College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
Revelation 2:12-17
Strauss-' Comments
SECTION 6
Text Revelation 2:12-17
12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword: 13 I know where thou dwellest, even where Satan's throne is; and thou holdest fast my name, and didst not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwelleth. 14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication. 15 So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner. 16 Repent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it.
Initial Questions Revelation 2:12-17
1.
Where was the phrase - the sharp two-edged sword used in The Revelation before this verse?
2.
What was the teaching of Balaam?
3.
Where is the Old Testament background for Revelation 2:14 located?
4.
Is it possible today that entire congregations like the 1st century Church in Pergamum needed to repent?
The Church in Pergamos
Chp. Revelation 2:12-17
Pergamos, (the Greek form is Pergamum) stood approximately 55 miles N.E. of Ephesus in the valley of the Caicus. Pergamos was the capitol city of the Attalid realm. Later, the Romans made it the capitol of the province of Asia. The inland location of the city precluded it as a candidate for taking over the trade of Smyrna and Ephesus.
There are at least two things which should be remembered about Pergamos: (1) That it had a great library of 200,000 books, and the word parchment is derived from the city's name; (2) It was internationally famous as a center of Asklepios worship. Asklepias was the god of healing. Asklepios-' chief descriptive title was (sôter) saviour. The emblem of this Asian saviour is the serpent.
Pergamos was the outpost metropolis of Greek civilization. Beyond the city's borders lie the hordes of barbaric Celts. It is particularly important for our study of the Revelation, to know that Pergamos gloried in the presence of the Temples to Athene, Zeus, and was a center of the Caesar Cult. Caesar claimed to be god, but the Church in Pergamos acknowledged only one saviour (not asklepios) and one God (not Caesar) but rather the Lord Jesus Christ.
John is once more commanded to write (same form as the other instances). Who is speaking, and how is He described? Christ is speaking as the one having the sharp two-edged sword. He speaks the word of God, and it shall not return unto Him void. (The nature of the Word of God, in both O.T. and N.T. will be traced in a Special Study in this volume.)
I know where you dwell where the throne of Satan is. The word says that the Church was not to run away and hide but rather they were to dwell there permanently. (Here katoikeis or permanent resident versus paroiken, pilgrim or stranger.) The King James translation of thronos as seat is faulty. It means a throne from which he reigns as their -lord.-' There is no neutral ground - either Christ is our Lord, or Satan is our lord - which is it to be?
And thou holdest (krateis - sing. pres. act. they were constantly holding on to the faith; and they were doing it individually (force of the sing.) the name of me. Semetic background is present here in the use of name which stands for the person. And did not deny (ouk çrnçsô - sing. 1st aor. ind.) in one act of refusal to deny Christ, most of the individuals (the sense of the singular form 2nd per. sing.) held fast to the faith once and for all delivered to the Saints. There was no compromise on the part of most church members in Pergamos (my faith). Christians at Pergamos held fast to Christ under heavy persecution, even under martyrdom. One martyr by the name of Antipas was singled out for special mention during the siege of hate. We know nothing more about Antipas than is mentioned here. We do know that Antipas held firm unto the end in the place where Satan continually dwells (katoikei - pres. tense). Satan did not merely drop in and out of this city, but it was his constant home base.
Their stand for Christ was a gallant one, but they permitted the ones holding the teaching of Balaam to remain in the Church's fellowship. This is ample warning that the Lord is not merely concerned with the Church as a whole, but for every single individual claiming membership in it. It will not do to have available a good statistical report of the church. Many congregations today look on the surface to be progressing and successful; but what of the belief and behavior of every church member? It is not simply a matter of how many (even if statistically small) heretics are continually present in the Church life, but rather, are there any at all? Who was Balaam? (See Numbers 25:1-9; Jude 1:11; and 2 Peter 2:15.)
There were two heretical groups in this congregation - the followers of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. Condemnation was Christ's answer to the Nicolaite's contamination of this congregation. Who were the Nicolaitans? No absolutely final answer can be given to this question, but they were probably committed to some form of Gnosticism.
