Church of Pergamos - Satan is Alive and Well

 Revelation 2:12-17

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.

“‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.  But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.  So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.  Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.

The Church at Pergamos was unlike Ephesus or Smyrna in that it was not a port city, nor known for it’s wealth.  Pergamum was a city known for it’s religious piety.  As such, it was also a center for the church of Satan, and several other Greek gods, including Zeus, Aphrodite, and Aesculapius.  The church of Pergamos was standing in faith against Satan, and against these Greek gods, as best as they could, or so they thought.

In Jesus’ letter to them, He describes Himself as a sharp, double-edged sword.  Recall from Hebrews 4:12, the double-edged sword is the Word, and able to separate souls from spirit, joints from marrow, and a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart.  In this manner, Jesus is communicating to the church that, despite their best efforts to keep the faith, they have allowed sin into their church.  

They had allowed the teachings of Balaam to infiltrate their church in place of the righteous teachings of God.  They had allowed sexual immorality, as well as allowing some to claim Christianity in order to prosper themselves and their charter, and purpose, rather than the one true purpose.  The reference to following the Nicolaitans refers to allowing sexual immorality, Pagan rituals, and beliefs to infiltrate the Christian doctrine of Jesus Christ.  This cannot be tolerated.

Several parallels are seen in today’s society and the church population.  So many are claiming Christianity as a moniker for their own personal gain, and to expand their popularity, or prosperity, instead of God’s.  There is unrepentant sexual immorality and covetousness throughout today’s church body and even leadership.  Our culture has become complacent and even encouraging to these same exceptions and blindly accepting under a false belief system outside of God’s doctrine.

Satan is alive and well within the church walls, and within the political and cultural walls of our world today.  We have allowed this to happen through complacency and politeness, rather than holding onto God’s Word as the single point of truth.  Jesus’ references to the church at Pergamos are just as relevant in today’s world.  Yes, the idols we worship have changed from Greek gods, but the blind eye and acceptance of worldly ways are very much the same.  

Jesus’ words were very clear to the church of Pergamos: repent from these ways, turn away, and admonish this evil from infiltrating your Christian doctrine.  Using the “word” as a sword, defend against Satan and his evil, for Christ will not stand for it.  His words are no less true for us today.  We are called to righteousness and given the tool of Jesus’ word to fight against Satan.  Jesus’ promises eternity for those who do stand up and fight, and repent from this evil, but I fear for those who do not, and continue to rest in the lies of the devil himself, within the church.