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Letter to the Church at Pergamum

Jim MacGregor AMDG

Table of Contents

LettertotheChurchatPergamum..............................................................................................1TheLetter.......................................................................................................................................................................3TheSetting.....................................................................................................................................................................3ChurchHistory..............................................................................................................................................................5Jesus’Title......................................................................................................................................................................5

RelatedFact:“SharpTwoEdgedSword”inJesus’Parables..................................................................................7Jesus’Commendation..................................................................................................................................................7Satan’sThroneandMammon....................................................................................................................................................................9Jesus’NameandHisFaith.........................................................................................................................................................................13

Jesus’Complaint........................................................................................................................................................15TeachingofBalaam.....................................................................................................................................................................................15Balaam....................................................................................................................................................................................15

TheTeachingofBalaamandTemptation........................................................................................................................................17“DoingOurOwnThing”....................................................................................................................................................19“sexualimmorality”...........................................................................................................................................................19

TheTeachingofBalaam(SinandSinners)......................................................................................................................................20Jesus’Teaching....................................................................................................................................................................20OurResponsetoJesus’Teaching..................................................................................................................................21

TheTeachingofBalaamandFood.......................................................................................................................................................23Nicolaitans-CompromisingwiththeWorld...................................................................................................................................24Nicolaitans-FalseDoctrine.....................................................................................................................................................................25

Jesus’Counsel.............................................................................................................................................................26Jesus’Warning-Repent.............................................................................................................................................................................27Jesus’Warning-HearWhattheSpiritSaystotheChurches..................................................................................................29Jesus’Promise..................................................................................................................................................................................................29“thehiddenmanna”...........................................................................................................................................................29“thewhitestone”................................................................................................................................................................31“thenewname”...................................................................................................................................................................33

Summary.....................................................................................................................................................................34

David Flusser

http://psalmstudy.org/TestamentNew/27Revelation/church03-pergamum.pdf


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1 Composite image “Seven Churches of Asia” with caption from http://www.jeffangiegoh.com/wp-

content/uploads/2011/08/SevenChurches.jpeg, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Seven_churches_of_asia.svg/2000px-Seven_churches_of_asia.svg.png, and http://www.eastbrookchurch.org/content.aspx?content_id=378164&site_id=10809. Image “Library at Pergamum” from https://bleon1.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/pergamum-library_dsc07793.jpg.


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The Letter “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’” (Revelation 2:12-17/ESV)

The Setting Pergamum, modern Bergama, was one of the most influential cities in the Roman Empire. Unlike Ephesus and Smyrna, it was not a center of commerce. It was an illustrious city noted almost entirely as a center of wealth and fashion. It was the Roman political center from which came all rulings that affected the whole of Asia. Pergamum was briefly the capital of the Roman province of Asia, before the capital was transferred to Ephesus. 2 At the time of John’s writing, Rome had proscribed

Christianity for about twenty years, and Christians were persecuted there both by the government and adherents of the Roman religion that worshipped the emperor. 3 Pergamum was a center of culture that surpassed both Ephesus and Smyrna. Its acropolis rivaled that of Athens. The city’s fame rested greatly on its religious preeminence. The people of Pergamum were known as the “Temple-keepers of Asia.” The city had four temples dedicated to the worship of Zeus Soter (king of the gods and god of sky and thunder), Athena Nikephoros (goddess of wisdom and courage), Dionysius Kathegemon (god of wine), and Asklepios Soter (god of medicine). 4 The “Pergamum Altar” or “Great Altar of Zeus” was a major attraction. 5 Many scholars believe this altar was the “Throne of Satan” mentioned in Revelation 2:13. Pergamum had a famous library whose collection

2 Louis A. Brighton, Revelation (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1999) p. 77. 3 Edward Musgrave Blaiklock, “Pergamum” in The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Volume Four

M-P, Merrill C. Tenney, ed. Merrill C. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1976) pp. 701-704. Image “Library at Pergamum” from https://bleon1.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/pergamum-library_dsc07793.jpg.

4 Henry Barclay Swete, The Apocalypse of St. John (New York, NY: The MacMillan Company, 1907) p. lxii. The title “Soter” meant deliverer. The title “Nikephoros” meant carrying victory. The meaning of the title “Kathegemon” seems to have been lost to history. Wherever it appears as an epithet for Dionysius ir seems to have been associated with a cult.

5 Colin J. Hemer, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in their Local Setting (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001) pp. 81-82.


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rivaled that of Alexandria. It was one of the largest collections of written material in the ancient world (estimated over 40,000 documents of both papyrus and parchment) and was famous throughout the Mediterranean. It had once housed one of the most extravagant wedding gifts of all time. Marc Antony (83-30 BC) is said to have presented Cleopatra with a lot of the library’s collection, in part to restore Alexandria’s own collection that went up in flames during Julius Caesar’s occupation of the city. 6

People in antiquity had as much concern about the prevention and cure of illness as they have today. Entire cults, sanctuaries and professions dedicated to health dotted the spiritual, physical and professional landscapes of the ancient world. The pagan gods played an integral role in human health in many societies. In the Greek world, the god Asklepius governed healing. Sanctuaries called Asklepions. The Asklepion drew patients who would travel for days over long distances to seek the healing that they believed these ancient sanitariums could provide. Like many modern spas, Asklepions provided baths, healthful food and private rooms for sleep and meditation. Asklepions were located in remote and beautiful areas in Greece and Turkey (e.g., Pergamum). Animal sacrifices and votive offerings were made at altars and temples to the god. Excavations at Asklepions have uncovered “anatomical votives,” so named because they represent the body part that was injured or affected by illness. 7 Votive offerings were depictions of body parts placed under the protection of a deity.

The Asklepion in Pergamum is an ancient healing complex located at the base of the city’s acropolis. The site in Pergamum was founded in the Fourth Century BC around a spring, believed to be sacred, that still flows there. 8 It became one of the best-known healing centers of the ancient world and also had the world’s first psychiatric hospital. The psychiatry of the time had a sacred-magical approach. Every symptom was thought to be caused by a certain deity,

which could, if implored, benevolently cure it. Dreams were analyzed in order to foresee the future, to understand the soul, and to make political, military, and religious decisions. 9

6 William Barclay, The Revelation of John Volume I (Louisvile, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004) p. 97.

Sarah Yeomans, “Ancient Pergamon,” Bible History Daily, Accessed July 2018, http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/biblical-archaeology-sites/pergamon-2/.

7 Sarah Yeomans, “Medicine in the Ancient World,” Bible History Daily, Accessed July 2018, http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/daily-life-and-practice/medicine-in-the-ancient-world/?mqsc=E3828973&utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=BHD+Week%20in%20Review%20Newsletter+Week%20in%20Review%20Newsletter&utm_campaign=E6W312. Most extant anatomical votives are made in stone, terracotta, wood, bronze, and ivory (painting, relief, sculpture); temple inventories reveal that some were also made in materials that did not survive - such as wax, gold, and silver - that were melted down. Image “Asklepion and Theater at Pergamum” from http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/AssetsTurkey/Aegean/bergama_asclep1280.jpg.

8 Whereas Hippocrates laid the foundation of Greek Medicine, Claudius Galenus (Galen) (ca. 130-210 AD) further developed its theory and practice, and carried Greco-Roman medicine to its zenith. He was born in Pergamum.

9 Georgios Tzeferakos and Athanasios Douzenis, “Sacred Psychiatry in Ancient Greece,” Annals of General Psychatry, Accessed July 2018, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3991897/pdf/1744-859X-13-11.pdf. pp.7-8. “Sacred psychiatry differs substantially from superstition and from the psychiatric treatments carried out by


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Many of the physical treatments employed at Pergamum involved the water from the “sacred” spring. Later it was discovered that the waters have radioactive properties. They have been used for centuries and are still believed to cure all illnesses. Many ordinary people seeking cures for their physical and mental ailments once visited the sacred springs. Luminaries, such as the Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius, also visited there. 10

Church History We have no specific account of the founding of the church at Pergamum. We can only look at it as seen in Revelation 2 and as implied by Acts. We do know, according to Acts 16, that Paul passed through the area. Pergamum was in a region of Asia called Mysia. In Acts 16:7-8 we read that Paul passed through Mysia. 11 We do not know whether or not he had a ministry there. Acts does not relate the founding of a church there. We read in Acts 19 that Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus, and that he stayed there for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. (Acts 19:1, 10/ESV) We have to believe that the Gospel message spread throughout the area of the seven churches.

