And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; "These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;"

Isn't it interesting that Jesus immediately goes to "...he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;"

This was a period in time of around 314 AD to 509 AD and was when the World began moving into the church. One Might say that Paganism began at Pergamum. I say that considering that Pergamos was known to be the Educational/Religious Center of it's day.

• Smyrna was known as the Great Commercial Center

• Ehesus was the well known Political Center

• Pergamum was the Education and Religious Center

Now, teaching and education isn't a bad thing - nor is religion a bad thing... but in Pergamos we find that what is being taught and what is being worshipped has more to do with Satan, than the Lord, and I'm going to speak to that in just a bit.

But as I studied this marvelous city - this "fortress" tucked away high up on a mountain, I found that even the ruins of this city are spectacular. One of the great sites then and now is the great "Aesclepium Center". This was a place  of modern science even way back in the 4th century. It is even said that treatments given there under the direction of the modern doctors of that day even included, none other than, "radio-active" treatments.

Everyone who was anyone came to this city for "healing". As I virtually toured the ruins VIA Internet, I saw the 2700 foot long marble walkway - lined with pillars on each side leading up to the Aesclepium (center for healing) and then  the center itself equipped with the best of the best in the way of modern medicine, healing all forms of diseases of the time. In fact what I saw actually made me think of Oral Robert's "City of Faith" in Tulsa, Oklahoma back when it was in it's height of operation.

But the reason Jesus approached the Church at Pergamos using the description of Himself taken from the 1st Chapter of Revelation saying, "And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;" was because Jesus knew also of the also of the Altars of Zueus and the temples of Herra, and Trajan and Athena. He knew of the Temple of Serapeum, the ancient Egyptian god of the underworld erected in the lower city of Pergamum. He knew of the Devilish temples of Athena, Demeter, Dyonisious, and of course Asclepius.

If it wasn't for the remnant that was there in Pergamum, I believe he would have destroyed just as he did Sodom and Gamorrah.

Great Giants of the faith came from this period. Athanasius defended the Diety of Christ. At the Council of Nicea, he DENOUNCED the reachings of Arianism which of course taught that Jesus was not Divne and Was Not God's Son. Then there was Augustine who denied the Pelagian heresy which denied the original sin and the total corruption of human nature. So there were many Great Men who stood for the Faith during this period - as well as the church there at Pergamos. Jesus mentions Antipas - who was considered an "unknown martyr" for Christ yet he is mentioned here by the Lord as "my faithful martyr, who was slain among you".

Yet, Jesus says to the church there in Pergamos, I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is. He tells them,

Now the doctrine of Balaam that he is referring to here is that of allowing the Children of Israel to eat things that had been sacrificed to Idols, and to commit fornication. Obviously, from any standard, this was ungodly teaching and a heresy to the Faith. I could go into quite a lengthy dissertation here on how so many people eat there tithe money, and take the sacrifices and offerings that are met for the Lord alone, and burn them upon their own lusts.

Then, Jesus says, "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate."

Now, many people pounce on this and like to say, how can you call someone who hates someone your God or your Savior?

Well, that's an easy answer, because Jesus does not hate the sinner, but he hates the sin. Jesus don not begin to hate the Jews when they hung Him on the tree, but He prayed that the father would forgive them for they knew not what they were doing.

What he was speaking of here was the return to rituals begin performed by clergy again. He had become the sacrifice once for all and there was no more sacrifice for sin. He completed the work. But there was that group that called themselves Christians who dubbed the collar so to speak and began performing religious rites in place of Jesus being the Only Way, the Truth and the Life.

Pergamos is a picture of a church that had fallen into compromise, and I think this would be a good place to mention that the Name Pergamum (Or Pergamos) actually means "marriage". It actually signifies the "spiritual adultery" in which this local church engaged; and what the devil couldn't do by Roman persecution, he tried to do by patronage. It was said that several brothels were opened up along the outskirts of town, and the young women were trained to tempt the men with their wine and their dance, and then entice them into sexual sins with the promise to disavow their God.

Again, "Satan's seat" - as it is mentioned here, literally means Satan's throne (thronos). This reference here is included to indicate the influence Satan had in this city. Some have thought that this was an allusion to the serpent, or the symbol of Asclepius which was to be found everywhere in Pergamum (Pergamos). Others suggest that Satan's seat refers to the great altar of Zeus which stood high on the Acropolis and dominated the city. Still others hold that the reference is to emperor worship, (citing an inscription from Mytilene which shows that Pergamum was the center of the emperor cult for the whole province). Whatever the case, this church perfectly pictures the spiritual unfaithfulness of the church as a whole. A fortress of evil if you will.

You know, it's so easy to become a Pergmanean church in our day. It begins with allowing teen dances in the church basement, and close friends of the men's club getting together privately to watch a porno movie and they say it's football. It comes in the subtle temptations of borrowing company money, with all the intentions of paying it back, or just meeting a friend of the opposite sex from work for a cup of coffee, when you know you are married and coffee isn't what's really on the menu anyway. All of these things directly affect the strength and resolve of the church. Is it any wonder that Jesus says, 

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

Friend, Jesus is coming back for a church without spot or wrinkle, washed in the blood of the Lamb. Will you be ready?

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it."