The letter to the church in Pergamon
This church is about to fail, and all because of Balaam? He is not really the problem.
The church in Pergamon
The historical background
Pergamon was an important city 4 centuries before the book of Revelation was written. The city was built on a rock about 20 km from the sea.
The city was for a long time the seat of the Attides, who were a leading power in the area. The last ruler made this city a gift to the emperor. In 29 B.C. a temple was built in honor of the emperor, and shortly afterwards another temple was built for another emperor. So this city was certainly in the good book of the emperor and didn’t want to lose it.
There were also many other temples dedicated to Zeus, Athena, Dionysis and Asclepius.
Jesus’ view
Jesus knows that this church has a hard life, and he comes to them with a very sharp sword to separate.
Jesus calls this place: “where the Satan dwells and has his throne”. He is probably referring to all the temples. And the church did well. They endured and did not renounce His name — which shows how hard it was to live there — even to the point of martyrdom. Their situation is comparable to Smyrna, or worse.
But there is one thing that breaks them: Balaam and the Nikolaitans or is it some other problem?
The problem
The story of Balaam shows the failure of an in consistent leadership. There seems to be a similar problem with the Nicolaitans.
There is no strong commitment from the leadership regarding false doctrine. Looking at the promise that Jesus offers, it seems that the problem was their lack of faith and their search for comforting teachings, which probably brought in the idea of compromising with their faith.
And since every doctrine has an effect on action, it also had an effect on their behavior and witness. Perhaps the joint dinners dedicated to idols were encouraged by the false teaching.
The solution
They will receive hidden manna. God provides the supernatural, but we must trust Him even when things seem hopeless.
They will receive a white stone with a new name that can have two meanings:
- It was used in court to vote, a white stone would indicate innocence (e.g., from being accused of attending meals dedicated to idols) and would enable them to attend the marriage supper of the Lamb.
- It was used as a pass for entry (perhaps to the marriage supper of the Lamb).
A new name is usually associated with a new identity, and knowing the new name indicates an intimate relationship between these people.
God offers a new beginning if the church wants it. But if they do not, Jesus will fight against them.