Jesus’ Title “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.’ (Revelation 2:12/ESV)

The Roman proconsul in Pergamum had the “right of the sword” which meant that he could carry out capital punishment at his personal discretion. 12 John’s alluding to Jesus having the “sharp two-edged sword” may have been meant to remind Christians that the ultimate power of discerning and

enforcing truth lay only with God. 13 It may have been a way of saying that only God has the ultimate power over life and death.

shamans and magicians, not only in its organization but also in its therapeutic approach and its coherent interpretive method. It was a part of a complex mythological system, and its representatives were medical sacerdotal charismatic persons who, at the same time, collected clinical and semiotic data, thus paving the way for Hippocrates, the father of Medicine, to lay the foundations of today’s medical practice.”

10 Ancient Origins, “The Mysterious Healing Centre of Asklepion in Pergamum,” Accessed July 2018, http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-europe/mysterious-healing-centre-asklepion-pergamum-00828.

11 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. (Acts 16:7-8) Mysia was a country in the northwestern part of what is now modern Asia Minor, which formed an important part of the Roman province of Asia. Though its boundaries were always vague, it may be said to have extended on the North to the Sea of Marmora on the East to Bithynia and Phrygia, on the South to Lydia, and on the West to Hellespont. It included, on the south, the city of Pergamum.

12 Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7, an Exegetical Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1992) p. 181. Image “Two Edged Sword” from http://biologos.org/.

13 G. Campbell Morgan, A First-Century Message to Twentieth-Century Christians (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1902) p. 83.


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The image of the two-edged sword reveals that it is Jesus Himself who declares the Word of the Gospel as previously God declared the Law through Moses (John 1:17). 14 Just as a soldier armed with the sword slays the enemy and punishes the deserter, so the Word slays the enemy of God’s Law and Gospel and punishes the deserter from His Law. Jesus’ two-edged sword represents the judgment of God. The fact that Jesus wields the “sharp two-edged sword” demonstrates that he will execute the judgment under the Father’s authority. The Church is under His judgment, but He is also the defender of the Church as He judges enemies who afflict His people. 15 God gave Isaiah the “sword” of His mouth to proclaim His truth, and he told Hosea that God has “hewn” Israel (i.e., punished them) for their disobedience.

The angel at Pergamum had either to be afraid of this sword on account of his people, or to comfort himself regarding it as assuring him of victory over the enemies. 16

Revelation also illustrates Jesus’ fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies with the sword image. The prophets spoke of God’s mouth and words as a sword and as a rod. The writer of Hebrews told us that the two-edged sword reveals us for who we are. 17

… but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. (Isaiah 11:4/ESV) In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea. (Isaiah 27:1/ESV) He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. (Isaiah 49:2/ESV) “Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light.” (Hosea 6:5/ESV) For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12/ESV) From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. (Revelation 19:15/ESV)

14 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17/ESV) 15 Louis A. Brighton, Revelation (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1999) pp. 76-77, 515. 16 E. W. Hengstenberg, Revelation of St. John, Volume One, Rev. Patrick Fairbairn, trans. (Eugene, OR: Wipf and

Stock, 2005) p. 142. 17 The following are other verses from Isaiah and Hosea that use the images of the sword and slaying by God’s

mouth: Isaiah 27:1; 31:8; 34:5; 66:16; and Hosea 6:5.


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Related Fact: “Sharp Two Edged Sword” in Jesus’ Parables

The image of the “sharp two edged sword” is not further developed in Revelation 2:12. Perhaps this metaphor is similar to metaphors found in Jesus’ parables. Two examples are the parables of “The Compassionate Father and His Two Lost Sons” (Luke 15:11-32) (often referred to as “The Prodigal Son”) and “The Laborers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16). We often find two parallel themes embedded in the parable, as we maybe do also in Revelation 2:12. There is a double-edged sword: God’s nature of grace and his character of love on one hand, and on the other hand, our difficulty in receiving His grace that we struggle to accept. His just mercy is extended to the newly converted and those who are long time believers. The divine image is revealed in those parables on one edge of the sword. The second edge is a call to us to imitate those godlike qualities of grace, compassion, and acceptance of the newly converted and those who are long time believers.

The character of God is generous. He is like the person who says, “What is thine is thine and what is mine is thine.” The son who stayed home begrudged his younger brother the generosity of their father. The early group of laborers wanted more wages than they agreed to work for and begrudged the generosity of the landowner. This attitude toward other people is unacceptable. These parables warn us against that dangerous attitude. The stern warning in parables like these must not be overlooked. Other parables of Jesus address similar issues. The parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14) and the parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32) teach similar messages. We must love, forgive, and accept those whom we dislike just as God extends His grace, so undeserved and unmerited, to everyone who comes to him. 18

“Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:9-13/ESV)

Jesus’ Commendation “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.” (Revelation 2:13/ESV)

Those who “hold fast” to His name and “do not deny” His faith do not have to fear His sword. However, our confidence must be supported by steady, prayerful obedience. Jesus sees all the advantages and opportunities we have for obedience, and He also sees our

18 Brad H. Young, Jesus the Jewish Theologian (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011) p. 138.


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temptations and discouragements. 19 Jesus will deal with those who are false teachers. Moses, King David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, the writer of Hebrews, and Paul taught us about holding fast, and Jesus told the churches at Thyatira and Philadelphia to “hold fast” as we read in the following verses.

You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. (Deuteronomy 10:20/ESV) You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. (Deuteronomy 13:4/ESV) … he [King David] taught me [Solomon] and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live.” (Proverbs 4:4/ESV) Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. (Isaiah 30:18/ESV) For thus says the Lord: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. “And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant - these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” (Isaiah 56:4-7/ESV) The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,: says my soul, :therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. (Lamentations 3:22-25/ESV) “So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.” (Hosea 12:6/ESV) … but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. (Hebrews 3:6/ESV) But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. (2 Corinthians 4:7-12/ESV) “Only hold fast what you have until I come.” (Revelation 2:25/ESV) “I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” (Revelation 3:11/ESV)

19 Matthew Henry, Revelation 2, Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise), The Bible Study Tools Staff, ed.

Accessed February 20, 2016, http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-concise/revelation/2.html.


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Satan’s Throne and Mammon “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.” (Revelation 2:13/ESV)

Pergamum had a long history of imperial “divine” kingship. 20 John referred to the city as “where Satan’s throne is” to characterize the wickedness of the civil government and all who persecuted Christians as being a headquarters (“throne”) from which Satan rules. In Smyrna it was the “synagogue of Satan” that persecuted the

church. In Pergamum it was the Roman religion and the state. In other words, it was opposition to the church in the guise of religion. The situation in Pergamum was different. The church lived in an environment where Satan ruled all human activity. 21

The “throne of Satan” indicates the source of the sufferings that the church of Pergamum was undergoing. The suffering may have been ridicule and hostility from a pagan society, or it may have been persecution resulting from these Christians’ steadfastness in faith. Behind every form of opposition was Satan, the devil. The critical feature of this letter’s introduction, then, is that the Lord Christ, the Lord of the church, knows of their dangerous situation, and cares for them as their avenger who will judge their adversaries. 22

From archaeological evidence we learn that the “Satan’s throne” in Pergamum could have referred to the Great Altar of Zeus in Pergamum. It was built during the reign of Greek King Eumenes II in the first half of the 2nd century BC on one of the terraces of the acropolis of Pergamum.

On a symbolic level, the “throne of Satan” represents a power in opposition to God, a power that is embodied in Roman imperial might. Throughout Revelation, a system of symbols associates Satan, depicted as a dragon or serpent, with the Roman Empire and emperor depicted as a beast. Unlike other early Christian writers, John … did not encourage his audience to honor and obey the emperor, but instead encouraged resistance by means of his symbols and rhetoric. 23

Viewing “Satan’s throne” physically as the Great Altar of Zeus in Pergamum may be valid based on archaeological observations. On the other hand, limiting ourselves to that view alone narrows our perspective to believing that only pagan beliefs and practices opposed the church in the guise of religion. In historical context we may see “Satan’s throne” in

20 Colin J. Hemer, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in their Local Setting (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans,

2001) p. 86. See “Supplemental Reading - Fallen Angels” for a discussion of Satan and his horde. 21 Image of the Great Altar of Zeus in Pergamum from “The Throne of Satan.” GJCL Classical Art History.

