The Church in Need of Repentance

"Works" are aa reflection of the heart. Those with "good" works overcome the law of sin of which I wrote yesterday. Of course, we know from scripture that good works are as filthy rags to God (Isa 64:6). However, the willingness to obey God is honorable and right. The greatest "work" is love, since love is commanded:

1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently...

The Church at Pergamos loved well... a little too much loving it seems!  Pergamon was more than a city but earlier was an area of what's now Turkey. It was on the trade route between Europe and Asia. In apostolic times it was forcibly under the governance of Rome.  John knew the works of that Church, and issued to them a warning:

Rev 2:13  I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. 14 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. 15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. 16  Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

The Church at Pergamos was sort of like Christians who live in sin. Those types believe in Jesus, hold fast to his doctrine but still enjoy the pleasures of sin. In theology, this is called "syncretism" - the act of serving two masters (Mat 6:24).  It seems they were well on their way to serving one - the wrong one!

Pergamos was where "Satan's seat" was. God's "seat" was in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle. It was long gone. God's throne is in heaven, and the earth is His footstool (Isa 61:6). It turns out that the Ark of the Covenant was merely God's footstool (1 Chron 28:2) whereon He rested His feet.

Pergamos was certainly not the seat of God or even His footstool. It was the throne of Satan. As Prince of the Power of the Air (Ephes 2:2), Pergamos was sin city.  At one time the Church at Ephesus had been the same way before, and changed, I might add! Paul described the world of Satan in those days:

Ephes 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

The Church at Pergamos was once what Ephesus was: "Quickened" is God making the Church alive again. Repentance quickens. Ephesus needed to repent, and did, and Pergamos needed to as well. The Church in Pergamos were akin to being psychopathic - without guilt, being dead to trespasses and sin. That is a sorry state, being able to claim God but immune to his conviction.

Pergamos, like Ephesus had before them, "walked according to the course of the world". What is the course? Let's see what Jesus called it:

Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat...

Satan's seat is at the "wide gate". Pergamos was situated there. They chose the wrong path in spite of claiming the straight gate. "Straight" is true to Christ's doctrine. They may actually have thought that since they never apostatized - abandoned God, they fornicated with other gods. Roman culture was full of false gods. Caesar even proclaimed himself "god".  However, there was one particular figure from extra-biblical sources of one who proclaimed himself "savior". He was none other than Simon the Magician who was converted to Christianity but then fornicated with himself. He sought money for spiritual works (Acts 8).

I introduce Simon Magus here because he fits the description of Paul's adversary:

2 Cor 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

It is clear that Paul's problem was not his vision or health! It was "the messenger of Satan". Early church fathers wrote of Simon Magus as an antichrist who claimed to be the Christ.  He counter-preached against Christ as he followed the steps of the apostles. Magus was the father of Gnosticism through his brand of Simonism - seeking payment for the works of the Spirit.

If we look back, Simonism in the New Testament is the sin of Balaam in the Old. Let's look shortly at the sins of Balaam:

Numbers 22:18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, "If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more."

The doctrine of Balaam was pay for play. He sought silver and gold to do God's work. His own donkey made an ass out of him as the Word spoke through his own animal. Jesus waylaid Simon, and by grace forgave his three kicks against his own equine servant. Thus, Simonism was/is the doctrine of Balaam. I believe that Simon the Sorcerer had made inroads into the Church at Pergamos. Like Simon, who never denied Christ, he became his own God. Thus, the Church at Pergamos was infested with that sin. However, there was another one along the same vein - Nicolaism.

Nicolas One of the seventy helpers assigned by the Church. As such he was one of the first deacons. Nicolas still adhered to the Church but infiltrated apostolic doctrine with his own. Nicolas was the first who practiced antinomianism - rejection of laws and legalism. In that doctrine, as long as one is a believer in Christ, he or she is at liberty to sin without remorse.

1 Cor 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Paul described unlawful things comprehensively. The two groupings of law-breaking are (1)  sexual sins - sins against themselves, and (2) sins against others. These libertarians (animonists; Nicolaitanes) brought all types of sins into the Church. Some church fathers believed that sin to be even prostitution, a combination of usury and fornication.  Validation of this is the combination of the doctrines of Balaam and Nicolas; money and sexual activity all blended into one.

The Church at Pergamos was a model of  the future church, and the Church in different ages. The Roman Catholic practice of indulgences is the doctrine of Balaam, and is Simonism. In later times they have even tolerated child abuse in the church - Nicolaitism. Not to be outdone, the modern church is a den of thieves who market all types of things in what should be the church.

Many modern-day churches have couples who live together, but still claiming Christ. The Church tolerates their sin.  The Church at Pergamos had tolerated Nicolatism, although God hated that doctrine!  Think on that. The modern Church, although proclaiming Christ, tolerates and oftentimes propagates sinful behaviors. Indeed, even Church members practice Nicolatism as they worship Christ.

The Church at Ephesus was pardoned because they changed. God commands that:

Rev 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

What is the two-edged sword for in Jesus mouth? It's to fight against sin, and punish those who sin and condone sin in their lives. Jesus calls on the Church to repent. Indeed, the modern Church has characteristics of the Pergamon Church. We need to repent! However, the Church is the people. Those passages call on us all to repent. The preacher nor pastor can't do that. It must be the body of Christ which does. The Bride needs to repent of her fornication. The Church is the bridge to Jesus's bridegroom. He wants fidelity and has the weapon to enforce it, or the marriage will be put asunder with the blade.

We know what that sword is; it's the Word of God (Ephes 6:17).