Note: An understanding of Gnosticism is also imperative for a study of the Johannine Epistles as well as The Revelation. For further study see J. Doresse, The Secret Book of The Egyptian Gnostics. Viking Press, New York, 1960; The Biblical Archaeolgist, February, 1961 - Floyd V. Filson, New Greek and Coptic Gospel Manuscripts, Philippians 2, Religion in Life, Winter, 1961-62 - William R. Schoedel, New Gnostic Papyri, pp. 99; Puech, Quispel, and van Unnik, The Jung Codex, Mowbrays, especially, van Unnik, The Gospel of Truth and the N.T. for a study in parallels; an excellent general study is R. Wilson, The Gnostic Problem, Mowbray, London, 1958. See also Jonas-' two works, and Bultmann's Primitive Christianity in its Contemporary Setting, 1956 for a multitude of ridiculous assertions about the Gnostic origins of several N.T. ideas. Bultmann's thesis is invalidated, because he uses antiquated views of Gnosticism which have been destroyed by the Nag Hammadi finds.
Under the above circumstances, what can the Church in Pergamos do in order to become again acceptable to the Lord? Christ gave an immediate answer - repent thou (metanoeson - sing. 1st aor. imper. each individual was commanded to completely repent immediately). Unless they fulfilled the necessary condition of repentance completely and immediately Christ says to them I am coming to you quickly and will fight with (or against) them (autôn - them - not the entire church, but the guilty, repentant ones) with the sword of my mouth. The Word of God shall prevail!
The one having (the appeal was always to individuals not to groups) an ear let him hear what the Spirit keeps saying to the Churches. To the ones who are continually victorious I will give to him the having been hid (kekrummenou - perf. pass. part) manna, and I will give him a white stone, It is impossible to completely identify the white stone symbolism, but it no doubt was a mark of identification to be given to all faithful Christians. On the stone would be inscribed their new name having been written (gegrammenon - sing. pass. pt. p. - the new name had already been inscribed on the white stone), which no one knows except the one receiving (it is supplied because the participle - the one receiving needs an object).
Review Questions
1.
Pergamos was the center of what religious cult?
2.
What could the phrase where the throne of Satan is mean - Revelation 2:13?
3.
What does the use of the name of me suggest - Revelation 2:13?
4.
Was the Church in Pergamos free from false teachers? What did the Lord command that they do about them - Revelation 2:14?
5.
What is the O.T. background of Balaam (see Numbers 25:1-9) - Revelation 2:14?
6.
What did the Lord require of the Church in Pergamos - Revelation 2:16?
Tomlinson's Comments
The Church in Pergamos
Text (Revelation 2:12-17)
12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword: 13 I know where thou dwellest, even where Satan's throne is; and thou holdest fast my name, and didst not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwelleth. 14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication. 15 So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner. 16 Repent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it.
INTRODUCTION
This church was the farthest north, geographically speaking, of the seven churches in Asia. The city was a great religious center. The temple of Aesculapius was located there, to which sufferers came for healing from the four corners of the empire. Here also were the temples of Zeus, or Jupiter, Dionyson or Apollo. It was a perfect pantheon of pagan deities.
Here Polycarp, that great Christian martyr was burned alive.
Revelation 2:12 The salutation. Christ here presents Himself as, He that hath the sharp sword with two edges.
How appropriate this salutation! Owing to the fact that conditions were to be found in this church which called for refutation by the word of God it was altogether fitting that, the two-edged sword, which is the Word of God, should be the symbol under which Christ presented Himself to this church period.
The bearing of this is seen in Revelation 2:16, where speaking of those whom He had just reproved, He says, Repent or else I will come quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Revelation 2:13 This verse contains strong commendation. I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is. Seat here signifies throne. This church was in a place of peculiar danger, being directly exposed to the Adversary. Satan's Seat here; some have supposed referred to the worship of Aesculapius, from the serpent being his characteristic emblem.
