Lying some fifty miles northeast of Ephesus, Pergamos, capital of the Roman province of Asia, boasted the first temple dedicated to a Roman Emperor, Augustus, which aptly illustrates the identity and spirit of this idolatrous city. It was also the home of one of the largest libraries in the world, second only to the one in Alexandria and where the use of parchment, derived from the word “Pergamos”, was first initiated. It was considered one of the great centers of learning and culture with its many- glorious temples, sculptures and altars. Unger’s Bible Dictionary states that the city was “greatly addicted to idolatry” and was well-known as the center of worship of such gods as Asklepios, Zeus and Isis to name a few but was more renowned as a primary center of Caesar worship. As representations of its identity and character these are not favorable traits for Christians. Caesar worship was the greatest competitor to the worship of Christ offered by the Antichrist in its formative years.

Pergamos represents that specific epoch or period of Church history from about 312 – 476 A.D. beginning when Constantine had declared Christianity the official religion of the state of Imperial Rome up until the time when the Church ascended to become the rival in power of the throne itself during the Epoch of Papal authority and sovereignty. Caesar/Emperor worship had really begun to take hold in the empire by the time of Christ’s ministry on earth and by the early fourth century was commonly understood to be a test of one’s loyalty. Before Constantine’s edict much persecution was administered to Christians who did not submit to this form of idolatry. Some of the most violent battles and drawn out inner persecutions were fought inside the Church over those who became lapsi and those who did not deny Christ by submitting to sacrificing to the Emperor. Christian shed Christian blood and whole families and congregations were ruined over the many horrific struggles about whether those who had offered sacrifice and incense to the emperor should be allowed back into fellowship with the common Church of believers. The Church was gaining in power and authority as a universal controller of all believers and had begun to maintain an iron grip on the structure and operation of every church throughout Christendom. It was this all inclusive power that gave teeth to its edicts and governance so that anyone who did not the bidding of the recognized binding voice of its synods and councils (which were usually swayed by the most powerful of its mouthpieces, usually a prominent and gifted bishop who was a great writer or orator, would suffer excommunication, persecution or even death (martyrdom).  Starting with the Emperor Nero’s persecution and extending through the third century up to the reign of the Emperor Diocletian and his immediate successors to the time of Imperial Favor and the Edict of Milan in 325 A.D. ten periods of persecution racked the Church and tested its faith and mettle.

In Christ’s opening remarks to the church at Pergamos he refers to himself as the one who has the sharp sword with two edges. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that “the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” So he aptly describes himself as such with this stern greeting to the church of Imperial Favor. Take note that the greetings in the first two churches of Ephesus and Smyrna are not quite as severe. The Lord greets Ephesus as the one who holds the seven stars and Smyrna as being the first and the last. A sharp sword with two edges are, as they say” fightin’ words” for, indeed, the battle for souls is particularly strong in this city of Pergamos and for the time it represents in church history. The only way the battle can be fought is by the Word of God, who is Jesus and who, alone, has the power to “pierce even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit.” Only His word is more powerful than the words spoken by rational man who would plaster over the truth with a veneer of smooth deception.

He acknowledges the fact that these saints dwell where Satan’s seat is, in the midst of idolatry in this extension of the Roman Empire with its capital city being Rome, where the spirit of the Antichrist had taken over and was in full bloom. He knows them, that they have not denied His name, even in the face of martyrdom. But, of course, he does have a few bones to pick with them in that they allowed the doctrine of Balaam who “cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel … to commit fornication”.

Balak, King of Moab, when he saw the size and strength of the children of Israel, tried to convince the prophet Balaam to curse Israel. Contrary to his own will, as we are told in the account of it in Numbers 22-25 Balaam found they could not be cursed because the Lord would not allow them to be cursed, only blessed as we read, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.“Num 23:19-20.  For money and power Balaam was willing to curse God’s people. How perfectly this scenario illustrates the church of Imperial Favor, the beginnings of the church of Rome, and the willingness for her to sell out to Satan for power and riches. Take a look around you and notice who has built up the biggest and most powerful religion in the world and ask yourself how it got like that?

Since the children of Israel, the people of God, could not be cursed, Balak sought to destroy them by other means and the two colluded to infiltrate them in another way – by having them intermingle with the Moabites (“commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab” – Numbers 25:1) which eventually led to their sacrificing to idols and bowing down to other gods. We find the same thing happening here in Pergamos when Constantine’s declaration to make Christianity the official religion of the land only served to promote the marriage of Christianity with pagan beliefs, a practice that has gone on ever since in the church.

Balaam was fully aware of what he was doing when he conspired with Balak, for riches, to seduce the Israelites to sin against their God and the punishment met on those who did was brutal and swift. “And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor.” Num 25:3-5 But God, in his mercy, turned his wrath from the children of Israel when Phinehas, grandson of Aaron the priest, in his zeal for the Lord and the children of Israel slew a Midianitish woman and a man of Israel for their whordom. As we read in Num 25:11, “Phinehas … hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel m my jealousy.” Nonetheless twenty-four thousand people perished in the plague visited upon them before the Lord turned his wrath away. He then instructed Moses to kill the Midianites. God is a jealous god and he will not tolerate His people participating in idolatry of any sort and joining themselves with other gods, whatever they may be.

The next bone He has to pick with them is the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which he says he hates (see: The Nicolaitanes, The System Jesus Hate). Jesus only states twice in all of scripture that he hates something and that something happens to be the same thing – the deeds and the doctrines of the Nicolaitanes. What is the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes? We know that the word itself is derived from two Greek words “nikao” meaning “to conquer” and “loas” meaning the laity. The practice of “lording” it over the laity totally opposes the equality we have obtained by Christ’s death and the fact the He is our one and only mediator as Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus“. To whom then should we be submitted? A sampling from the following scriptures gives us a pretty clear picture of whom and what we should be submitted. “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God ” Ephesians 5:21  “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7.  “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you.”  Hebrews 13:17  “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.” 1 Pet. 2:13-14 (see: Submission Who sets the conditions?)

The believers at Pergamos are warned to repent or else the Lord will come unto them quickly and actually fight against them with the sword of his mouth, probably the same sword that slew the Midianites. Just as the Midianites seduced His people to commit fornication; so also those who held to the doctrine of Balaam and the Nicolaitanes try to seduce the Christians at Pergamos to commit spiritual fornication against the Lord. As I said before, “them’s fightin’ words” and anyone who gets in the way of the Lord better be prepared to suffer
the consequences.

But to those who overcome will the Lord give to them hidden manna which, we know, is Jesus the Bread of Life. From John 6:35 we read “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” vs 47 -51  “And Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. “

Also to the overcomer is promised a white stone with a new name written on it which, the Scripture says, no man knows except him that receives it. What a promise of new and redeemed life in Christ to the overcomer of these idolatrous systems.

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Joanne Smith

Latest posts by Joanne Smith (see all)

• Women of the Bible - January 17, 2021
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