The church in Pergamum was commended for holding fast to Christ's name even when one of their members, Antipas, was martyred for his faith. However, some in the church had embraced the teachings of Balaam, who led Israel into idolatry and sexual immorality, and the teachings of the Nicolaitans, who encouraged the same. The church was warned to repent or face judgment from Christ with his sharp, two-edged sword.

2. ―To the angel of
the church in
Pergamum write…‖
The compromising church

3. The Letter to Pergamum
―And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has
the sharp two-edged sword says this: ‗I know where you dwell, where
Satan‘s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My
faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was
killed among you, where Satan dwells. ‗But I have a few things against
you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam,
who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of
Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.
‗So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the
Nicolaitans. ‗Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and
I will make 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 him who
overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him
a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows
but he who receives it.‖
(Revelation 2:12–17)

4. General Background on Pergamum
• Name derived from ―fortress‖, ―height‖.
• Legend says it was built by Hercules
• Located in modern Bergama, Turkey
• One of the most important cities in
Asia Minor – capital of the Asia
province
• Archaeological evidence dates to the
Bronze Age (3100-1200 B.C)
• Had the 2nd largest library in the world
• Renown for its temples to Augustus,
Athena, and an extravagant temple for
Zeus Soter (savior)
• Likely THE center of emperor
worship

5. “The One with the Shard Two-Edged Sword…”
The governor‘s residence used to be in Pergamum and he alone held
the right of capital punishment. The sharp two-edged sword of Christ
mentioned in the greeting (2:12) and in the threat (2:16) is contrasted
implicitly with the ‗sword‘ of the governor. Jesus is the one who has
the ultimate authority and power over life and death. Unlike Smyrna
that was comforted with its description of Jesus (the one who was
dead and has come to life), Pergamum is reminded of Jesus‘ authority
and judgment.

6. “The One with the Shard Two-Edged Sword…”
―From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so
that with it He may strike down the nations‖
(Revelation 19:15)

7. “Where Satan’s Throne is…”
Temple of Zeus stood on a hill 800 feet above the
city and could be seen for miles. Could this be what
Jesus was referring to?

8. “Where Satan’s Throne is…”
Pergamum was the center of emperor worship and had
a temples dedicated to Augustus. The statement
―Caesar is Lord‖ would have been a direct assault
against the Biblical claim ―Jesus is Lord‖.

9. “You Hold Fast my name…Did not Deny my Name”
The reason the doctrine of eternal security is referred to as the
‗perseverance of the saints‘ is because the evidence of true saving faith is
the believer persevering to the end.
―Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of
God and their faith in Jesus. ‖ (Revelation 14:12)

10. The Witness of Antipas
―‗. . . even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who
was killed among you, where Satan dwells.‖ (Revelation 2:13)
The Bible has nothing more to say
about Antipas other than he was
murdered in Pergamum. A tradition
that is traced to the Eastern
Orthodox Church in 1000 A.D.
says that Antipas was murdered
by being placed in a bronze bull
and being cooked alive because he
would not renounce his faith in
Christ.

11. Christian Martyrdom Today
―‗. . . even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who
was killed among you, where Satan dwells.‖ (Revelation 2:13)
Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan's minister for minorities and the only Christian serving in
the government, was gunned down in a drive-by shooting on March 2, 2011. Al-
Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the assassination,
which ended one man's lifelong pursuit of religious tolerance in the face of violent
extremism. Bhatti had recently sought to reform the country's blasphemy laws,
under which insulting Islam is punishable by death.

12. The Witness of Antipas
―‗. . . even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who
was killed among you, where Satan dwells.‖ (Revelation 2:13)
The Christians at Pergamum held fast
their faith even after watching one of
their own die for his faith. It‘s one thing
to be threatened for your faith, but
another thing to watch an execution be
carried out and still not turn away from
Christ. But this is what the saints at
Pergamum did and Christ commended
them for their bravery and belief: ―Do
not fear those who kill the body but are
unable to kill the soul‖ (Matthew 10:28)

13. The Condemnation
―‗But I have a few things against you, because you have there some
who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a
stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to
idols and to commit acts of immorality. ‗So you also have some who in
the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.‖
(Revelation 2:14–15)

14. Balaam
Balaam = ―glutton‖; ―swallowing up the people‖
Beor = ―burner up‖; ―Destroyer‖
"Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. . . . And Balak
the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. So he sent messengers to Balaam the
son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near the River, in the land of the sons of his people, to call
him, saying, ―Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they cover the surface of the
land, and they are living opposite me. ―Now, therefore, please come, curse this people for
me since they are too mighty for me; perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them
out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is
cursed.‖ So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for
divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and repeated Balak‘s words to him‖
(Numbers 22:2-7)
Balaam was from Pethor, a city on the River, probably the Euphrates. Possibly Pethor was
not far from the great city of Mari, discovered in 1933 in the Euphrates Valley. The
discovery of a vast number of cuneiform tablets at Mari, beginning in 1933, revealed among
other things the existence of a complex cult of prophets and seers whose activities precisely
resemble those of Balaam. One power attributed to these prophets was that of
pronouncing curses on intended victims. These curses would of course be couched in such
qualified language that they were bound to come to pass one way or the other.

