Revelation 2:12–17 (ESV) — 12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. 13 “ ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
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What city in America, would you say may be the most difficult for a church to thrive, and for a Christian to thrive in spiritual growth? “Sin City-New Orleans” “Las Vegas” “New York”
I heard a pastor from Las Vegas saying, the problem is not getting sinners out of Las Vegas, but getting Las Vegas out of the saints. We have this going on in the Church in Pergamum.
Let’s look at Jesus’ opening words to this church in verse 12. “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.” This goes back to how Jesus revealed himself to John—Rev. 1:16, “with a sharp two-edged sword coming from his mouth.” This isn’t the warm-fuzz greeting a church would like from Jesus. This is a reminder to the church and its members that, his love for them is more concerned about their spiritual health than having the warm-fuzzies. This is such a lesson to remember. Jesus’ love for his sheep—that is us, is more concerned about our spiritual health and well-being than we are.
We read in verse 13, Jesus commending the Church for not deny him in such a devilish and dark place to live and worship. Rev. 2:13 — “ ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.” The underlying commendation is that they have held fast His name in the daily affront against them. They would not deny Jesus. They would not deny their faith in Jesus.
The reason Jesus words his commendation this way to them is probably because that if there was any place that it might have been probable that people should have ceased to hold His name, it would have been in these peculiar and difficult circumstances, in this particular city.
I read in the Voice of Martyr magazine of a Nigerian Pastor. The persecution against the churches came from Boko Haram, the Islamic extremist group. The Pastor was quoted: “Boko Haram militants have killed thousands of people and displaced millions of others in the region. … In just one congregation, 37 members have been killed in Islamic attacks.” This pastor’s church is caring for 200 pastors who are struggling to recover from trauma caused by severe persecution. He said, “We pastors need prayers. May God remove hatred for Muslims from the hearts of pastors, because you cannot pray for someone you hate. These extremists are people like us, and God can use anyone.”
This is modern day persecution. Too often Christians think of severe persecution against the Church happening centuries ago, but this is going on today. And this is what the church in Pergamum was experiencing in their city. Let’s be careful not to put extreme persecution to the Church in a past, historical time. It is worse in modern days than it has ever been in Church history.
Jesus says, “I know where you dwell.” That statement in itself is full of comfort and encouragement. Brothers and sisters, in every circumstance of trial and tribulation and persecution and peril, we may hear the words of our Master, our Shepherd, saying, “I know where you dwell. I know where you are and what you are putting up with. I know what you have to deal with at home. I know what you deal with at work, at school, in your neighborhood, with some of your family. I know where you dwell.” He knows what you are confronted with. He knows how difficult it is sometimes to practice your faith in Him. He knows the stumbling blocks against you to live your faith in me. That is why you can talk to him about it. Asking him for help.
Jesus says, “where Satan’s throne is” “where Satan dwells.” What does that mean? Does Satan actually live there? There are different opinions on what Jesus is saying. Some say it is due to the cluster of temples to Zeus, Apollo, Athene, Aphrodite, etc. Another view, is because of the hard-core demand by the citizens of the city that everyone worship their gods and indulge in their feasts to the gods and immoral sexual practices.
Another view is that it is a literal center of Satan’s operations for Asia. That the city was very demonic and dark because of Satan’s literal presence. Remember though, (this is why knowing your Bible and having a sound Biblical understanding of spiritual truth is necessary) Satan cannot be in more than one place at a time. He can move from place to place, but he cannot be everywhere at the same time like God. God is omnipresent—everywhere present, the devil is not. Could this be one of Satan’s central hubs? I don’t know for sure. Any of these views are biblically possible.
We read in verse 14, “But I have a few things against you.” I see in this letter two main issues that Jesus has against this church in Pergamum. The first of these two issues is in Vvs.14-15.
Revelation 2:14–15 (ESV) — 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
There is a wide acceptance among scholars that Jesus points out the teaching of the Nicolaitans as the ones who were teaching the old counsel of Balaam. The false teaching of Balaam was the false teaching that Nicolaitans were spreading. The same teaching of Balaam, just a new name. I agree with this view. Every false teaching is just an old false teaching with a new, modern name, and modern-day attraction to it.
What does Jesus say about this false teaching? First, he says, “you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam” … This false teaching is held by a sub-group within the membership, not the whole church. The church leadership and most of the members were not following this false teaching, just “some.” Jesus is rebuking and warning a group within the church.
“…who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.” You might be thinking, “Who is Balaam and Balak, and what did they do to Israel that applies to this church and every church down through the ages? And, I don’t eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual impurity. Well hold on, all of this does have an application to us.
This story begins in the Book of Numbers, Chapter 22. Here’s the “Readers Digest Version.” Balaam is a strange figure in Scripture. This is the guy whose donkey spoke to him. You may have heard that story in a Sunday School class as a child. Balaam is an example of an enemy who first tried to persecute believers but found greater success by seducing them.