Accessed July 2018. http://gjclarthistory.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-throne-of-satan.html. The State Museum of Berlin houses the original of the Great Altar of Zeus that was moved from Pergamum and reassembled in Berlin (1864).

22 Quoted from Louis A. Brighton, Revelation (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1999) p. 77. 23 Adela Yarbro Collins, “Satan’s Throne, Revelations from Revelation,” Biblical Archaeology Society, Accessed

March 12, 2016, http://members.bib-arch.org/publication.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=32&Issue=3&ArticleID=7&access=d6b90b307bd18a2666c2f472e1b1522e&LastName=MacGregor&FirstName=James&UserName=scotjim%40earthlink.net. The resistance spoken of here is not revolt against civil authority. Rather, it is refusal to obey any law or command that is contrary to God’s Word. In Acts we read that the High Priest had charged Peter and the disciples to refrain from proclaiming Jesus’ Word, and Peter refused. But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29/ESV)


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Pergamum as the overwhelming power associated with the city as a center of emperor worship and inhibiting Christian beliefs and worship.

Learning how Satan works provides us a still wider perspective. Remember how Satan tempted Jesus. His final attempt was to try and lure Jesus into worshiping the values of the World. The story of Jesus’ temptation recorded in Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13 reveals Satan in a way that we may identify his appearance as if he were an “angel of light.” Satan quoted Scripture taken out of context to support his argument that Jesus should accept the values of the World. The story found in Matthew is quoted below.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 24 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” 25 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 26 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” 27 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. (Matthew 4:1-11/ESV; c.f., Luke 4:1-13) 28

So what could have been Satan’s lure to all Pergamum and its church? We can believe that it was, as it is today, the lure of power, wealth, and pleasure. To understand this we can certainly read human history. More to the point, we have only to read and watch the daily news to see where “Satan’s throne” is. The plural, “Satan’s thrones,” would be more descriptive of what we see in terms of activities and their geographical locations. What activities consume many people’s attention? They are time, money, and power (e.g., control). With which of those activities do we enter into a kind of alliance by participating in them by thoughts, speech, and actions? When answering that question for ourselves we have to be careful not to fall into the trap of identifying not only that which is clearly evil, but also something that could be useful or even neutral if not abused. Some activities may be clearly grossly evil and some may be right or wrong for an individual, depending on some circumstances. We must remember what Paul wrote about this last thought.

But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be

24 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers

know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:3/ESV)

25 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. (Psalm 91:11-12/ESV)

26 You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. (Deuteronomy 6:16/ESV) But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” (Isaiah 7:12/ESV)

27 It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. (Deuteronomy 6:13/ESV)

28 Luke 4:1-13 relates the same story.


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encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. (1 Corinthians 8:9-13/ESV)

Perhaps “Satan’s throne” is anywhere that we find worldly wealth. The choice is between serving God and serving worldly wealth. The two great forces that govern human lives, God and Mammon, are at odds with each other. God governs us through the spiritual side of our nature - in the highest aspects of our lives. Mammon stands for all the worldly power and worldly greatness. As a governing force mammon results in our degradation. We cannot be perfectly governed in the flesh by the things that minister to the flesh. Satan lurks behind Mammon. He establishes his

headquarters where he can concentrate his force and rule us. The evil, Mammon, and the love of wealth are behind the great evils that beset our countries. 29 Scripture teaches us the following:

Jesus tells us: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24/ESV; c.f., Luke 16:13) 30 Paul warned us about becoming slaves of creatures: Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey - whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience [i.e., to God], which leads to righteousness? (Romans 6:16.ESV) James wrote about friendship with the world: You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. (James 4:4/ESV)

When Satan transforms himself into an “angel of light,” then we are in the greatest danger of all. We must beware of that danger and not fall. But, what are we to do? We are to realize that Satan tempts us to evil daily, and that he does not appear as he really is. He always makes use of some disguise to capture us by appearing as good, virtuous and righteous. Perhaps he tries to make us anxious about our lives and shows us ways that we can reduce that anxiety with self-confidence by taking control and manufacturing our own happiness using the things and ways of the World around us. It must have been so at Pergamum, which was a human power center of the Roman Empire. In Matthew 6 we read that Jesus teaches us not only to serve God, but also that we should have no anxiety for the World’s things; that God will take care of our needs.

29 G. Campbell Morgan, A First-Century Message to Twentieth-Century Christians (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book

House, 1902) pp. 87-90. The author wrote: “Behind the drink traffic, behind the unholy and iniquitous crowding of the poor into dwellings of which our cities ought to be ashamed, behind the breath of vile impurity that spoils life as it passes across it, is Mammon, the love of gold; and behind that, using and manipulating it, the devil sits upon the throne of power.” Image “Mammon versus God” from http://goodsamaritanministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Counseling-Good-Samaritan-Ministries-Portland-Oregon-800x450.jpg.

30 The Greek word rendered here, as “money” is mammon, a Semitic word for money or possessions.


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“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:25-33/ESV)

Christians wrestle against principalities, against “cosmic powers” and “spiritual forces of evil” who are the mighty princes of evil. Paul wrote the following:

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:11-12/ESV)

Satan’s power and the power of his legions (“the authorities”) are great. They are full of envy both against God and against all their fellow-creatures: angels of God and us who are called to inherit the kingdom. They are cruel, and they rage against all of us, whom they long to inspire with their wickedness, and to involve in their own misery. Satan and all his companions are continually warring against us, and keeping us under constant surveillance. They watch for opportunities for exploitation that are presented by our circumstances. Circumstances of prosperity or adversity, of health or sickness, of friends or enemies, of youth or age, of knowledge or ignorance, of blindness or idleness, of joy or sorrow, may make us open to temptation. Satan and his minions are perpetually ready to take advantage of every circumstance. 31 It is possible that Satan may have desired from the beginning (Genesis 3) to bring humans into his army to spite God and exert some power over creation. “Because he could not drag God from His Throne, he assailed man, in whom His image shone.” 32

31 John Wesley, Sermons on Several Occasions. p. 553-554, Accessed July 2018.

http://www.luc.edu/faculty/pmoser/idolanon/WesleySermons.pdf. 32 John Calvin, Genesis Chapter 3, Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible. Internet Sacred Text Archive (ISTA),

Accessed July 2018, http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/calvin/cc01/cc01008.htm.


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Jesus’ Name and His Faith “Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas 33 my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.” (Revelation 2:13/ESV)

Jesus commended the church at Pergamum for holding firm in their trust in His name and for their firm faith.

The fact that the church at Pergamum had not denied the faith indicates that they were loyal; not only to the Person of Christ, but that they evidently rested in His accomplished purpose. His faith had operated to perfect realization of a Divine purpose of redemption. Their faith operated in Him for the appropriation of that redemption. The redemption was that of regeneration as justification, renewal as sanctification, realization as glorification. 34

Scripture tells us that we are to endure our life challenges and look to Jesus for everything. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2/ESV) 35

We are to renew our faith daily by contrition and repentance, and to have our eyes fixed on Jesus as our leader and perfecter of faith. We are to do this as Jesus focused on the joy ahead of Him while enduring the cross. Thinking of that joy more than the shame of the cross, He sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God. He had the power to exempt himself from all misery and lead a happy life in this world, and yet He underwent a death that was bitter, and in every way ignominious. 36 We may have to pray strongly and often for God to give us the ability to “let go” and let Him be in charge; let Him be our Lord, Master, and Savior who loves us more than we love ourselves (John 3:16), who has the power over all things seen and unseen (Genesis 1:1), and who is here with us (Matthew 28:20). 37 Sanctification will always be something every one

33 Mark Brighton, Revelation (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2012) p. 51. Clement, Bishop and

Citizen of Rome (Pseudonym), The Apostolic Constitutions (or Constitutions of the Holy Apostles (Book VII), James Donaldson, trans. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7. Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe, ed. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight, Accessed July 2018, http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/07157.htm. We are uncertain who Antipas was. Antipas may have been a person who was charged with disloyalty to Rome - for his refusal to deny Jesus and acknowledge the “divinity” of Caesar. The tradition that he was a bishop of Pergamum seems to be contradicted by the historical record we have of bishops of Pergamum. that list the bishops of Pergamum this way: “Now concerning those bishops which have been ordained in our lifetime, we let you know that they are these: … of Pergamos, Gaius. of Philadelphia, Demetrius, by me [John].”

