WEEK 4

Date: 28

Title: Jesus and Pergamum

Main Passage: Revelation 2:12 - 17

Secondary Passages: 1 Corinthians 5:12 – 13, Matthew 18:15 – 18, 2 Timothy 2:24 - 25

Passage for Memorization and : “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him.” Titus 3:10

Overview: Pergamum was a city known for its religious fervor. According to one commentary temples, altars, and shrines were dedicated to various Greek gods including (king of the gods and known in Pergamum as “savior- god”), (goddess of victory and patron goddess of the city), (god of wine, entertainment and sensu- ality), and Asclepius (god of healing, symbolized by a ).1

Two noteworthy gods to notice at Pergamum are Dionysus and Asclepius. Dionysus was considered the god who made sure everyone had a good time. He loved wine, music, entertainment and sex. It was said that Dionysus’ wine, music and euphoric dancing freed his followers from their fears and anxiety. Many people went to Pergamum to “wor- ship” Dionysus by getting drunk, enjoying sensual entertainment and engaging in sexual activities. Because of this, Pergamum became kind of the Vegas of the region, which brought a lot of money into the city.

Asclepius was the god of healing and so a huge section of the city was dedicated to the healing arts and . There was also a spring in Pergamum that was thought to have healing powers. Because of these things Pergamum became a center for healing and medical research. Many people journeyed from all over the empire to fi nd healing, which brought further fi nancial prosperity to those living in the city.2

In addition to all of this, Pergamum was the center of the imperial cult.3 It had the fi rst and oldest temple dedicated to emperor worship and Pergamum was an ardent supporter of Rome. Three times in its history Pergamum was recog- nized by Rome as the warden of imperial worship,4 which further helped to establish Pergamum as a fi nancially pros- perous and spiritually momentous city.

And yet as we see in Jesus’ letter to the Pergamum church, not all spirituality is virtuous. Pergamum was teeming with spiritual beliefs and behaviors but most were satanic, destructive, and dark. Jesus says Satan established his throne in Pergamum and he is leading many people away.

1 For more on the history of Pergamum see Revelation by Grant Osborne. 2 For more on the religious practices in Pergamum see The Seven by Mark Driscoll. 3 For more on the imperial cult see the overview from week 3. 4 Revelation by Grant Osborne. 15 Jesus begins his message to the church in Pergamum by describing himself as the one who has the sharp two-edged sword. The sword was a symbol of judgment and of Rome’s strength and sovereignty.1 In describing himself as the one who has the two-edged sword, Jesus reminds the Pergamum church that he is the true judge and that ultimate power and authority belong to him. This is an important reminder because Jesus is going to call this church to judge some people in the church who are destructive.

Jesus’ message to the church in Pergamum is one of commendation and correction. Jesus begins by commending the church for holding fast and staying faithful. Like the church in Smyrna, the Christians in Pergamum have faced intense persecution courageously and stood for Jesus persistently.

Jesus then corrects the Pergamum church for failing to deal with some people who were compromising the health of the entire church. Apparently, a small group of people settled into the church and Jesus clearly hates their beliefs and their behaviors. Sadly, the church in Pergamum didn’t seem to have the guts to bring judgment and discipline on these people. So Jesus rebukes the entire church and calls the church to repentance.

Given the situation, repentance would include the leaders in the Pergamum church confessing to Jesus their failure to have hard conversations and to guard the gate of membership and leadership within the church. Additionally, they must now courageously, quickly and gently correct the compromised people with the hope that God may grant them repentance and lead them to a knowledge of the truth, so that they may come to their senses and escape from being used by Satan to destroy the church in Pergamum.2 If these people refuse to repent, they need to be removed from the church.3

If the Pergamum church fails to respond, Jesus promises that he will come with the sword and execute the judgment he has asked his church to execute. If the church responds, Jesus promises to give them hidden manna and a white stone. The hidden manna is an Old Testament reference to the way God provided for his people during their wilder- ness wanderings and a white stone in those days was used as a ticket to gain admission to a feast. So in these two images Jesus seems to be communicating that he will supply all that this church needs until the wedding feast of the lamb if they will stay faithful to him. This promise should give the church in Pergamum the courage to deal with the few people who are compromising the entire church.

Opening Question: • Talk about a time when your actions, attitudes or beliefs negatively impacted an entire group.

1 Be Victorious by Warren W. Wiersbe 2 2 Timothy 2:25 - 26 3 Titus 3:10 16 Discussion Questions: • Read Revelation 2:12 - 17. • How does Jesus introduce himself in verse 12? • Why is Jesus’ introduction fi tting for a church that has failed to deal with members/leaders whose beliefs and behaviors are negatively impacting the church? • What is the church in Pergamum doing well? • How is the church in Pergamum failing? • What happens in a church when a few compromised people are not dealt with? • What does Jesus want the church in Pergamum to do? • What will happen if they fail to follow Jesus? • What does this tell you about Jesus’ desire for purity/unity in his church? • What will happen if they overcome? • How is this an encouragement to the church in Pergamum?

Application Questions: • In what ways does Jesus’ message to Pergamum encourage or challenge you? • Give some reasons why a church would fail to deal with people whose beliefs and behaviors are negatively impact- ing Jesus’ church. • Give some examples of beliefs and behaviors that will negatively impact Faith. • What can you do to make sure Faith stays pure and united until Jesus returns? • Are there beliefs or behaviors in your life that are compromising the unity and purity of Faith? If so, what do you need to do?

TABLE TIME WITH KIDS

• What was the sermon from Sunday about? What questions do you have from it? • Do your beliefs and behaviors aff ect the people around you? Yes. Very much. • What does Jesus want you to do when you see hurtful beliefs and behaviors in other people? He wants you to clearly and gently tell them so that they have an opportunity to change. He does not want you to say nothing or to gossip about people. • What should you do if people don’t repent and change? Look at Matthew 18:15 – 18. Ultimately, if they will not repent, you need to distance yourself from them. • What should you do when people point out hurtful beliefs and behaviors in your life? Listen and be grateful some- one cares enough to point out your faults. Then ask Jesus to forgive you and change you. • Are there hurtful beliefs and behaviors in your life? If so, what do you need to do?

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