When the Israelites were advancing through the wilderness on their way to the Promise Land, and they were beyond the Jordan River at Jericho, near the Moabite people, Balak the king of Moab had to do something. God had been conquering all the nations that stood against Israel. Balak wanted to destroy Israel, he knew that if he went into combat with them, it was a certain defeat. Moab’s army would be wiped out. So, he decided to hire someone who was known for curses and dark magic/divination. Yep, it was a guy named, Balaam (Num.22:7).
Balak hired Balaam to stand on a mountain that overlooked the people of Israel and declare a curse on them. But God! God warned Balaam not to follow through with this, but Balaam loved money more than he feared the God of Israel. Balaam stood on the mountain to declare a curse on Israel, but God gave him words of blessing to speak over Israel. Balak was furious at Balaam. Instead of cursing his enemy, Balaam pronounced a blessing over Israel three times! Balaam’s response to Balak was, “How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced.”
This is a relevant truth for us. We never have to be afraid of superstitions, curses, or what anyone says against us to harm us. We are God’s people. No one can curse or denounce or damn whom God has blessed. Amen. Reference, Num. 22:12; Is.43:13.
With the failure of this strategy, Balak sent Balaam home. But Balaam wasn’t finished. He wanted his money for hire. Now we get to what Jesus is calling the teaching of Balaam and the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Balaam came up with a new scheme. A devilish scheme. A seductive scheme that the Israelites wouldn’t see coming. It would be far worse than defeat in military combat. Oh yes, this would be their demise for generations to come.
Numbers 31:16 - “Behold, these, on Balaam’s advice (Balaam’s new plan he gave to Balak), caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the Lord.” The NIV makes this clearer: “They … enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the LORD …”
The Question is, “What was Balaam’s advice that caused the people of Israel to betray the Lord? We go Numbers 25:1–3, “While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, 2 who [the women of Moab] invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal [dedicated to these gods] and bowed down before these gods.” Italics added. These seducing women invited the Israel men to come and join them in their parties to their god-Baal.
Numbers 25:3, “So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor [the god of Moab]. And the Lord’s anger burned against them.” Italics added. Listen Christian, this compromise “yoked” them to the false god, Baal. They compromised and bowed down to the god of Baal, transferring their allegiance from Yahweh to Baal. Here is the stumbling block teaching that had infiltrated the faith of “some” of Christians in Pergamum: “You can believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior, and live like a pagan.” Simply put: “Believe one way and live another way” or, “You can confess commitment to Jesus, but live an uncommitted life to Jesus.” The Israel men thought it was okay as the people of covenant with Yahweh to participate in pagan festivals. There are many in churches today who have that same thinking.
Today this teaching would go something like this: “I believe in Jesus. I love Jesus. I believe Jesus died for my sins, and I am forgiven. How I live does not affect that truth. How I live does not change my commitment to Jesus. If I want to enjoy life with my non-Christian friends—doing the things they do, such as partying, drinking, lude jokes, making fun of other people, etc., I am free to do so because I am saved by grace through faith, not how I act. Jesus loves me just the way I am.”
The doctrine of Balaam and the Nicolaitans gave the Christian a license to indulge in sins without guilt, shame, or regret. This teaching convinced them that their devotion to Jesus is not harmed by living a lifestyle like those of the unbeliever. This goes deeper.
Here is the underlining error of this false teaching, and all false teaching and unbiblical thinking: “Compromise with the sacred is Okay.”
This can be a compromise in living your faith and biblical convictions. It could be compromising biblical doctrines (biblical teachings). It could be compromising godly character. False teaching always compromises the truth.
Compromise in itself can be good and useful, even necessary in relationships and diplomacy. In spiritual life before God and man, never. Compromise is never acceptable. God does not compromise towards us, should be compromise towards him? Should be compromise our hearts? We compromise our hearts when we compromise our actions and words.
This is a message that applies to all Christians, individually and to all churches. The nature of compromise is that it grows. It always grows. Compromise in one area will eventually grow in that area and eventually bleed over into another area. If you swallow a lie that justifies a little compromise, it is easy to justify a little more compromise. I can see the serpent in the Garden of Eden say to Eve. “Go ahead and touch it. See, it didn’t strike you dead. It didn’t burn your hand. It’s harmless.” The lie leads to compromise. “Now take a bite. Obviously, it is not going to hurt you.” And so, Eve did.