34 G. Campbell Morgan, A First-Century Message to Twentieth-Century Christians (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1902) p. 91.

35 The “cloud of witnesses” is believed to be a poetic expression referring to the many martyrs up to that point in history.

36 John Calvin, “Hebrews Chapter 12,” Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible, Internet Sacred Text Archive (ISTA), Accessed July 2018, http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/calvin/cc44/cc44017.htm. Paul E. Kretzmann, Hebrews Chapter 12, Popular Commentary of the Bible, Accessed July 2018. http://www.kretzmannproject.org.

37 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16/ESV) In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1/ESV) “… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20/ESV)


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of us continues to work on as the Spirit gives us life and His breath. Perhaps we need frequent reminders of casting our burdens on Him as we learn from Scripture:

Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22) “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30; c.f., Jeremiah 6:16) 38 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

Scripture tells us to not give up, but to keep on renewing our faith. 39 God promised King Asa a reward for persistent courage: “But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.” (2 Chronicles 15:7/ESV)

We are to be patient and wait for God to encourage and strengthen us: Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:30-31/ESV) We are to persist even if we face hostility and others try to damage our reputation: “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” (Matthew 5:11/ESV) God rewards us eventually even if we cannot see it and wonder if what we believe and do

really matters: “… so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:4/ESV) Jesus tells us: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28/ESV) Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow as an example of continuing in prayer without giving up (Luke 18:1-8): And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. (Luke 18:1/ESV) Paul told us that God will always provide us a way out to escape temptation: No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13/ESV)

38 Jesus’ offer to give us rest hearkens back to God’s offer of rest, through Jeremiah, to His people. Thus says the

Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’’’ (Jeremiah 6:16/ESV)

39 John Piper, “Don’t Give Up,” Desiring God (Articles), Accessed July 2018, http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/dont-give-up. The outline of this discussion, “Scripture tells us to not give up, but to keep on renewing our faith” is taken from this source. Image “Courage Quote” from http://chic-type.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/courage_quote.jpg.


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Paul set the example of perseverance: … but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger … (2 Corinthians 6:4-5/ESV) Paul was persistent, and God wanted him just the way he was: Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:8–9/ESV) Paul wrote that God will reward us if we persevere: And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9/ESV) Paul advised us to strengthen ourselves in faith: Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6:13/ESV) We are to persist in returning to God when we fall away: … if we are faithless, he remains faithful - for he cannot deny himself. (2 Timothy 2:13/ESV) We are to persist even if we wonder whether what we believe and do really matters: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1/ESV)

Jesus’ Complaint “But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.” (Revelation 2:14-15/ESV)

Teaching of Balaam “… you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.” (Revelation 2:14/ESV)

Balaam

The “teaching of Balaam” alludes to the story of the Gentile prophet for hire, Balaam, recorded in Numbers 25. Balaam’s sin led to his own death (Joshua 13) 40 and influenced many in Israel to worship the false gods of their neighbors. Peter also alluded to the example of Balaam when admonishing against immoral behavior. 41 They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable

for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, but was rebuked for his own transgression; a

40 Balaam also, the son of Beor, the one who practiced divination, was killed with the sword by the people of Israel

among the rest of their slain. (Joshua 13:22/ESV) 41 Louis A. Brighton, Revelation (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1999) p. 77. Image “Balaam, His

Donkey, and the Angel” from https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WF5ihGptAGc/hqdefault.jpg.


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speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. (2 Peter 2:14-16/ESV)

So what was “the teaching of Balaam?” Numbers 22:1-Numbers 24:25 records the story of Balak, King of Moab, who asked the seer Balaam to curse Israel. God told Balaam not to go to Balak, and Balaam refused at first to go. After Balak’s persistence, God let Balaam go with the instruction that he would do only what God told him to do. Balaam made the trip on his donkey. Something about Balaam displeased God and He sent an Angel of the Lord who appeared to the donkey and then to Balaam. The angel told Balaam to proceed, but to do only what he instructed him to do. Balaam displeased Balak by blessing Israel. Now Balak was really angry, and he ordered Balaam to return home. In Numbers 31, we read that before he left, Balaam told Balak that the only way to harm the people of Israel was to seduce them into sin. For only then would God punish His people. We see that “the teaching of Balaam” was that people may do what seems right to them rather than what God commands. In Numbers 31, we read that the kings of Moab and Midian acted upon Balaam’s advice. They arranged a big feast in honor of their idols and invited the children of Israel to participate in the ceremonies. Many from Israel fell to that temptation and participated in those pagan celebrations. Zimri of the family of Simeon also participated and was not ashamed to let the entire community witness his evil conduct. Later in Numbers, in the context of disobedience to God’s commands for vengeance on Midian, we read about the attitude of doing what seems right to us rather than what God commands.

Behold, these, on Balaam’s advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the Lord. (Numbers 31:16/ESV) 42

The teaching of Balaam resulted in his execution and his allies’ exclusion from the assembly of God’s people.

They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. And they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. (Numbers 31:8/ESV) “No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the Lord forever, because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way, when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. But the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam; instead the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loved you.” (Deuteronomy 23:3-5/ESV) Balaam also, the son of Beor, the one who practiced divination, was killed with the sword by the people of Israel among the rest of their slain. (Joshua 13:22/ESV)

The New Testament refers twice more to the “the teaching of Balaam.” … They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!

42 The “incident of Peor” refers to the people’s participation in orgies to the pagan god Baal of Peor, recorded in

Numbers 25. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, G.K Beale and D.A. Carson, ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007) p. 1094.


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Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing … (2 Peter 2:13-15/ESV) But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion. (Jude 1:10-11/ESV)

It is frightening to realize how easily we can be drawn into doing what we think is right rather than obeying God. It starts with having an imperfect knowledge of and misinterpreting the Word of God. It all started in the Garden. We have both the record of God’s command and Eve’s rendering of it to the serpent. Here is the scenario: 43

Satan waited until Eve was isolated - alone with nobody else to discuss the serpent’s words with: Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman … (Genesis 3:1/ESV) Satan questioned God’s Word, and planted a seed of doubt in Eve’s mind concerning God’s Word: “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:2/ESV) Satan focused Eve’s attention on God’s one prohibition. He suggested that God did not really want the best for Adam and Eve, but rather was withholding something good from them. He hinted that God ws keeping something for Himself, because He was selfish. Eve was vulnerable to this suggestion because she distorted the word of God. She added to it a prohibition against even touching the fruit: “… but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” (Genesis 3:3/ESV) Satan promised Eve power like God’s: But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5/ESV) All temptation goes like this: We perceive; then we lust; and then we act. Eve’s harboring lust for the fruit was perhaps the original sin even before she ate it and gave it to Adam. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:6/ESV)

The Teaching of Balaam and Temptation “… you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.” (Revelation 2:14/ESV)

Ignorance or disregard of God’s word makes one very vulnerable to temptation. These conditions produce distrust, dissatisfaction, and finally disobedience. Failure to appreciate God’s goodness leads to distrust of His goodness. God’s prohibitions as well as His provisions are for our good. The psalmist sang that God’s Word must be in his heart in order to avoid sin. Jesus states that a lustful look is as sinful as an overt act of sin.

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11)

43 Thomas Constable, “Genesis 3,” Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable, Accessed July 2018,

http://www.studylight.org/commentaries/dcc/view.cgi?bk=0&ch=3. John Wesley, “Genesis 3,” Wesley’s Explanatory Notes, Accessed July 2018, http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/wesleys-explanatory-notes/genesis/genesis-3.html.


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“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28)

Similarities and contrasts between the temptations of Jesus (recorded in Matthew) and Eve are illustrated in the following table. 44

Model - Steps Temptation of Eve Temptation of Jesus Satan waited until his target was isolated - alone.

Genesis 3:1 Matthew 4:1-3

Satan questioned God’s Word. Genesis 3:2 Matthew 4:1, 3 Satan’s target embellished God’s Word. Genesis 3:3 Satan misused God’s Word quoting it out of context.

Matthew 4:6

Satan promised his target power like God’s.

