Kota Kemuning Church of Christ

Lessons from the Church in Pergamos

Written by Roger D. Campbell

In the first century, the city of Pergamos was  home to a huge library which is thought to have  been the second-largest one in the world at that time.  Pergamos also was well-known for developing  parchment. Made from animal skins, parchment was  durable material on which writing was done.

The church of the living God was in Pergamos,  too. Its value to the community far exceeded that of  parchment and a library. In the Bible, the sole  reference to the Lord’s body in Pergamos is Jesus’  letter to it, which is recorded in Revelation 2:12-17.  What lessons can we learn from the church there?

The opening words of the Christ’s letter to them  are: “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” (2:12,13).  

The church in Pergamos had some  commendable traits. Jesus said they held fast His  name. His “name” would stand for His person and  everything associated with Him. It would include  His Deity, authority, and Lordship. When we “hold  fast our confession” (Hebrews 4:14), that is the  same as holding fast the Lord’s name.

Jesus also observed that the brethren there had  not denied His faith. We know that our Lord does  not want any of His followers to be ashamed of Him  or His word (Mark 8:38). Jesus’ “faith” is what  the Bible calls “the faith” (Acts 6:7), the “one faith”  (Ephesians 4:5), which is the gospel system of faith.  The saints in Pergamos had persevered after Antipas  had been martyred. He was a man who died for the  faith, and the brethren responded by keeping their  commitment to the Lord. When bad things happen  to good people, we must not waver in our devotion  to our great God.

Satan had success in Pergamos. Jesus spoke  about the devil’s throne (2:13) and his dwelling  place (2:13), both ideas pointing to the foothold that  Satan had, not only in the city, but within the  church. Satan wants to destroy as many humans as  possible, but it is possible for us to resist him and  send him fleeing (James 4:7). Yes, in a world that  lies under the sway of the devil (1 John 5:19), it is  possible for God’s servants to shine forth as light  amidst the darkness. 

The Pergamos church was plagued by the  doctrine of Balaam. Jesus told them, “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” (2:14). Some good traits of  Balaam are set forth in Numbers 22-24, but his  downfall was his love for the wages of  unrighteousness (2 Peter 2:15). 

What does it mean that Balaam cast a stumbling  block before the Israelites? He showed the king of  Moab how to cause Israel to sin. A “stumbling  block” was “the movable stick or trigger of a trap, a  trap stick; a trap, snare” [Thayer, no. 4625 via e

Sword]. The fleshly appeal that Balaam  recommended was to use fornication and idolatry to  trip up the Israelites. It worked. Sadly, some in the  church in Pergamos were setting a death trap for  others with the false teaching that sexual immorality  and idolatry are acceptable to God. They are not!  When God’s people compromise with the world, no  one wins in God’s sight . . . No one!

Jesus also said that some in the Pergamos church  held the doctrine of Nicolaitans (2:15). Whatever  that unidentified teaching was, Jesus said He hated it  (2:15). If the Lord hates it, so should His followers.  Rather than despise it, some of the church members  were tolerating it, even supporting it. Brethren, our  Lord cares about what we teach and what we  tolerate! Tolerating error is false love. Tolerating  error can allow the whole lump to be leavened  (Galatians 5:9). Rather than embrace the unfruitful  works of darkness, we must oppose and expose  them (Ephesians 5:11).

In view of the church’s misguided support of the  doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitans, the Christ  told them, “Repent, or else I will come to you  quickly and will fight against them with the sword of  My mouth” (2:16). Read it again: “Repent, or else!”  Time could not resolve or cover up the sin in the  church. Only acknowledging (1 John 1:9) and  turning away from their error could remedy the  situation. By saying that He would fight against  them, Jesus showed that, yes, it is possible for Him  to turn against His people when they turn against  Him (2 Chronicles 15:2).

Despite its issues, there still was hope for the  congregation in Pergamos. For those who  continued to overcome, Jesus would bless them. He  would give them manna, a white stone, and a new  name (2:18). Victory could be theirs if they would  hold fast to Him and hear what the Spirit said to the  church through this letter (2:18). It makes sense for  us to study and learn from our Lord’s past messages  to His churches.