Letters to the seven churches: Pergamum

Revelation 2:12-17
The third church written to in Rev. 2-3 is that of Pergamum. The name ‘Pergamum’ comes from two Greek words, ‘per’ meaning ‘mixed’ (as we have in the word ‘perverted’) and ‘gamos’ meaning ‘marriage’. Thus the church of Pergamum represents the historical time period when the church married the world, the time of Constantine and his successors. As with the other letters, first we have the description Jesus gives of Himself: “Him who has the sharp, double-edged sword” (Rev. 2:12). In ch. 1 we are told that the sharp double-edged sword comes out of His mouth (Rev. 1:16). We know from other Scriptures that the double-edged sword is a symbol of the Word of God (Heb. 4:12). This church had strayed from the Word, and Jesus is going to remind them of it.
Next we have the commendation: They had remained true to His name, although they lived in the place where Satan has his throne. They did not renounce their faith in Him, even when the leader of their church was martyred.
But then comes the rebuke: they had picked up false teaching along the way. One of these was the ‘teaching of Balaam’, and the other the ‘teaching of the Nicolaitans’. We studied Balaam not long ago; the teaching of Balaam referred to here is how he taught Balak (king of the Moabites) to entice the Israelites into sin through sexual immorality. There were people in the church of Pergamum, just as there are today, who will tell you that sex is okay and we shouldn’t be so legalistic about it being only for two people who are married to each other. This is a dangerous road to head down, because the Word of God tells us quite clearly what God’s plan for sex is. The Nicolaitans, it is thought, were a group of people who desired to set up a hierarchy in the church (the word ‘Nicolaitan’ comes from two Greek words, ‘niko’ = to rule, ‘laitan’ = laiety, the common people). This is exactly what Jesus came to abolish, so that there would be no ‘middle-man’ between people and Himself. Then we have the exhortation: Repent!
Following the phrase ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’ is the promise to the overcomer: to be given some of the hidden manna, and a white stone with a new name written on it. Jesus is the manna, the bread that came down from heaven (John 6:48-51). If we are overcomers, we will spend eternity with Him, discovering all the things about Him that have been hidden from us so far. There are many thoughts on what the white stone is. One is that it is a symbol of acquittal. When a judge pronounced someone ‘not guilty’, they would be handed a white stone. In Christ our sins are forgiven and God pronounces us ‘not guilty’.