Genesis 3:4-5 Matthew 4:8-9

Eve’s misquoting of God’s command and Satan’s misquoting of it to tempt Jesus remind us that one of Satan’s disguises is that of a false teacher. That reinforces the importance of comparing Scripture with Scripture to learn God’s truth. We are to listen to respected teachers whom the Church appoints to instruct us. However, we are not to take even their word for granted. We should follow the example of studying together as recorded by Luke in Acts about the diligence with which the Jews in Berea studied

the Scriptures to understand the Gospel. Paul’s audience in the synagogue clearly knew that they could verify the Gospel message of Jesus by reading the Old Testament and not just taking the word of Paul and Silas for granted. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (Acts 17:11/ESV) In modern times, C.S. Lewis set an example of studying Scripture with discernment and asking questions. He wrote this in his Reflections on the Psalms: “I am ‘comparing notes’, not presuming to instruct.” 45

44 Dr. Timothy Maschke, “Law and Gospel,” Video Lecture 2.3, REL-204 Biblical Theology E-Course, Concordia

University Wisconsin (CUW), Accessed November 11, 2014. 45 C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms (San Diego, CA: Harcourt, 1986) p. 2. Image “Temptation Knocks”

from http://www.quotehd.com/imagequotes/authors51/dan-bennett-quote-when-temptation-knocks-imagination-usually-answers.jpg.


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“Doing Our Own Thing”

Doing what seems to be right, rather than what God commands is a theme that is repeated throughout Scripture: Isaiah (Isaiah 65:12; 66:4) 46, Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7:12; 52:2) 47, and the Book of Judges which records that many of the tribes of Israel chose to live comfortably with their Canaanite neighbors rather than driving them out as the Lord had commanded. 48 The kings repeatedly went their own way doing “what was evil in the sight of the Lord.”

49 Doing what seems to be right, rather than what God commands, can take on the additional dimension of tolerating false beliefs in order to increase church membership by including people who believe that there are paths to salvation other than through Jesus. Many take the moral and ethical dimensions out of beliefs and behavior. The media talk about the sin of murder - in the context of abortion on demand for convenience rather than for health and survival - in purely legal and medical terms that convey facts pertaining the law of how and when to get an abortion. They do not address the subject of abortion in ethical terms other than in terms of ethically obeying the law by not interfering with abortion clinics and their medical staff (e.g., not attacking them), by using prescribed sanitary methods, by providing juveniles access to information and actual abortions to protect their “civil rights,” and such things. By treating abortion for convenience rather than for health and survival, those involved disregard the moral issues involved to feel good about themselves and avoid accountability other than for the successful providing of the service.

“sexual immorality”

Jesus’ criticism of “sexual immorality” may have had both metaphorical and literal meanings. The term has both meanings in the Old and New Testaments. 50 We shall read about the metaphorical sense in the teaching of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. In the literal sense, many TV shows present us with a man and woman cohabitating and even having

46 “I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because, when I called, you did

not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my eyes and chose what I did not delight in.” (Isaiah 65:12/ESV) “I also will choose harsh treatment for them and bring their fears upon them, because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not listen; but they did what was evil in my eyes and chose that in which I did not delight.” (Isaiah 66:4/ESV)

47 “Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel.” (Jeremiah 7:12/ESV) And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. (Jeremiah 52:2/ESV) Image “Temptation” from https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/57/0c/19/570c19c934a0316a5d230eabc86bdfe7.jpg.

48 Doing what seems to be right, rather than what God commands is a theme that is found on these passages: Judges 1:21, 27, 29-31, 33-34; 2:11, 17, 19, 22; 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 8:35; 10:6; 13:1; 17:6

49 Doing what seems to be right, rather than what God commands is a theme that is found on these passages: 1 Kings 11:6; 14:22; 15:26, 34; 16:25; 22:52; 2 Kings 3:2; 8:18, 27; 13:2, 11; 14:24; 15:9, 18, 24, 28; 17:2; 21:2, 16, 20; 23:32, 37; 24:9, 19; 2 Chronicles 21:6; 22:4; 33:2, 22; 36:5, 9, 12

50 Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, G.K Beale and d.A. Carson, ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007) p. 1093.


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children in such a way as to make it appear to be a proper moral norm for society. The only ethical tones on those shows are those pertaining to their behaving in compliance with their revocable contracts (i.e., agreed upon living and social behaviors). By treating adultery and fornication in that way, those involved disregard the moral issues involved to feel good about themselves and avoid accountability other than for the successful maintenance of their lifestyles and careers. 51

The Teaching of Balaam (Sin and Sinners)

Jesus’ Teaching

Jesus teaches us that the source of sin is within ourselves. “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.” (Mark 7:20–22)

By Jesus, who is God, we have access to God. Our faith grows gradually and throughout our entire lives. It sustains us in struggles with sin and testing by temptations in order to overcome sin and death. We must compare Scripture with Scripture and study what recognized authorities on Scripture 52 have said. Alone, we may be tempted to read some passages in the Bible one way when in fact they represent something else. We use the Bible as our norm, as a helpful way to avoid personal judgment, and to show that God is the judge, not we. Accountability (or the lack of accountability) is a key factor in many of the situations involving false teaching and sinful activity. Letting God have the final say is the best policy. Philip Melanchthon wrote about comparing Scripture with Scripture: “… I admonish all again and again. Let studious persons compare the interpretations [of Scripture]; let them compare them with the other sacred books, but in such a way that they judge piously, not slanderously.” 53 The church is full of sinners. We can agree on that. The secular media’s typical presentation of the church portrays it as full of nothing but sinners. That is also true. Knowing that, we cling to the church. A striking image of Jesus and His Church is found in Luke 23:33-43 where we read that He was crucified between two criminals - one asking for forgiveness and the other not. A rich image of the Church is that of the body of Christ with its many members having diverse talents.

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. … Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. … All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. … Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed

51 Image “Temptation” from https://s-media-cache-

ak0.pinimg.com/564x/57/0c/19/570c19c934a0316a5d230eabc86bdfe7.jpg. 52 We must be careful about who our authorities are. Warnings about false teachers may be found in Deuteronomy

13:1-3; Ezekiel 34:2, 10; Matthew 7:15-20; Matthew 23:2-4, 5-6, 13-15, 16-22, 23-28, and 29-36; Matthew 24:11; John 7:14-18; John 18:19-24; 2 Peter 2:1-2, 17-89. These verses should be studied for their meaning to help discern “Gospel” from “Law” and truth from fantasy.

53 Philip Melanchthon, Commentary on Romans, Fred Kramer, trans. (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2010) p. 14.


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in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:1, 4-7, 11, 27-31/ESV) We are not a Church of just the right or just the left. We are the Church that holds together repentant sinners and unrepentant sinners, the latter of whom we hope to convert by holding the whole communion together. In that communion all manner of sin is collected, all those shadowy effects of a world that does not know the light from which it comes and to which it is meant to go. We who cling together in this Church do so not because we believe ourselves to be pure and just, but precisely because we know we are not. 54

Our Response to Jesus’ Teaching

So what do we do when we believe that a fellow Christian is in error? Our Lutheran approach is based on the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus tells us to deal with a sinner in the manner described below. His instruction resonates with the Leviticus prohibitions against slander, vengeance, and not falling into sin because of one’s judgment of a neighbor.

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” (Matthew 18:15-17/ESV) You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord. “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:16-18/ESV)

First, we are to raise and discuss the issue personally and privately with the person who we believed to have sinned. This step is almost entirely Gospel. This first step requires a lot of preliminary and prayerful caution to ensure that we are not in the wrong. Remember that Jesus instructs us about ourselves and our judgment of sin.

We must pray that we are exercising true judgment by seeing our fellow’s sin. “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck

out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5/ESV) We must determine if we have any anger about our fellow’s sin, and go to him humbly and lovingly as a fellow sinner. If our fellow Christian is open and willing to discuss the perceived

54 Leonard DeLorenzo, “Communion of Saints and Sinners - Loving an imperfect church,” America (February 9,

2015 Issue), Accessed July 2018, http://americamagazine.org/issue/communion-saints-and-sinners.


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sin, then that person may at least be like a brother or sister to us and at most repent and pray for help in changing his thoughts, words, and actions. “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.” (Matthew 5:21-26/ESV) 55

Second, if our fellow Christian is unwilling to listen to us, then we must bring both Gospel and Law (perhaps with some emphasis on Law) to him. Once again we are asking for others’ help in ensuring that we are exercising true judgment without anger. We approach the brother with others who may be able to bring other perceptions of the problem that would be helpful to us and to the brother in understanding what must be done. The others serve as witnesses to what transpired in order that we are not left with only our word against the other person’s. Third, if the preceding actions do not have the right effect, then we open the problem to other members of the congregation. We would want the Pastor’s guidance on who else should be involved. Now we are bringing both Gospel and Law (perhaps with a greater emphasis on Law) to the situation. Last, if our fellow Christian is unwilling to change, then we bring him the Law. The congregation may ban him from participating. 56 The Pastor may not ban him unilaterally (e.g., from participation in worship and the sacraments), but must involve the congregation. 57 The application of this procedure to our personal lives is clear and nearly self-explanatory. If we see sin in a fellow Christian, we are to approach him as just described. If one of us is the Christian in error, we are to cooperate with the person who approaches us. That response should be friendly, exploratory, perhaps even questioning, but certainly cooperative. 58 If the situation escalates to the Pastor, then he must involve the congregation.

