By Holly Culhane
How horrible it would be to be known as the compromising church. What a mark of mediocrity on the under-shepherds of that body to receive a letter from the Son of God, through the Apostle John, that declared them to be leaders who had tolerated teaching “like that of Balaam” – one who taught others how to sin.
“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Pergamum.
This is the message from the one with the sharp two-edged sword:
“I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you there in Satan’s city.
“But I have a few complaints against you.
You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin.
In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.
— Revelation 2:12-17
The Son knew that Pergamum, the greatest city of Asia Minor and the earliest capital of the Roman province of Asia, would have been a hard place for His followers to live. A city that was the home of the first temple dedicated to Caesar (a fervent advocate of the imperial cult) and a temple dedicated to the god of healing (whose insignia of the entwined serpent on a staff is still used as a medical symbol today), would cause these Christians intense persecution (like the believers in Smyrna).
They had refused to bring incense to the local temple and acknowledge Caesar is Lord. That is a mark in their favor, but that did not give them an out. Worshipping only the Son for a period of time does not give brothers and sisters in Christ a pass when they let some in the body teach that sinful behavior is acceptable.
Bible commentator Warren Wiersbe writes, “Satan had not been able to destroy them by coming as the roaring lion, but he was making inroads as the deceiving serpent.” Exactly what he is doing today!
The leaders stood firm for a time, but had become weak when compromisers, called Nicolaitans, had infiltrated the body with “the doctrine of Balaam”.
A history lesson is important here: In Numbers 22-25, Balaam was a true prophet who prostituted his gifts in order to earn money from King Balak, King of Moab. The king had hired Balaam to curse the people of Israel. Instead, however, God had turned the curses into blessings. But Balak still got what he wanted. How? He made friends with Israel and invited the Jews to hang out together, with the Moabites, and worship and feast at the pagan altars. The Israelite men fell for it, and they ate meat that was considered ritually unclean and committed sexual sin as part of the Moabites’ heathen religious ceremonies. The result of this act of compromise? Death for 24,000 Jews.
And now, the strong stand against offering incense at the temple of Caesar was being compromised. Apparently, Antipas had stood firm against becoming friendly with the Caesar worshippers, but others were wavering. The Son stepped in to stop it.
Enter God’s grace.
With the Son’s approval and accusation, came the admonition of repentance. About this passage, it’s said “Antipas felt the sword of Rome, but the church at Pergamum would feel the sword of Christ, if they did not repent.”
How loving of the Son to provide the warning. How gracious and godly and faithful of Him to offer an opportunity to repent. The offer was individual. “Anyone with ears to hear must listen…” And what would that one or group of ones receive? “Manna that has been hidden away in heaven…and…a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.” Those who repented would feast on the bread of life found in Jesus Christ through His Word, and they would receive a white stone that represented acquittal for a person on trial or a ticket to gain admission to a feast. Both applied!
There are so many lessons for us from the shepherds at Pergamum…
- Always be on guard for compromise – whether in the church, at work, or in your community – and never be afraid to take a stand against it. God is on your side.
- Do not be fooled by previous commitments to integrity. One poor choice separates Antipas and the others.
- Be careful of the invitations you accept. Being in the world is very different than being of the world. Be sure you know the difference.
- Every sin has consequences, and they are always farther-reaching than we realize.
- God’s grace even extends to me.
Where are you, fellow under-shepherd, when it comes to compromise? Have you been erring on the side of Antipas or the under-shepherds of Pergamum? Are there changes you need to make today to be faithful to our Good Shepherd and shepherd well those entrusted to your care?
DIGGING DEEPER QUESTIONS:
- Is there anyone or anything that is making inroads to undermine your leadership?
- Are there areas in your leadership where you have been compromising?
- What are some tangible changes you can make to shepherd well those entrusted to your care?