This is how compromise seduces us. A little, a little bit more, and then more and more. The grey line that you allowed into the sacred grew, widened. If you do not deal with the whole compromise, it will continue to grow. A Christian needs only to think of their own commitment to Jesus. Has there been a time that you compromised your devotion to him? Did that simple compromise grow? A compromise in doctrine of biblical truth will grow into more compromise of what God says to you in His word. A compromise in your personal Bible reading and prayer time. Compromise a little and it will be easy to compromise a little more of it. A compromise to your Church. A compromise in your faithfulness, your giving, your involvement, and before you know it, the compromise has grown into a habit. A compromise in holiness. A compromise in your commitment to Jesus. Do you see the seductive danger of compromise? Be on guard.
Some of the believers in Pergamum came to believe that grace gave them the free license to live like there were not set free from the bondage of sin. They believed in Jesus, yet live like the unbeliever indulging in all that Jesus saved them from. This is “Cheap Grace.” You can go listen to the sermon called, “Free but Not Cheap” (June 22, 2025)
We see from the story in the Old Testament book of Numbers, and Jesus’ letter in Revelation 2, that this teaching and belief is offensive to God. It angers him. Hence, Revelation 2:16 – “Repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.” Following this false teaching of a perverted idea of grace, Christians were being seduced by the world. They were being lured away from Jesus. They were being unfaithful to Jesus. They were being unfaithful to the Gospel, the Christian faith. They were hurting themselves spiritually.
Scripture says, Romans 6:22, “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” Eph.5:1, “be imitators of God, as beloved children.” We are not to be imitators of those who dishonor God. Eph. 5:8, “walk as children of life” NOT as children of the darkness. Eph. 5:15, “walk as wise, not as unwise.”
The Scripture also says we should judge yourself or God will judge us (I Cor.11:31). Examine your life and if you have allowed compromise to slip in, own up to it and repent. Do not live in compromise. Learn from Jesus’ words to the believers in Pergamum.
The second issue Jesus had with this church in Pergamum was to the Church as a whole, and to the leadership of the Church. It was the failure to address this false teaching within the Church. It was the sin of putting up with this false doctrine and practice, which was harming the whole congregation and harming the testimony of the Name of Jesus in the city. It was the failure to practice Church Discipline.
What is church discipline? It is divine authority given through Scripture to the church by Jesus Christ to maintain order through the correction of persistently sinning church members for the good of those caught in sin (including the sin of false teachings), for the purity of the church, for the unity and healthy growth of the church, and for the glory of God. The failure of the Church to guard itself and address the false teaching by “some” of its members is so serious that Jesus threatened to come to them soon and war against them. War against them with the sharp double-edged sword from his mouth. I do not know what Jesus meant by that, but I don’t want to find out.
Let’s be practical with this. Why do some Christians fall into this type of false teaching, which we’ll call–Cheap Grace. Believing they can be committed to Jesus in their hearts, but not in how they live. I think one reason is that we generally like to please people, especially long-time friends. We don’t want to offend them when they ask us to go along with them and participate in their activities and ungodly actions.
Christian, you can be their friend. Be the friend who shows them a differ way. Be the friend who has godly convictions and sticks with them. Be the friend who stands on the light, proving that the Gospel of Jesus can change a person and break the power of sin in a person’s life. Be that kind of friend, the friend they need. They need that kind of friend.
Another main reason Christians decide to like this type of teaching is because it gratifies their fleshly, sinful tendencies and still believe Jesus is your Savior. It justifies living out the desires of the carnal mind. The promise is, when you are gratifying those sinful urges, you are putting yourself back into a slavery to that sin, and you are dishonoring the cross.
Conclusion: Hearing all of this, now what?
Number one: If this is you, repent. Jesus commands you to repent (Rev.2:16). Own up to your error and sin. Confess your sin with godly sorrow. Turn 180 degrees from this belief and seek a sacred life unto God. This means, when the opportunity comes to join in worldly behavior, excuse yourself. Not with a “holier than thou” attitude, but in love and humility. You are not the same person who used to do those things and talk that way.
If are compromising any of the areas that I mentioned above, repent. Hate that you compromised. Hate that you let this happened. Hate the lies that seduced you to compromise. Rip that grey out of your life, and out of your heart and mind. Then re-commit to faithfulness. Re-commit and Jesus promises to “cleanse you from all sin and all unrighteousness (I Jn.1:9).
Number two: If you know a brother or sister compromising his/her belief, help them see the truth. Lovingly and firmly, showing them with scripture. Yes, we are our spiritual brother/sister’s keeper.
Number three: You can choose to ignore Jesus’ warning, be prepared for his chastisement and discipline. He loves you too much to sit back and watch sin destroy you. He loves you too much to let a lie of Satan lead you into oppression and bondage. You are His. He chose you, died for you, rose from the dead for you, put his spirit with in you. Just as you would discipline your child out of love for his well-being and future, so does Christ discipline us when we stray into that which will hurt us.
Jesus is calling us to follow him all the way. He has given his holy Spirit to help us. Ask the Spirit of God to help.
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