Pergamum: Bad News

But I have a few things against you, because you have there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So have you also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto you quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. (Rev 2:14-16 KJ2000)


For the last 1500 years Christians have been immune to the temptation to eat food sacrificed to idols—for the very good reason that we simply don't encounter that situation any more.  The Gospel has eliminated them from Western civilization.  So we need to see just what accusations are being brought here, so that we do not fall into the same trouble:

We know from Paul's letters that eating food sacrificed to idols caused several problems for the church.  First, it weakened the faith of some of the newer Christians by confusing them—were those idols really gods after all?  More than that, it was a way of showing tacit approval of idols—of "winking" at the practice.  How often today do we "wink" at evil, just letting it go by?

We have also the accusation of sexual immorality.  It is a sad fact that the church today has an ample supply of those who commit adultery.  Worse, there is little if any sense that the church disapproves;  it's just "an error in judgment."  At least we retain some shred of doubt here;  divorce is now so common among Christians that many are shocked to discover that Christ himself condemns it!

We no longer remember the Nicolaitans—but they're still with us.  They proclaimed a teaching that you could do anything in the body, no matter how immoral—as long as you "kept your spirit pure."  Saturday night a wild time; Sunday morning a pious, hung-over face.  It is an organized form of hypocrisy.

The word of the Lord is clear.  Jesus tells them to repent—and the message is opportune for us, too—or else he will send against them (or us) the sword of his mouth.  What is this sword?  Isaiah describes himself as such;  so it could mean those godly men who put forth the Gospel in pure and powerful terms.  It is described as sharp, and double edged.  From that many conclude that this is a description of the Scripture itself—that God will send forth those who will open the Bible to the minds of those who are perishing.

Whichever (or both) it might be, these souls needed it.  So do we.  We forget that God will strike down the church that does not repent and turn to him.  Think how many strong churches have withered when they forgot his Word!  Listen to the words of His warning;  they are meant for us, too.