Revelation 2:12-17 - Pergamum (Lesson)

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: 'The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. 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. 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. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 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.”

The Commission

^12a"And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write,"

Pergamum's History

This letter is a sad testimony to the reality of compromise in the church. The believers in Pergamum withstood trials to the point of martyrdom and yet Satan was still able to find a gap in their defense and work his wily way into their doctrine. This church was located in the middle of a thriving, inland city. Tony Garland quotes Monty S. Mills as saying,

“Pergamum was a university city, famous for its library of 200,000 parchment scrolls, second only in size to the library of Alexandria in Egypt. Indeed, parchment was invented in Pergamum, for when its king decided to establish a library and enticed Alexandria’s librarian to head up his library, the Egyptian king banned the export of papyrus to Pergamum. This forced Pergamum’s scholars to find an alternate writing material, and they invented parchment. Parchment lasts much better than papyrus, so this invention played a big part in preserving the Bible for us.”

and Neil R. Lightfoot saying,

“It used to be common to credit Eumenes II, king of Pergamum shortly after 200 B.C., with the invention of parchment. Eumenes was building up his library to rival the great library of King Ptolemy in Alexandria. The king of Egypt moved to cut off the supply of papyrus to Pergamum, and in response Eumenes was forced to develop “parchment.” This story is true if taken in the sense that Eumenes was the first to make use of parchment or leather; for long before the second century, animal skins for writing were unquestionably in use. In Egypt, for example, mention is made of leather documents as far back as 2500 B.C. . . . So Eumenes was by no means the first to use animal skins for writing, although he may have developed and perfected a better process for treating the skins. Whatever the case, Pergamum and parchment are indisputably connected, the word “parchment” being derived from the Greek term pergamene."

Revelation 2:12-17 - Pergamum (Outline)

I.       Commission – And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

1.      Pergamos/Pergamum

2.      20 mi inland, north Smyrna

Revelation 2:8-11 - Smyrna (Lesson)

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. 'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.”

      John's Commission was to write “to the angel of the church in Smyrna.” When John wrote the Apocalypse, Polycarp was probably the bishop of the church in Smyrna. His story, which we will look at shortly, is one of the greatest in all of recorded martyrdom, certainly the greatest in Smyrna.

      The city of Smyrna was a very prosperous, affluent society, it was one of the great centers of learning and culture of its day. Although 35 miles inland from the Aegean Sea, it nonetheless was a thriving seaport because of an inlet which provided a fantastic harbor for ocean-going vessels. A lot of commerce passed through its gates as well since almost all of the produce from the highly fertile Hermus valley used the city as a gateway to the rest of the world. Wine was also a high-production item with a lively trade going on. Smyrna was also considered what was called a “free city”. This meant that it was allowed to be self-governed without any interference from the Roman government; in fact, the Roman judges actually used the city for a number of court assemblies.

Revelation 2:8-11 - Smyrna (Outline)

Revelation 2:8-11 – And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. 'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.

1. Commission – To the angel of the church in Smyrna write
   1. Polycarp, bishop, or recent, John's disciple
   2. Rich city, learning and culture, had a good harbor, all produce of Hermus valley came through, wine trade
   3. Free city, independent laws, Roman judges held court
   4. Idolatry, Cybele, Apollo, Askelpios, Aphrodite, Homer's monument and birthplace, Acropolis with Mt. Pagos, temple huge Zeus, replaced by Emperor worship
   5. David Guzik - “In 23 A.D. Smyrna won the privilege (over 11 other cities) to build the first temple to worship the Emperor Tiberius Caesar. Smyrna was a leading city in the Roman cult of Emperor worship.”