55 Image “Counseling” from http://goodsamaritanministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Counseling-Good-

Samaritan-Ministries-Portland-Oregon-800x450.jpg. 56 The Christian Cyclopedia, “Keys, Office of the,” Erwin L. Lueker, Luther Poellot, Paul Jackson, ed. Accessed

July 2018, http://cyclopedia.lcms.org/display.asp?t1=k&word=KEYS.OFFICEOFTHE. Ban, or excommunication, is the process whereby impenitent sinners are excluded from Communion and other fellowship of the Church. In the Middle Ages a distinction was made between lesser ban, which excluded from the Sacraments, and greater ban, or interdict, which included civil penalties and excluded from all blessings and graces of the Church. The Lutheran Confessions recognize only lesser ban as truly Christian and of concern to ministers.

57 The Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR). The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. “Request for Opinion on “Unilateral Excommunication.” Accessed July 2018. http://www.lcms.org/Document.fdoc?src=lcm&id=264. The “Request for Opinion on “Unilateral Excommunication” [April 2010] concludes that, “Excommunication, therefore, is not a power conferred upon the individual pastor to exercise apart from ‘the church.’”

58 This does not preclude that the response may be to enlighten us as to error in our thinking.


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The Teaching of Balaam and Food “… you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.” (Revelation 2:14/ESV)

Scripture instructed God’s people about food (Exodus 22; 29; Leviticus 7; 11; 17; 19; 22; 26). The eating of food sacrificed to idols had been a problem since Paul’s day. The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) stipulated a prohibition against certain foods as a condition for Gentile Christians not having to be circumcised. Paul wrote against the Corinthian church members who violated the Christian liberty provided by the Jerusalem Council. Many of the church at Corinth believed that their Christian liberty was an invitation to licentious behavior. That may have been a result of gnostic thinking that their free spirits could not be defiled by “vile” material things. That gnostic thinking was later the substance of a Jewish accusation against the Church and the Law. Justin Martyr (100-165) debated with a prominent Jew, Trypho, over the meaning of Christian freedom with respect to diet. 59

“Therefore my [James’] judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. … For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.” (Acts 15:19-20, 28-29/ESV) No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. (1 Corinthians 10:20-21/ESV) The fact that there are such men confessing themselves to be Christians, and admitting the crucified Jesus to be both Lord and Christ, yet not teaching His doctrines, but those of the spirits of error, causes us who are disciples of the true and pure doctrine of Jesus Christ, to be more faithful and steadfast in the hope announced by Him. 60

59 Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho (Chapters 10-30), Marcus Dods and George Reith, trans. From Ante-Nicene

Fathers, Vol. 1, Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe, ed. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight, Accessed August 4, 2016. http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/01282.htm.

60 Justin Martyr. Dialogue with Trypho (Chapters 31-47). Marcus Dods and George Reith, trans. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1. Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe, ed. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight, Accessed July 2018, http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/01283.htm.


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Nicolaitans - Compromising with the World “But I have a few things against you: … So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.” (Revelation 2:14, 15/ESV)

The issue with the Nicolaitans was both their teaching and conduct, but especially their conduct. 61 They were indifferent about their behavior - eating food sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality. They used Christian freedom as liberty to satisfy their appetites such as Paul warned against: 62 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Galatians 5:13) Paul had also distinguished idolatry, in the sense of actual participation in pagan feasts (1 Corinthians 10:19-

22), from the mere eating of food that had been consecrated for such feasts out of ignorance of that fact (1 Corinthians 8:1-6; 10:25-30).

What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? (1 Corinthians 10:19-22/ESV) Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth - as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords” - yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. … Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? (1 Corinthians 8:1-6, 8-10/ESV; c.f., Deuteronomy 4:35, 39) 63 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. But if someone says to you, “This has been offered

61 The identity of the Nicolaitans and the problem with them was discussed under the section about Ephesus. 62 Colin J. Hemer, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in their Local Setting (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans,

2001) pp. 91, 94. Henry Barclay Swete, The Apocalypse of St. John (New York, NY: The MacMillan Company, 1907) pp. lxxv-lxxvii. Huber Lelland Drumwright, Jr. “Nicolaitans” in The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Volume Four M-P. Merrill C. Tenney, ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1976) pp. 435-436. Image “Compromise” from https://biblicalproof.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/compromised-truth.jpg.

63 To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him. … know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. (Deuteronomy 4:35, 39/ESV)


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in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience - I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? (1 Corinthians 10:25-30/ESV; c.f., Psalm 24:1) 64

Do we have any traces of “Nicolaitanism” in our congregations today? How do Christians demonstrate indifference about their behavior today? Eating food sacrificed to idols does not seem to pertain to our modern circumstances other than in arcane ways. An example of an arcane way would be a Christian living and working in a non-Christian environment. In such an environment it is conceivable that the Christian, who is observing and witnessing, could be tempted to participate - for social acceptance - in non-Christian worship and partake of dinners with food that had previously been left as offerings to a god, a famous ancestor, or a revered prophet.

Indifference to sexual immorality exhibits itself whenever we accept - wittingly or unwittingly - our society’s evolutionary view of the human being as a higher order of animal, and view sexual behavior from strictly worldly, physical, and scientific points of view. Society would have us believe that sexual intercourse is a health issue unrelated to procreation. We are to believe that illicit sexual intercourse is a pleasurable form of recreation. We are to believe that the problems caused by illicit sexual intercourse are only the observable medical ones and nothing more. Society encourages our youth to use contraception for illicit sexual intercourse in order to be “good citizens” who have concern for their own wellbeing and that of others.

Nicolaitans - False Doctrine

We saw in the earlier discussion of the church at Ephesus that we must be careful not to fall to the subtle temptation of excluding any person or group from the message of the Gospel of Jesus. The problem with the church at Pergamum was just the reverse. The church not only welcomed people who thought, spoke, and behaved in overtly unchristian ways into the church, but it also openly condoned their lifestyles and teachings thereby misleading other church members into believing that they had the latitude to “do it their way.”

We understand Jesus’ words “you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans” not necessarily to mean that the church as a corporate body had false doctrine. Rather, He complained that the church tolerated members who did hold to false doctrine and misbehave accordingly. He inveighed against the unbelief of individual members of the church and chastised the church for permitting such persons to have fellowship with it. The church was loyal to Jesus and His mission for them, but it lacked discipline in that it tolerated the belief in and teaching of false views. Tolerating those views to be expressed within the congregation was, and is today, a false charity. 65

The false doctrine was more than performing acts that are not Christian. The false doctrine was the attitude - the belief - that Christian freedom included freedom from the Law in a way that is not scriptural. Freedom from the Law meant for them that as long as they

64 To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him. (Psalm 24:1/ESV)

Paul’s words sound almost like “Don’t ask; don’t tell.” 65 G. Campbell Morgan, A First-Century Message to Twentieth-Century Christians (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book

House, 1902) pp. 93-94.


