0977. The Church at Pergamos

The Church at Pergamos

"But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication" (Rev_2:14)

We are approaching now that time in church history when satan seems to have gotten strong grip upon the church. The church still has its faithful ones, those who hold fast His name, and do not deny His faith. The church still has its martyrs, such as Antipas, the faithful witness. However, there are some strong statements made against Pergamos for its sins. Let us notice three of these:

1. Christ's first charge against the Church at Pergamos. "Thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel."

The story of Balaam is familiar ground. Enticed by the honor and the rich rewards of Balac he had gone in order to curse Israel. God had first refused him the privilege to go, and then His angel had withstood him in the way. Finally God put His Spirit upon Balaam and the lips of Balaam prophesied only good of Israel, and not evil at all.

Balaam, unable to curse Israel, offered to Balac some advice which smells of the pit from whence it came.

In Revelation we read that "Balaam taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before Israel," and in Num_31:16 we read: "Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord."

In the Church at Pergamos, emanating from satan's own throne, came this same doctrine of Balaam–world-mixing. It was a sad day for the church when she became so entangled. Did Israel of old play the harlot? So has the church. Did Israel have many lovers? So has the church. Did Israel treacherously depart from the Lord as a woman would treacherously depart from her husband? So has the church. Did Israel hew out for herself cisterns, broken cisterns, which could hold no water? So has the church. Did Israel scatter her ways under every green tree? So has the church.

2. Christ's second charge against the Church at Pergamos. "Thou also hast them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate." The word "Nicolaitanes" means "conquering the people." Our word "laity," the people, comes from this same root. What have we then in this specially named doctrine? We have a church taken out from under the leadership of Christ, and placed under the authority of domineering men.

The Word of God seven times, in the seven Letters to the Churches of Asia gives warning against this very thing, when He says, "He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches."

One does not need to go to Roman Catholicism to find this "conquering of the people." It is seen today in every Protestant denomination. Denominations like the Congregationalists and Baptists, which place special emphasis on the independency of the local church, are little by little adopting methods of coercive instead of co-operative work. Thus churches are becoming more and more dominated by their leading boards, by denominational machinery.

3. The correlated passage from the 13th of Matthew. The parable is that of the mustard tree. Christ described in this mustard tree, first of all, an abnormal growth; and the "birds of the air," as they lodged in the branches thereof. The birds are the children of the wicked one.

It is not the ship in the water that causes havoc, it is water in the ship. It is not the church in the world that is her undoing, it is the world in the church.

4. The Church of Pergamos in its historical setting. The third period of Church history as suggested by this third Church brings us to the days of Constantine. Emperor Constantine came into the church, and thousands of people hastily followed his example. It was then also that the council of Nice was held (Nice makes one think of the first part of the word "Nicolaitanes"), which was pre-eminently a council of bishops and presbyters ruling, with the laity shut out.

We give a quotation taken from Dr. Ottman's book on "The Unfolding of the Ages," which will be illuminating.

In this council the clergy were manifestly supreme. The laity had no part in it whatever. The council was summoned in the year 325 by Constantine. The Roman empire had at that time some 1,800 bishops and 1,000 of these were in the Greek provinces and 800 in the Latin. According to one statement, 318 of these attended the council, and the whole number of delegates, including presbyters and others, was about 1,500.

The opening of the council is described by Eusebius as follows: "After all the bishops had entered the central building of the royal palace, on the sides of which very many seats were prepared, each took his place with becoming modesty, and silently awaited the arrival of the emperor."

The above must suffice. We have seen the sad defection from the Lord, begun in the loss of the first love in Ephesus, as the years went by, and now developed into world-mixing Balaamism, and people-conquering Nicolaitanism. We have also seen how this defection is even now prominently operating in church life all around us. May God keep us from the sweep of apostasy.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR