The purpose of this letter was to encourage the Christians in Pergamum for their faithfulness to Christ and to urge them to reject the false teaching in their midst.
Pergamum (modern Bergama) lay about 55 miles north of Smyrna inland a few miles from the Aegean coast. The meaning of the name "Pergamum"is "citadel."The town was noteworthy for three reasons. It was a center for many pagan religious cults, and emperor worship was more intense there than in any other surrounding city.108Second, it boasted a university with a large library. Third, it was the leader and center of the production of parchment.
Jesus Christ described Himself as the One who judges with His Word (cf. 1:16; 19:15, 21). God's Word separates believers from the world and sinners from God. This is perhaps its double-edged quality. Roman officials who had the right to carry this sword (Gr. hromphaia, cf. 1:16; 2:16) had the power of life and death in cases of capital offenses.
"It is interesting that Pergamum was a city to which Rome had given the rare power of capital punishment (ius gladii), which was symbolized by the sword. The Christians in Pergamum were thus reminded that though they lived under the rule of an almost unlimited imperium, they were citizens of another kingdom--that of him who needs no other sword than that of his mouth . . ."109
The Pergamum Christians had held firmly to their commitment to Jesus Christ and their witness for Him even though they lived in one of Satan's strongholds.
"Antipas is said to have been a dentist and a physician, but the Aesculapiades suspected that he was propagating Christianity secretly and they accused him of disloyalty to Caesar. He was condemned to death and was shut up in a brazen (or copper) bull, which was then heated until it was red-hot."110
Satan's throne may be an allusion to one or more of the pagan temples in the city, most likely the aesculapium. The aesculapium was a complex of buildings devoted to the god of healing. This made Pergamum "the Lourdes of the Province of Asia."111Some have thought that this throne was the altar of Zeus, which was very prominent in the town.112Another possibility is that Satan's throne refers to emperor worship that was stronger in Pergamum than elsewhere.
"The city was a leader in this form of worship, which was relatively new to the province of Asia . . ."113
". . . it appears that the throne of Satan' should be identified not with a specific architectural feature of Roman Pergamon (in part because so little is actually known about first-century Pergamon) but rather with the Roman oppositionto early Christianity, which the author of Rev 2-3 perceived as particularly malevolent in that city."114
Balaam told Balak that he could overcome the Israelites if he would involve them in Moabite religious feasts that included sacred prostitution (Num. 25). This would render them unfaithful to God and consequently subject to His discipline. The pagans in Pergamum were evidently encouraging the Christians to join in their pagan feasts and the sexual immorality that accompanied them too. By participating some in the church had given tacit approval to Balaam's teaching. The Nicolaitans evidently regarded these sins as acceptable under the pretense of Christian liberty (cf. v. 6).115
"The best conclusion is that there were two different but similar groups in this church, both of which had disobeyed the decision of the Jerusalem council in regard to idolatrous practices and fornication (cf. Acts 15:20, 29)."116
"The main facet of the doctrine of Balaam which is being promulgated in Churches today is the teaching that [equal] future blessings and rewards have been set aside for every Christian solely on the basis of Christ's finished work on Calvary and the Christian's positional standing in Christ.' Thus, all Christians--regardless of their conduct during the present time--will receive crowns and positions of power and authority with Christ in the [millennial] kingdom. However, the teaching throughout the Word of God is to the contrary. The Israelites did notsin with immunity, and neither can Christians. Sin in the camp of Israel resulted in the Israelites being overthrown in the wilderness, short of the goal of their calling. And it will be no different for Christians."117
If the erring believers would not judge themselves and repent they could anticipate God's judgment (cf. 1 Cor. 11:31).
"Unwillingness to repent shows that a person is not a faithful believer."118
They would die by the sword proceeding from Christ's mouth. Balaam had died, ironically, by the Israelites' sword (Num. 31:8). This judgment would be by the unyielding standard of God's revealed Word that clearly condemns such behavior. Having taken sides with the enemy they could expect God to oppose them in His war against evil.
"The fault of Pergamum is the opposite of Ephesus where the heretics were rooted out but love was missing (2:2, 4)."119
The "hidden manna"seems to be a reference to the manna that sustained the lives of the Israelites in the wilderness that lay "hidden"in the holy of holies. The Christians in Pergamum did not need the food of pagan festivals since they already had much better food. Christians feed spiritually on Jesus Christ, the bread of life (John 6:48-51), who is the real manna hidden from sight now.120
The "white stone"seems to allude to the tesseron.121
A tesseronwas, ". . . given to those who were invited to partake, within the precincts of the temple [at Pergamum], of the sacred feast, which naturally consisted only of meats offered to the idol. That stone bore the secret name of the deity represented by the idol and the name was known only to the recipient."122
Victors in contests or battles also received a white stone.123Perhaps God will elevate the overcomer to the position of ruler over the earth and will give him or her a new name, as He did Joseph (cf. Gen. 41:39-45). The name on that stone is new (Gr. kainon) in the sense of being different, not new in contrast to what is old. However the name is probably that of Christ (cf. Phil. 2:9).124It is unknown to others in the sense that others who are not overcomers do not possess it.
The historical parallel to the church in Pergamum is the period following Constantine's legalization of Christianity in A.D. 313 that lasted for about 300 years. When Christianity became the official religion of the empire, paganism overwhelmed it. It became hard to distinguish true Christians because people claiming to be Christians were everywhere. Many of them were practicing pagans who indulged in immoral festivals and all kinds of behavior inconsistent with the teachings of Christianity. Many writers have noted that "Pergamum"comes from the Greek word gamosthat means marriage. This letter pictures a church married to the world rather than to Christ.