But there seems to be a deeper meaning here. It is called Satan's seat here because it was where Satan's authority was in some special way acknowledged.
It must be noted that his devices in this case did not take the form of either spurious Christianity, or of physical persecutions as at Smyrna, but were of the nature similar to the device employed by Baalam against Israel of old.
Of course, these epochs blend somewhat and we do find some faithful saint, named Antipas suffering martyrdom, and we also know Polycarp was burned alive, but the opposition took on a new dress here;something more subtle and deceiving.
Revelation 2:14 It will be profitable here to give a brief study of the doctrine of Baalam. Baalam taught Balak, the King of the Moabites, to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel. Balak wanted the children of Israel cursed, but God would not permit Baalam to curse them as long as Israel was faithful to God's commandments.
So Baalam then taught Balak to induce the children of Israel to indulge in the heathen worship and orgies, and then, of course, they would fall under the curse of God. This was accomplished through the women of Moab, by whom the Israelites were seduced into to take part in idolatrous practices and to commit fornication (Numbers 25:1-3).
Evidently, here the true church, the Israel of God in the Christian dispensation, was enticed to commit spiritual fornication. The sin that answers to this on the part of the Israel of God-' -today (Galatians 6:16) is their participation in the formal and ceremonial exercises of religious bodies, whose form of worship is not after the New Testament pattern.
And this is just what happened historically to the church in the Pergamos period. The church had just gone through the persecution under Diocletian A. D. 303 to A. D. 313. Myers describes that persecution:
Toward the end of his reign, Diocletian inaugurated against the Christians a persecution which continued until his abdication, and which was the severest, as it was the last, waged against the church by the pagan emperors.. For ten years, which, however, were broken by short periods of respite, the Christians were subjected to the fierce flames of persecution. It was during this and the various other persecutions that vexed the church in the second and third centuries that the Christians sought refuge in the catacombs. Pp. 522, 523 Myer's Ancient History. Revised Edition 1904
After the abdication of Diocletian, and the joint reign of Galerius and Constantine of only one year, Constantine was proclaimed emperor. In the now famous Battle of Milvian Bridge A. D. 312, Constantine's standard on this celebrated battle field was the Christian cross. And it was beneath this emblem that his soldiers marched to victory. This act constituted a turning point in the history of the Roman Empire, and especially the fortunes of the Church of Christ.
By a decree issued at Milan A. D. 313, the year after the battle of Milvian Bridge, the Edict of Toleration was issued and Constantine placed Christianity on an equal footing with the other religions of the empire. The Edict read as follows: We grant to Christians and to all others full liberty of following the religion which each must choose. Hear Myers again:
By subsequent edicts Constantine made Christianity in effect the state religion and extended to it a patronage which he withheld from the old pagan worship. By A. D. 321 he had granted the Christian societies the right to receive gifts and legacies, and he himself enriched the church with donations of money and grants of land.. From this moment can be traced the decay of its (the church'S) primitive simplicity and a decline from its high moral standard. It is these deplorable results of the imperial patronage that Dante laments in his well-known lines!
Ah Constantine! of how much ill the mother,
Not by conversion, but that marriage dower
Which the first wealthy Father took from thee.
Inferno XIX 115-117
Myers Ancient History P. 526.
As Dante said, Constantine was not converted, but because he won the Battle of Milvian Bridge he embraced Christianity and made his soldiers and subjects Christian. Being a pagan, there were brought into the church many pagan practices.
Thus the doctrine of Baalam, the doctrine of Compromise characterized the Pergamos Period.
Constantine called the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) at Nicaea, a town of Asia Minor, and the first creed, or formula of faith was adopted, now known as the Nicene Creed. It was the fore-runner of all human creeds.
Revelation 2:15 Here we read, so hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes which thing I hate.
This departure made its first appearance in the first church periodthe Ephesian. There it was referred to as the deeds of the Nicolaitanes; here it is their doctrine.
