Himself rewards, with private explanations His true disciples, those who loved Him, when He was alone later with them. Here, the "manna" has indeed a "hidden" character and they receive something which has meaning and value only for those that are "open" to Him.
7.1 The hidden manna. Undoubtedly "manna" here refers to the food sustaing God's people in their long journey through the desert, during the Exodus, towards the promised land7, and it stands for the spiritual food that alone nourishes the soul. It is a food God promises to those who believe in Him, obey to Him and enjoy being in communion with Him. It is a food that God gives only to his chosen people, true "bread of heaven". Jesus identified himself with such a food. He said: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world" (John 6:51). It will be given to "those who overcome" or gained the victory in their conflict with sin. In the persecutions and trials of the world, they will be permitted to partake of that spiritual food which is laid up for the people of God, and by which they will be nourished forever. It is a "hidden" food because the world does not know anything about it. It has nothing to do with the food offered to idols. Pagans enjoy sharing it in their festivals, but that gives no lasting nourishment. God's manna is wholly hidden from carnal and unregenerate people, and is enjoyed only by believers. They will be supplied all along through the "wilderness of this world" by that food from the immediate presence of God which their souls require. Christ Himself is the manna "hidden" from the world, but revealed to the believer, so that he has already a foretaste of His preciousness8.
7.2. A white stone. "Those who conquer" will also receive "a white stone with a new name written on it", that is a personal token of His favour, a "certification of authenticity", the inner persuasion that they belong to Him and that nothing and nobody will ever be able to separate them from Him9. It is the inner witness of the Holy Spirit, the assurance of their salvation which the world cannot understand and despises, considering it impossible or sheer arrogance. It is "a pledge of heaven", a token of everlasting friendship with Him. It can be compared to a wedding ring or, better, with the water of Baptism or the elements of the Lord's Supper, confirming to the participant the promises proclaimed by the Gospel. The sacraments, in fact, speak loud and clear to believers but they mean nothing to unbelievers, those who do not love the Lord. The "new name" is the seal of adoption into the family of God and the personal invitation to participate in "the wedding supper of the Lamb", as the same John wrote in a later chapter: "Then the angel said to me, 'Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These are the true words of God'" (Revelation 19:9).
We have seen today, then, a local church which lives in a hostile environment and challenging a society where Satan is enthroned. For this reason, it suffered harsh persecution. This did not discourage them, though, but they remained true to the Biblical Gospel confessing boldly that Jesus, and Jesus only, is Lord over their lives. Likewise, we live today in a society which has enthroned Satan as their lord and gladly follow the lifestyle he promotes. As those faithful Christians did and, like them, many more in the course of history, we should never be ashamed to bear Christ’s name. Nourished and strengthened by His word and confirmed by the Sacraments, it is our calling to continue to be faithful living witnesses to His Lordship according to the teaching of the Bible, whatever the cost. We should do it as we obey him in the way we live and speak out for Him.
In the context of a society like this, Christians should also preserve a united front. The question is should unity among ourselves be also pursued at any cost? Should we, as many say, “downplay the differences” among ourselves, be “bound together in love” and preach the Gospel, sticking to the “essential”? Although this sounds reasonable and commendable, it does not seem to be the policy taught by Christ himself in His word. Often the question we are also facing, in fact, is: Should we tolerate in our midst people who, although they bear the name of Christian, in fact do compromise their faith with a society ruled by Satan and modify orthodox Christian doctrine to suit their own persuasions and morals? No, when they do it, we are also called to expose them and call them to repentance - and certainly repent ourselves for having tolerated all this. This is the duty of responsible and faithful Christian leaders. Although it may seem reasonable and convenient to us, unity among ourselves cannot be as such our first priority. Whether we like it or not, we should make no mistake about this: Christ himself does not tolerate Christians compromising the truth, on the contrary, as it is clearly written, Christ fights against them and His word calls them to repentance. Bearing Christ’s name in itself is not enough. If they are not willing to repent and persist justifying themselves, even to the point of opposing Him to his face, at the last judgement He will repudiate them and tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' (Matthew 7:23). We risk the same if we are not watchful.
One day, the Lord Jesus Christ, having disarmed the powers and authorities that oppose Him, will make a public spectacle of them and will triumph over them10. As a conqueror, returning from a victory, He will displays in a triumphal procession "the kings and princes" he has taken. His faithful people will also share His triumph. This is why they are called the overcomers, those who have been nourished and strengthened by His Word, true “hidden manna”, fighting with Him “the good fight of the faith”11. He will acknowledge them as His own.
In which side will we be, the overcomers’ or the defeated ones?
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Paolo Castellina,
1 Isaiah 55:11.
2 See Acts 20:17, Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-5.
3Jeremiah 17:9 NLT.
4 Acts 26:18.
51 Peter 4:14.
6Num 31:15,16 22:5 23:8
7Exodus 16:16-35
8Compare as to Christ's own hidden food on earth, Joh 4:32, 34, and Job 23:12.
9Romans 8:35ff.
10 Colossians 2:15.
11 1 Timothy 6:12.