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professed belief in Jesus and His work of salvation (i.e., “faith alone”) they could believe, do as they pleased, and still be saved. We know that God gave Adam and Eve freedom to choose (Genesis 2:16-17), 66 and we believe that He allowed that freedom so that the loyalty, devotion, and obedience of His humans would be freely given. God does not create and cause evil, and He does not help or promote it, as it is written: For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. (Psalm 5:4/ESV) Rather, the wicked and perverse will of the devil and of men is the cause of evil. 67 With our Christian freedom earned for us by Jesus’ atonement, the Holy Spirit can now enlighten us to recognize the Law and to use it as our guide and standard of life, as something to measure our lives by, as the means to know right behavior. Adhering to strictly, nonscriptural, human practices and traditions as though it were sinful to omit them, or as if it were necessary to do them, weakens our freedom and can lead to a form of idolatry, placing them above God’s Law and Gospel. When we replace God’s Word with human practices and traditions, placing them above God’s Law and Gospel, we do what Jesus accused the Jewish leaders of:

And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” (Mark 7:6-8/ESV; c.f., Isaiah 29:13) 68

Jesus’ Counsel “Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.” (Revelation 2:16/ESV)

We read in Jesus’ counsel both a warning and a conditional promise - the Law. In studying “Law and Gospel” we learn the difference between Law and its conditional promises on the one hand and the Gospel and its promises without conditions on the other. 69 Some people before Jesus, for example the Patriarchs, were justified by the Gospel - justified by virtue of their faith in the promises God made. “Therefore the fathers also were justified by the Gospel, not by the Law, by the promise and faith.” 70 The Law offers promises but with

66 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree

of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17/ESV)

67 Philip Melanchthon, “Article XI: Election,” The Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord. The Book of Concord, http://bookofconcord.org/sd-election.php, Accessed July 2018.

68 And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men …” (Isaiah 29:13/ESV)

69 Martin Chemnitz, citing Philip Melanchthon, Loci Theologici (in Two Volumes), J.A.O. Preus, trans., unidentified ed. (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2008) pp. 816-818. An extensive discussion of Law and Gospel may be read at C.F.W. Walther, “Thesis II,” The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel, William H.T. Dau, ed. Christian Tiews, trans. (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1929.) Accessed July 2018. http://scripturemission.com/eBooks/law-and-Gospel.pdf

70 Philip Melanchthon, “Article IV (II): Of Justification,” The Book of Concord, The Defense of the Augsburg Confession, Accessed March 20, 2015, http://bookofconcord.org/defense_4_justification.php,. That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring - not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all … (Romans 4:16/ESV) Melanchthon used the term “fathers” to refer to the Patriarchs.


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conditions. The conditions may be expectation of rewards or threats of punishments. The Law represents God’s activity as our Judge. 71 Let us compare Jesus’ warning with examples of Law with conditional promises and the Gospel with no conditions:

Law with conditional promises: “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5-6/ESV) Law with conditional promises: “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12/ESV) Gospel promises with no conditions: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16/ESV) Gospel promises with no conditions: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28/ESV)

Jesus’ Warning - Repent “Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.” (Revelation 2:16/ESV) 72

We read earlier about Jesus identifying Himself to the angel of the church at Pergamum as the one “who has the sharp two-edged sword.” Here he threatens to punish some “who hold the teaching of Balaam” and some “who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans” unless the church repent and stop from indulging the presence and teaching of false “Gospel.” Jesus’ role as our judge is restated later in Revelation.

From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. (Revelation 19:15/ESV)

What is Jesus’ basis for judgment? The Law is the Word of God, found in Scripture, that commands us to do what is right according to His standards. Fulfillment of the Law is judged by God’s perfection, not by our best effort. 73 We are judged by Jesus’ perfect keeping of the Law in our behalf. Jesus spoke of salvation and punishment at the Final Judgment. The apostle Paul preached that Jesus will judge us in His righteousness.

“And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:46/ESV) “… because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:32/ESV)

The repentance that Jesus demanded of the church at Pergamum was probably the same as He demands of us today. Jesus tells us that at the Judgment we shall be judged according

71 Rev. Werner Elert, Law and Gospel, Edward H. Schroeder, trans. (Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press, 1967) pp. 8-

9. 72 That Jesus will “war against” the Nicolaitans in the church’s midst reflects what we might call a scriptural,

“vertical” solution to problems: Ask God for help. A worldly “horizontal” solution would be for us to find solutions on our own.

73 Stephen P. Mueller, Editor, Called to Believe, Teach, and Confess (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2005) pp. 55-74.


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either to our faith in His satisfying the requirements of the Law for us, or to how we tried to keep the Law by our works (or if we disregarded it).

“Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:19/ESV)

The apostle Paul wrote that we can live in the grace of forgiveness rather than in the condemnation of the Law. The writer of Hebrews told us that we could ask and receive grace and mercy rather than punishment for breaking the Law. Peter wrote that our ransom was paid for by the work of Jesus. James wrote that the impossibility of keeping the entire Law is overcome by having mercy on each other in order to be judged by God mercifully.

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? (Romans 6:14-16/ESV) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (Galatians 5:18/ESV) Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16/ESV) And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. (1 Peter 1:17-19/ESV) If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:8-13/ESV)

Jesus promises us a lot of help in believing in Him and obeying Him. He gave His disciples- - and us - comforting assurance of the presence of God’s Truth with us:

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (John 16:7-13/ESV)


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Jesus’ Warning - Hear What the Spirit Says to the Churches “He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 2:17/ESV)

The letter to the church at Pergamum and each church contains a similar statement admonishing them and us: “‘ … He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. …’” The letter to the church at Pergamum elaborates on it by promising to give the “one who conquers” “some of the hidden manna” and “a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it..” We shall discuss the “one who conquers,” the “hidden manna” and the “white stone, with a new name” below.

Jesus’ Promise To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.” (Revelation 2:17/ESV)

“the hidden manna”

We are to understand His promise “To the one who conquers” to the church at Pergamum, and to the other churches, and to us in this way. Jesus is the one who conquers, and He will give to those who believe in Him a share with Him in the victory that the Father promised Him. Jesus told the church at Pergamum - and us - that we should adhere firmly to our Christian faith and its confession, to our love, service, and patience, to our refusal to join the World in its ways. “To the one who conquers” also refers to Christians who prayerfully, with God’s help, resist the subtle temptation to adhere to non-scriptural societal values and ethics. The promise is both individually for us who will have “conquered” at our deaths, and also for the Entire Church that will have “conquered” when Jesus comes in Final Judgment. 74 John wrote to this thought in one of his epistles:

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:4-5/ESV)

Jesus’ promise to “give some of the hidden manna” relates to Divine sustenance. Jesus possibly spoke of it as manna, because manna was Divinely supplied and humanly gathered. Hidden manna is the Word of God upon which we live. It contrasts with a false “manna” provided by the doctrine of Balaam that kills us. The true bread is the bread of

life (John 6:25-59). In Jesus, God, satisfies our spiritual hunger and quenches our spiritual thirst.

We are to work with greater care for that which brings eternal life, and not to let the things of the world capture and enslave us so that we are working for them and not they for us. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not

74 E. W. Hengstenberg, Revelation of St. John, Volume One, Rev. Patrick Fairbairn, trans. (Eugene, OR: Wipf and

Stock, 2005) p. 164. Image “Hidden Manna in the Sacrament” from http://www.communionfire.com/uploads/2/4/7/7/24774687/2678066_orig.jpg.


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satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. (Isaiah 55:2/ESV) He is at work in our daily lives. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” (John 5:17/ESV) As with the manna of the Exodus, we all get an amount of the Bread of Life - of God’s grace - sufficient for our salvation. The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan. (Exodus 16:35/ESV) None of us is lacking His grace, and none of His grace is wasted. Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:32-35/ESV) Eating and drinking mean keeping faith in Him as our Savior. “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Luke 22:28-30/ESV) His miracles of feeding the crowds demonstrated by a physical miracle that no one who comes to Him will be lacking anything he needs - either spiritually or physically. The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan. (Exodus 16:35/ESV) If we come to Him we shall not have spiritual thirst; that He is the living water and the Messiah; that the living water will satisfy our spiritual needs. Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35/ESV) We believe in Jesus in order to live. Peter’s answer to Jesus, as ours should be today, was so strong that it still rings in our ear in worship service: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68/ESV)

We may see “the hidden manna” as the Lord’s Supper in which we receive “a foretaste of the feast to come”: “I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matthew 26:29/ESV).

That “feast to come” is the wedding supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6–9). The Lord’s Supper is hidden manna (Revelation 2:17) because the future banquet is now hidden from view, and the presence of Christ in the Supper is also hidden, not visible, but nevertheless real and as certain as Christ’s own promise: “This is my body…. This is my blood” (Mt 26:26, 28). 75

The applicability of the promise to “give some of the hidden manna” goes to the very heart of the false religion of Pergamum, in which people attempted to feed upon “secret mysteries of life” provided by human sources (i.e., other than by God). Jesus promises those who overcome the subtle temptations to false teaching that they shall feed upon His true “hidden manna.” 76

75 Louis A. Brighton, Revelation (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1999) pp. 78-79. 76 G. Campbell Morgan, A First-Century Message to Twentieth-Century Christians (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book

House, 1902) p. 104.


