The Compromising Church

The church of Pergamum = The compromising church.

Jesus = he who has the sharp two-edged sword. = the Word of God.

Greeting

“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.”

The Problem

“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.”

“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who

bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.” 2 Peter 2:1-3

The solution to the problem = Repent!

The warning

Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

God is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14). He will act. He is jealous of the truth and jealous of his blood bought people.

The promises

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.’

John 6:48-58,

Jesus said: I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever. Jesus is God’s hidden manna.

The white stone is explained by Herb Munson like this:

“In Asia, at the time that John was writing this book, it was a custom to give an intimate friend a tessara, which was a small smoothed stone or piece of ivory with writing on it. It became the secret private possession for the one who received it from the one who gave it. In like manner, I believe Jesus is speaking here of a heavenly tessara that will be inscribed with a secret and private new name that each child of God will be given from his hand one day. These individualized stones will ever remind us of the intimate and utterly unique … one on one … relationship that we have with our Lord Jesus Christ.”