Title Pergamum Church
Contents
Hymn: Chapter 214, “The Lord’s Unfailing Love”
Meditation: Are we able to stand up to the constant temptations and powers of heresy with words and prayers?
Confession of Faith: Apostles' Creed
Text: “But I have a few things against you, there are those who keep the teachings of Balaam to you… .” (Rev 2:14-15)
The Church of Pergamum held firmly to the name of the Lord even in the center of idolatry. It was a church with good saints like Antipas. It was such a good church, but in the eyes of Jesus, there was something to be reproached.
First, he rebuked those who kept the teachings of Balaam. The ‘precept of Balaam’ means that the Christian church at that time combined with the Babylonian religion to serve and bow down to Semiramis, Nimrod’s wife, committing not only physical fornication but also spiritual fornication. It was the time when the Israelites came out of Egypt and entered the land of Canaan. Balak, king of Moab, summoned Balaam, the prophet of Israel, and asked him to curse Israel. Then the prophet Balaam told Balak king of Moab, “If you tempt the people of Israel with sexual immorality, God will strike them and destroy them.” When the king of Moab heard this, he took beautiful Moabite women and seduced the men of Israel by dancing lustful in front of idols. The men of Israel who fell into this temptation committed fornication with Moabites and bowed down to idols. And under God's judgment, 2,000 to 3,000 people died in one day.
Second, he rebuked those who kept the teachings of the Nicolaitans. As explained in the Ephesian church, the Nicolaitans are a group that follows the doctrine of Satan, which brought about fornication and fornication by adopting Greek philosophy into the church. The Nicolaitans were a group that advocated outlawism. It doesn't matter what the body does, as long as the soul is clean. At the same time, he advocated hedonism, enjoying all kinds of pleasures. It's a really dangerous idea. To be spiritually clean, the body must be clean.
It is heresy that is making the church difficult and tormenting the saints. The church and its members must always protect the church from heretics and protect themselves. When we hold fast to the name of the Lord and resist all kinds of temptations, we can preserve ourselves well from heresy.
Prayer: Almighty God, help us to become your people who are victorious through the cross without being shaken in the face of the power of Satan who is always looking for opportunities to overthrow us. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. Lord's Prayer