The clue to an explanation is found in the name itself, and this is worthy of consideration because we find support in the meaning of the name Baalam, which occurs in the previous verse.
The name Nicolas which belonged to the person of whom these Nicolaitanes were followers, means one who conquers, or Lords it over the people.
Now it can hardly be a coincidence in a book where names and numbers, as well as objects, are used as symbols, that the name Baalam in Hebrew has practically the same meaning as Nicolas in the Greek.
This would point to the conclusion that Nicolaitanism was some form of heresy having for its object that of bringing the Israel of God into some sort of spiritual bondage.
In this church period there did occur such a compromise as portrayed in the doctrine of Baalam. Also there occurred in the same epoch, and following closely on the doctrine of compromise, a lording it over of God's people.
How logical then that these Niclaitanes should first be mentioned in the first church epochthe Ephesian! There Christ saw the beginning of such a departure.
How many times the Holy Spirit leaves some hidden door, which when discovered, makes proof of a truth crystal clear!
In (Acts 20:28-31), we have an account of Paul calling the elders of this same Ephesian church, which Christ used to symbolize the first church period, to meet him at Miletus. (Acts 20:17).
His conference with them was in the nature of a stern warning, Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit had made you overseers, to feed the church of God. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
This clinches the proof of the nature of the Nicolaitane doctrinethe doctrine of overlordship. In the New Testament church, there was a plurality of elders over one congregation, but never was there one elder, or bishop over a plurality of congregations.
The departure from the primitive order of government began right in the eldership. The seed was dormant in the elders of Ephesus, but came to life and developed in the Ephesian period. And by the time we reach the Pergamos period, we find a bishop presiding over a group of congregations. This was the over-lordship of Nicolaitanes. And it was this very departure that changed the form of government of the first century church, and, the Nicolaitane government meeting in church councils, wrote the first human creedthe Nicene. This inaugurated the apostasy which produced bishops, arch bishops, prelates, cardinals and finally the papa, or pope.
It corrupted the church in government and substituted human creeds, catechisms, and human confessions of faith, for the Authority of the Word of God. No matter of wonder then, that Christ said of the Nicolaitanes in both the Ephesian and the Pergamos periods of church history I hate this thing. No wonder, then this doctrine only in the embryonic stage in the Ephesian, but now in full flower in the Permagos period, was so hateful to Christ that He introduced Himself in the salutation to this Pergamos church, These things saith He that hath the sharp sword with two edges. (Revelation 2:12)
Since the sharp sword with the two edges is the Word of God, His salutation becomes understandable. The only way to fight departures from the primitive order was to wield the sharp sword of the Spiritthe Word of God. Hence the call:
Revelation 2:16 Repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
From the wording of this warning it appears that we have here the case of a whole church being carried away with this evil doctrine, as the Ephesian church was charged with falling away from its first love. For Christ says, I will come to thee and fight against themthose who teach and practice this pernicious and hateful doctrine.
Yet the call to repent was to the whole church, which is, of course, responsible for the evils allowed to exist in its midst.
Revelation 2:17 Finally, came the wonderful promises: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna. This appears in contrast to eating things sacrificed to idols. (Revelation 2:14) In connection with the mention of Manna, Christ calls Himself the Bread of life. (John 6:48-49). Christ is unseen walking among the churches, hence called the Hidden Manna. He is the bread from heaven. And I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written. Among the Greeks a white stone was a symbol of acquittal, as a black stone was one of guilt. The white stone speaks of justification and victory over this abominable doctrine of over-lordship.
The gift of a new name carries with it some great blessing of high honor. Christ is to have a new name known only to Himself, (Revelation 19:12) and His faithful followers also have a new name known only to themselves.
While the order of symmetry is changed, Christ gives the admonition He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Again it is not addressed to one church, but to the churches, proving again as in the two former church periods, the Pergamos church is symbolical of a period or epoch in church history.
Without this Nicolaitan apostasy of the Pergamos period, there could have been no following fruition of abomination in the succeeding Thyatira period.