15. ―For, according to heathen views, a magician had absolute and
irresistible power with the gods; power was inherent in him or in the
incantations which he used. And herein lay one of the fundamental
differences between heathenism and the Old Testament, between
magic and miracles. In the former it was all of man, in the latter it was
shown to be all of God. No prophet of the Lord ever had or claimed
power, like the magicians; but in every case the gracious influence
was specially, and for that time, transmitted directly from God. Only
the God-Man had power in Himself, so that His every contact
brought health and life.‖
A. Edersheim, Bible History: Old Testament

16. Balaam
―God said to Balaam, ―Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for
they are blessed.‖ So Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak‘s leaders,
―Go back to your land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.‖ The
leaders of Moab arose and went to Balak and said, ―Balaam refused to come with
us.‖ Then Balak again sent leaders, more numerous and more distinguished than
the former. They came to Balaam and said to him, ―Thus says Balak the son of
Zippor, ‗Let nothing, I beg you, hinder you from coming to me; for I will indeed
honor you richly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Please come then, curse this
people for me.‘ ‖ Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, ―Though Balak were to
give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or
great, contrary to the command of the Lord my God. ―Now please, you also stay
here tonight, and I will find out what else the Lord will speak to me.‖"
(Numbers 22:2-19)
Notice Balaam suppresses the last two statements of God and doesn‘t tell the
messengers how hopeless their undertaking was…

17. “the Teaching of Balaam…”
―God came to Balaam at night and said to him,
―If the men have come to call you, rise up and
go with them; but only the word which I speak
to you shall you do.‖ So Balaam arose in the
morning, and saddled his donkey and went with
the leaders of Moab. But God was angry
because he was going, and the angel of the
Lord took his stand in the way as an adversary
against him. Now he was riding on his donkey
and his two servants were with him. When the
donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in
the way with his drawn sword in his hand, the
donkey turned off from the way and went into
the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn
her back into the way. . . . Then the Lord
opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the
angel of the Lord standing in the way with his
drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the
way to the ground. ‖
(Numbers 22:20-23, 31)

18. Balaam Narrative a Typology
Balaam Balak
Donkey sees angel that Balaam can‘t Balaam sees blessing of God upon
see Israel that Balak can‘t see
Donkey sees angel three times; Balaam speaks blessing of God upon
Donkey is beaten three times Israel three times when asked to curse
Israel three times
Each time donkey turns from angel, With each blessing upon Israel, the
the effect on Balaam is worse effect on Balak is worse
Balaam is prevented from killing Balak unable to kill Balaam
donkey
Donkey speaks because God opens Balaam says he can only speak words
its mouth God puts in his mouth
Balaam not moved when donkey Balak not moved by blessings upon
speaks Israel

19. “the Teaching of Balaam…”
―They [the Ammonites/Moabites] hired against you Balaam the son of
Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. ―Nevertheless, the Lord
your God was not willing to listen to Balaam, but the Lord your God
turned the curse into a blessing for you because the Lord your God loves
you. ‖
(Deuteronomy 23:4–5)
―While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with
the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of
their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel
joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry against Israel. ‖
(Numbers 25:1–3)
―Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam,
to trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, so the plague was
among the congregation of the Lord.‖
(Numbers 31:16)

20. “the Teaching of Balaam…”
―forsaking the right way, they have
gone astray, having followed the
way of Balaam, the son of Beor,
who loved the wages of
unrighteousness‖
(2 Peter 2:15)
―Woe to them! For they have gone
the way of Cain, and for pay they
have rushed headlong into the
error of Balaam, and perished in
the rebellion of Korah. ‖
(Jude 11)

21. “the Teaching of Balaam…”
"They killed the kings of Midian along
with the rest of their slain: Evi and Rekem
and Zur and Hur and Reba, the five kings
of Midian; they also killed Balaam the son
of Beor with the sword."
(Numbers 31:8)
Here, in Revelation, the people of
Pergamum must have been intermarrying
with pagans/unbelievers and thus
tempting them with false gods. Also, In
times of persecution, tasting the wine of
the libations or eating meat offered to
idols, was understood to signify
recantation of Christianity.