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“the white stone”

The “white stone” could refer to the manna in the wilderness. 77 Manna was white. Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. (Exodus 16:21/ESV) Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium. (Numbers 11:7/ESV)

The “white stone” could refer to any one of five things. 78 All four may be interpreted in Gospel light. However, it is tempting to prefer the the first and fifth explanations to the others. First, let us see the explanations. 79

Bdellium - a precious stone mentioned in Genesis 2:12 by the side of gold and other stones as one of the chief products of Havilah. Since manna is compared in appearance to Bdellium in Numbers 11:7 it may be concluded that it was generally known among the Hebrews, and was considered very precious. 80 The ancient custom of judges putting a white stone in an urn to indicate their opinion of not guilty; A reward of victory given to one who returned from victorious battle; A token that a person was made a free man of the city, like today’s “key to the city” (USA) or “freedom of the city” (UK); A white stone known as the tessara hospitalis (i.e., stone of hospitality). Two men, friends, about to part, would divide a white stone (a “tessara hospitalis”) into two, each carrying with him half, upon which was inscribed the name of the friend. It may be that they would never meet again, but that stone in each case would be bequeathed to son, and sometimes generations after, a man would meet another, and they would find that they possessed the complementary halves of one white stone, and their friendship would be at once created upon the basis of the friendship made long ago. 81

The first explanation reflects a scriptural richness of each person being so blessed being like a precious stone to God.

77 Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, G.K Beale and d.A. Carson, ed. (Grand Rapids,

MI: Baker Academic, 2007) p. 1094. 78 Colin J. Hemer, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in their Local Setting (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans,

2001) pp. 96-102. Hemer lists seven possibilities but excludes many of them. The four listed here seem to be the strongest “candidates” for understanding the “white stone.”

79 G. Campbell Morgan, A First-Century Message to Twentieth-Century Christians (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1902) pp. 105-106.

80 Jewish Encyclopedia, “bdellium,” Accessed Decmber 2018, http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2683-bdellium. And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. (Genesis 2:12/ESV)

81 James Strong, “leukos,” Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary, English Standard Version Bible, Called to Believe, Teach, and Confess. http://biblehub.com/greek/3022.htm. The Greek word can mean “light,” “bright,” or “brilliant.” Those terms move us to accept the fourth explanation, the stone of hospitality, as Jesus employing us to spread His Gospel. E. W. Hengstenberg, Revelation of St. John, Volume One, Rev. Patrick Fairbairn, trans. (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2005) p. 143. Image “White Stone with New Name” from http://askgramps.org/wp-content/uploads/white-stone.png.


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Let us quote Peter first: As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious ... (1 Peter 2:4/ESV) How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions! (Psalm 35:17/ESV) Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. (Psalm 116:15/ESV) Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.(Isaiah 43:4/ESV) The precious sons of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold, how they are regarded as earthen pots, the work of a potter's hands! (Lamentations 4:2/ESV) You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire,emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. (Ezekiel 28:13/ESV) Paul saw his ministry to be precious in his life. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. (Acts 20:24/ESV)

The fifth explanation, the stone of hospitality, seems to reflect a scriptural richness that pertains to our individual justification by the atoning work of Jesus, including our sanctification and response to our freedom. It includes the idea of passing the faith we have on to others and to succeeding generations. We are reminded of what Scripture tells us about this.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-7/ESV) He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments … (Psalm 78:5-7/ESV) Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. (Psalm 145:3-4/ESV) Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. (Psalm 112:1-2/ESV) “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” (Joel 2:28/ESV; c.f., Acts 2:16-17) 82 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” (Mark 9:36-37/ESV)

82 “But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will

pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams .’” (Acts 2:16-17/ESV)


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“the new name”

The “new name” is reminiscent of God’s promise to Isaiah and to His people to give them “a name better than sons and daughters” and a “new name.”

For thus says the Lord: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. “And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant - these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” (Isaiah 56:4-7/ESV) One quote from Isaiah is remarkable: The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. (Isaiah 62:2-3/ESV)

In antiquity, to know someone’s name indicated an intimate relationship in which one shared the other person’s character or power. Being given a new name indicated a new status. 83

The “new name” could refer to the new name given a newly baptized Christian and entered for him in the “Book of Life.” 84 It seems to be more likely that it refers to the name of Jesus in the context of baptizing in the Name of Jesus; that is, giving the new Christian a new life in the name of Jesus as his master. In the ancient world names were associated with character (e.g., Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel) 85 . There is no history in the early Church of a new name literally being given to a person at baptism. We know both from the inscriptions of the catacombs and from early Christian literature, that the names of Christians in the first three centuries were not distinctly different from the names of the pagans around them. 86 We see this in the Epistles of Paul where Christians have even the names of heathen gods and goddesses after baptism. Here are a few examples:

Romans 16: Phoebe, Prisca and Aquila, Ampliatus, Urbanus, Stachys Epaenetus, Andronicus and Junia, Apelles, Aristobulus, Herodion, Narcissus, Tryphaena and Tryphosa, Rufus, Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, 87 Patrobas, Hermas, Philologus, Julia, Nereus, and Olympas, Timothy, Lucius and Jason, Sosipater, Tertius, Gaius, Erastus, and Quartus. Philippians 2: Epaphroditus. Philippians 4: Euodia, Syntyche, and Clement.

We have the promise that one day Jesus will greet us and take away our suffering. He will make us all new, not just with a new name, but also with a new body - completely new.

83 Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, G.K Beale and d.A. Carson, ed. (Grand Rapids,

MI: Baker Academic, 2007) p. 1093. 84 Louis A. Brighton, Revelation (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1999) p. 76. 85 Colin J. Hemer, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in their Local Setting (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans,

2001) pp. 102-103, 244. 86 Herbert Thurston, “Christian Names,” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 10. (New York: Robert Appleton

Company, 1911). Transcribed for New Advent by Thomas, Joseph P. Accessed July 2018, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10673c.htm.

87 Hermes was the pagan god of transitions and boundaries.


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“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” (Revelation 21:4-7/ESV; c.f., Isaiah 35:10; Isaiah 51:11; Isaiah 65:19) 88 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:17-20/ESV; c.f., Psalm 32:2; Isaiah 43:18-19; Isaiah 65:17) 89

Summary From the letter to the angel of the church at Pergamum we learn a solemn lesson. Jesus’ Church must not tolerate within her congregations those who lower the standard of scriptural truth. Prayerfully comparing Scripture with Scripture yields the truth. The lesson for Pergamum is not one of believing and teaching the truth, but rather one of the correct applications of truth.

Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world - to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” (John 18:37/ESV)

The error of those whom Jesus criticized at Pergamum was a subtle one that continues to threaten churches. It is a problem that is contemporary with us now. The error is the false notion that orthodox belief does not have to be matched by, influence, or result in, Christian conduct. Truth does not excuse sin. All forms of sin are to be treated with ruthless and pitiless severity. Anyone who attempts to excuse sin should be excluded from Christian fellowship. However, one author noted that great care must be exercised in living this out.

Purity of doctrine has its danger. We may be so loyal to the name and the faith, that almost before we knows it, our zeal for it may move us from the Gospel to a rule of Law and blind us to the Gospel. The test of doctrine is purity of both conduct and character. There are two sides to this, both reflected in 2 Timothy 2:19. On the one side we have the Gospel, “The Lord knows those that are His” (2 Timothy 2:19). Jesus tells us about this: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me … My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:14, 27/ESV) On the other side we have the Law against

88 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their

heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35:10/ESV) Isaiah 51:11 reads the same as Isaiah 35:10. “I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress.” (Isaiah 65:19/ESV)

89 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. (Psalm 32:2/ESV) “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:18-19/ESV) “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17/ESV)


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hypocrisy, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” (2 Timothy 2:19). Jesus tells us about truly being His, knowing Him, and not being hypocrites. “But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’” (Luke 13:27/ESV) “Any attempt to pay lip service only to Jesus is blasphemy and an error to be removed from the fellowship of the Church. God’s rule is the rule of peace, but it is always peace based upon purity, for the wisdom that is from above is first pure and then peaceable.” 90

90 G. Campbell Morgan, A First-Century Message to Twentieth-Century Christians (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book

House, 1902) pp. 106-107.

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