Pergamum: A Church Cursing Themselves

History

• Founded by the Greeks around 800 BC,
  • Oldest mention of Pergamum comes from Athens born philosopher, historian, and military leader Xenophons in “Anabasis”
    • Tells the story of his mercenary army called “The Ten Thousand” who was hired by Cyrus the younger (great-grandson of King Cyrus who was celebrated in the prophet Isaiah’s day- Isaiah 45:1) and nephew of Artaxerxes (Book of Esther) to seize the throne from his brother Artaxerxes II.
• After Alexander the Great’s conquest, it eventually became the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamum to which Smyrna and Ephesus belonged
• In 133 BC, Atallus III appointed the Roman Empire as his heir when he died
• Pergamum didn’t advance much until the Roman Emperor Hadrian (bad guy) elevated their status as a metropolis over their rivals Smyrna and Ephesus

Key Characteristics

• Was an important trade center for Asia minor
• Was an acropolis i.e. a large, fortified city on a hill
• Due to terrain, it had many bridges over the andesite mesa and possessed the largest bridge in antiquity; a 633 foot wide “Pergamum bridge”
• Pergamum possessed the second largest library in the world (only Alexandria beat it in size and content) and was an intellectual hub
• Fanatically religious for Greek and Roman religion
  • Home to over 20 temples (large: Zeus, Athena, Dionisis, emperor Trajun, and aklepios with smaller temples)
  • To give size reference, the smallest temple to demeter could seat 800 worshipers at a time
  • Zeus stood atop the hill of the city (now called “The Great Pergamum Altar”, but the center of worship was to the god aklepios, the god of healing (remember last two churches)
    • A half-mile long covered colonnade spanned the roadway to the temple where at the end they could bathe in the sacred springs for healing (Same context and architecture of John 5:1-18 at Pool of Bethsaida)
• Due to the library and focus on healing (aklepios), the city was the epicenter for medical education
  • Hippocrates (personal doctor of Marcus Aurelius’) and Galen (author of medical textbooks of the time) and considered “fathers of modern medicine” both studied here

¹² “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 

• Double edged sword also referred as “the Word” or “wisdom” of God
  • Hebrews 4:12- It splits spirit and soul so no one can hide from Jesus
• Term, “sharp” in Greek is “oxus”
  • Medical term
    • Can mean “sharp” but the intent was for surgery.
  • Also used to describe a bitter solution used to the purpose of anesthesia for people experiencing severe pain and sanitizing for surgery
    • Solution was given to boot Roman solution to prepare or “amp” them up for battle and numb the pain of battlefield wounds
    • Same solution offered to Jesus on the cross(Mark 15:36)
• Term for “double edged sword” is “romphaia”
  • Specific sword used by the Tracians that the Romans feared so much they adjusted their armor for it
  • Long blade that curved like a sickle
  • The sword Rome would use to execute Roman citizens (Paul was executed by it)
  • Same sword described in Luke 2:35 of Mary’s heart

*Idea was that compromise was spreading across this church, and Jesus was about to perform a powerful and painful surgery on the church to save and heal the church with a anesthetic laden sword as His instrument

¹³ I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.

• Jesus says He knows where “satan has his throne” and “where satan lives”
  • What was going on that indicates this as the home of satan?
• Jesus’ admiration is not the work of satan, rather the church’s faithfulness to Him
• “Antipas, my faithful witness”
  • We don’t know, but the reference to the romphaia sword may suggest Antipas was a Roman citizen who was executed by this sword
  • “Antipas” is a contracted form of “Antipater” meaning “anti-father”
    • This idea stretches back to Alexander the Great’s general Antipater who assumed control of that region after Alexander’s death
    • The idea had a double meaning of “against the father” or “representation of the father” on earth
    • “Father” was a common term to first refer to the philosophical ideas of the “father” e.g. Alexander for an empire, that later was adopted into Roman thought i.e. “father” was Roman emperor

*Point is, the very name Antipas means “Against the father” or “Against the Roman emperor” or “Representation of the father on earth”

• We don’t know why Antipas was put to death except it was a dispute with the priests of Serapis (minor temple in city), but we do have context as to the tension
  • Serapis was the Egyptian god of the sun and was the primary god worshiped in Alexandria
  • Serapis was worshiped with the bull god Apis who was the Egyptian god of the underworld
    • Apis was probably the golden calf the Hebrews made in the wilderness in Exodus 32
  • Serapis was always represented and worshiped as possessing control over Cerberus, a three-headed dog that guarded the underworld for Apis

*Jesus introduces Himself to John as the REAL Serapis- Revelation 1:13-18

*The gnostics of Asia minor chose the symbol of Serapis to represent the universal, trinitarian Godhead of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…keep reading

¹⁴ Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 

• Numbers 22-25- (After Hebrews defeat the Amalakites)
  • King Balak of Moab realizes he can’t beat the Hebrews as long as they have God’s blessing-Numbers 22
  • He hires a gentile prophet, Balaam to curse Israel, but he can’t and instead blesses them seven times- Numbers 23 and Numbers 24
    • The fourth message is messianic prophecy of Jesus’ birth
  • Instead, Balaam leads the Hebrews to CURSE THEMSELVES by bringing them into idol-driven drunken, sex orgies i.e. SIN-Numbers 25
  • God sends a plague into the Hebrew camp that kills 24,000

*The enemy could not defeat them with God’s blessing, so they got Israel to curse themselves by engaging in sexual immorality and idolatry

The Offense of the Pergamum Church

• Like Israel, the “Balaams” of their day led the church into
  • Idolatry by merging Christ with Serapis
    • Note: They did deceived them by not denying Christ, but by adapting Christ to the culture
    • Additionally, this was argued by the “intellectuals” of the day who were renown for “wisdom”; hence Christ will put them to shame with God’s wisdom
  • Like Israel, the “Balaam’s” of the day also found “intellectual” and “theological” reasons to justify and/or compromise idolatrous acts (lighting the incense to emperor, eating sacrificed meat, ec.)
  • The “Balaam’s” of the day led the church into sexual immorality, by reasoning a theology that “the flesh is bad, the spirit is good” so your not judged by the body

¹⁵ Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. ¹⁶ Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

• In Numbers 22-25, Moab could not defeat Israel in war, but they cursed themselves, and God waged war against them
• Here, Jesus is saying if you don’t “Repent now” then I will wage war against you

*Our ultimate decision is who we choose war with…. satan or God? In compromising with Satan, then we bring on our own curse and welcome God’s wrath

¹⁷ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

Christ’s Promise

1. “Hidden Manna”- That is, provision to make it through trial no one thinks is possible. He promises a way to overcome
2. White stone: white stones/pebbles were used in Rome to annotate approval
   • • Elections:
       • white stone = approve of candidate/measure
       • black stone = disapprove of candidate/measure
     • Trial
       • White stone = not guilty by committee of judges
       • Black stone = Guilty by committee of judges

*Simply, Jesus says on Judgment day I will cast my vote FOR you. The judge will declare you NOT GUILTY

1. New Name known only to the one who receives it
   • Names annotated character and identity
   • The Hebrew equivalent for the Greek word “stone” here is synonymous with heart
     • “I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit within you. I will remove from you a heart of stone and replace it with a stone of flesh”-Ezekiel 36:26

*Simply, you will be given a renewed identity that is intimately understood only between you and God