22. Syncretism Forbidden in Scripture
―You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, or all the
produce of the seed which you have sown and the increase of the
vineyard will become defiled. ―You shall not plow with an ox and a
donkey together. ―You shall not wear a material mixed of wool and
linen together.‖
(Deuteronomy 22:9–11)
―Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership
have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with
darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a
believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the
temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God;
just as God said, ―I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will
be their God, and they shall be My people.‖
(2 Corinthians 6:14–16)

23. “the Teaching of the Nicolaitans…”
―‗So you also have some who in the same way hold the
teaching of the Nicolaitans. ‖ (Revelation 2:15)
Early second century sources (Irenaeus) say the Nicolaitans started
with the Nicolas identified as a proselyte from Antioch (Acts 6:5).
Nicolaitanism sported many of the characteristics of Gnosticism in that
it encouraged the practice of physical immorality. ―In the same way‖ says
that the Nicolaitans participated in the same type of activities as the
Old Testament Israelites with Balaam‘s counsel. Evidently Pergamum
wasn‘t as discerning as Ephesus.

24. “the Teaching of the Nicolaitans…”
―Do not be deceived: ―Bad company corrupts good morals.‖ ‖
(1 Corinthians 15:33)
―A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.‖
(Galatians 5:9)

25. “the Teaching of the Nicolaitans…”
―Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body,
but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that
your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have
from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought
with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. ‖
(1 Corinthians 6:18–20)

26. Repent or Else…
―‗Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make
war against them with the sword of My mouth. ‖ (Revelation 2:16)
―Repent‖ means to change one‘s way of life as the result of a complete
change of through and attitude (Lou Nida Lexicon). Jesus demonstrates
that compromise with sin in the church is not to be tolerated. Jesus Himself
would come to fight against them unless they changed their behavior.

27. ―You can never
suppress error by
compromising with it.‖
- John MacArthur

28. A command to Hear
―‗He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to
the churches.‖ (Revelation 2:17)
This phrase is repeated each time in Christ‘s
address to the seven churches of Revelation. In
the gospels (it is never used in John), it is
always used to highlight radical truths, great
principles, and promises.
Note that Jesus says it is the Spirit speaking
to the churches, even though He is the actual
one talking: ―All Scripture is inspired by God
and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, for training in righteousness‖
(2 Timothy 3:16)

29. “To him who overcomes I will give…”
―Overcome‖ (nikao) means to be the
‗victor‘; ‗conquer‘. The name Nicolas
(from the Nicolaitans) means ‗conqueror
of the people‘. Rather than being
overcome by them, Christ speaks to
those who truly overcome. The
overcomers in the New Testament are
believers: ―For whatever is born of God
overcomes the world; and this is the
victory that has overcome the world—our
faith. ‖
(1 John 5:4)

30. Three Gifts…
―I will give some of the hidden manna…‖ (Revelation 2:17)
There was a golden pot of manna preserved in
the Ark of the Covenant (cf. Ex. 16:23). As
the manna hidden in the sanctuary was by divine
power preserved from corruption, so Christ in
His incorruptible body has passed into the
heavens, and is hidden there until the time of
His appearing. Christ Himself is the manna
―hidden‖ from the world, but revealed to the
believer, so that he has already a foretaste of
what‘s to come: ―I am the living bread that came
down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this
bread, he will live forever; and the bread also
which I will give for the life of the world is My
flesh.‖ (John 6:51)

31. Three Gifts…
―I will give . . . a white stone…‖ (Revelation 2:17)
The white stone referred to here
could be a couple of different things.
When an athlete won in the games, he
was often given a white stone which
was an admission pass to the winner‘s
celebration. A white stone was also
used by jurors at a trial to vote for an
acquittal.

32. Three Gifts…
―I will give . . . a new name written on the stone which no one
knows but he who receives it.‖ (Revelation 2:17)
To know someone‘s name in the ancient
world and in the Old Testament often
meant to enter into an intimate relationship
with that person and to share in that
person‘s character or power (cf. Acts 17
and the ‗unknown god‘). Also, to be given a
new name was an indication of a new status
(e.g. Peter). Here, it likely represents the
eschatological new identity of each
overcomer in the new heaven and new earth.

33. Conclusions
• Pergamum is a picture of any church (and person) that
courts the world and mixes itself in with wrong teaching that
leads to immorality
• God takes compromise seriously. This is a fact that the
politically-correct churches need to learn
• Those who persevere will be rewarded with Christ
Himself, acquittal of guilt, and entrance to His kingdom

34. ―To the angel of
the church in
Pergamum write…‖
The compromising church