The Sermons to the Seven Churches: The Church of Idolatrous Toleration (1)

Psalm 110                 Daniel 7:13-14                Revelation 2:18-29                        Luke 22:66-71

The Sermons to the Seven Churches: The Church of Idolatrous Toleration (1)

One of the most intriguing aspects of this sermon of Jesus to the church in Thyatira is that it is the longest of the seven sermons and yet it is addressed to the church in the smallest and least significant city. Perhaps it shows us that, contrary to popular opinion, God is not size conscious and throughout Scripture it is often those who were considered the most unimportant and inconsequential who were chosen by God.

The city of Thyatira was situated between Pergamum and Sardis. It was largely a commercial and trade centre and was dominated and strictly controlled by trade guilds and various unions. During the first century, nearly every artisan or merchant occupation was organized into trade guilds. Archaeological and inscriptional evidence from the area confirms the existence of guilds for dyers, tanners, bronze-workers, potters, linen-weavers, bakers, slave-dealers, and others. 

Membership in these guilds was almost indispensable for anyone who wanted to make a living in a trade. The guilds regulated business, ensured mutual support, and controlled access to markets. However, each guild also had its own patron deity – often a god or goddess associated with the materials or processes used in the trade. For example, a guild of bronze-workers might honour Hephaestus, while dyers might venerate Aphrodite or another deity linked to fertility and prosperity. Just as an aside, you may recall that Lydia who was known as someone engaged in the purple-dye trade, was from Thyatira.

Guild meetings were religious as well as social. They typically included offerings and libations to the guild’s deity, communal feasts, often involving meat sacrificed to idols, and festive gatherings that could include ritual immorality in connection with fertility cults.

Therefore, belonging to a guild usually implied participation in idolatrous worship and immoral feasts, which created a serious conflict for Christians. To refuse participation was to risk economic exclusion – losing your livelihood – and possibly social ostracism or persecution.

Now, this background may explain the rebuke Jesus levelled at the church for tolerating “that woman Jezebel,” who was teaching that it was acceptable to compromise with idolatry and immorality, most likely by participating in these guild feasts.

The city was essentially a Macedonian colony, founded by Seleucius Necator, but by 280 BC the city was more Greek than anything else. The principal deity, who was also considered the guardian or patron god of the city, was a god by the name of Tyrimnos. The identification of Tyrimnos with Apollo was common enough that inscriptions refer to him as Apollo Tyrimnaios. This likely represents a fusion of a native Anatolian hero-god (Tyrimnos) with the more widely recognized Greek god (Apollo), a process typical of the Greco-Roman syncretism in Asia Minor. 

The local cult in Thyatira honoured Apollo Tyrimnaios, the “son of Zeus”, the radiant, horse-riding god associated with the sun and divine insight.  So when Thyatira’s citizens worshiped Apollo Tyrimnaios (that is, Apollo under the local title Tyrimnos), they would have called him “the son of Zeus.” So, in that sense, he was regarded as “the son of god,” because that was the standard divine genealogy of Apollo.

Now it is interesting that in the Christ Title, Jesus referred to himself as the “Son of God”, a title used only once in the Book of the Revelation, although John often used it in his Gospel. Perhaps the reason for this was simply emphasis. As the local god of Thyatira was called “the son of Zeus” and since the emperors claimed to be divine often using the title “son of god” for themselves, Jesus declared himself the only true and eternal Son of God. 

The Lord Jesus is and always will be the only supreme sovereign King of kings and Lord of lords, the ruler of the kings on earth despite the many claims of leaders throughout the centuries. Pagan religions have come and gone…some have resurfaced only to disappear again. But Jesus remains King. He alone is the Son of God.

But what exactly does this title mean? What do you mean when you refer to Jesus as the Son of God? The title itself has to do with the divinity and majesty of Jesus and his lordship overall, a truth that has come under attack throughout history, many having denied his sovereignty, sometimes unknowingly. So, perhaps it would be good to see what Scripture intends for us to understand regarding this title, Son of God.

In Matthew 16:16, it was used to identify Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Likewise in John 1:49, Nathanael said to Jesus, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Martha’s declaration in John 11:27 once more makes the sonship of Jesus synonymous with his messiahship. In answer to Jesus’ statement and question, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”  Martha replied, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

John himself claimed that his Gospel was “written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31) In these few verses, the title “Son of God” was coupled together with the titles “Christ”, “King”, and “Messiah”, the one prophesied about in the Old Testament as he who was destined to be ruler over all. As such it has to do with sovereignty and global dominion.

The title was also used at crucial points throughout the earthly ministry of Jesus. At the annunciation, the Angel Gabriel said to Mary, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:32-33) Here the title “Son of the Most High” is strongly connected to his reign and his kingdom of which it is said there will be no end.

At the baptism of Jesus, a voice came out of heaven and said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) This is, of course, a reference to Psalm 2:7-8, “I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession,” a verse that is quoted later in this sermon, in verse 27. So, once again, we see that the title indicates that Jesus and, by extension, his followers will rule over all the earth as he clearly states in verse 26 and 27: “The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations - and (that one) will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.”

During the temptation in the wilderness, the devil also referred to the sonship of Jesus in the form of a repeated question: “If you are the Son of God”…as if there was ever any doubt. But Satan’s intention was only really exposed at the temptation in which he “took (Jesus) to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 

What was he offering Jesus? Yes, world-wide dominion. But…and this is an extremely important question…was this really Satan’s to give? Psalm 24 tells us that “the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.” By referring to Jesus as the Son of God, Satan knew full well that he had come as the Christ, the King, and the Messiah to rule over all the kingdoms of the world, thus restoring the original creation mandate given to Adam. So, this temptation, like the original temptation in the Garden, was a boldfaced lie. The kingdoms were not his to give. He lied for as Jesus said in John 8:44, Satan “does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” 

Satan’s empty promise of global dominion was a lie and, as Jesus knew that dominion comes not by rebellion but only by obedience to God he said, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” 

You see, this was also Adam and Eve’s mistake. They also thought that dominion could be taken without regard to God’s will. What they did not understand was that the command to exercise dominion over all the earth was coupled with and contingent upon the command to obey God…to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 

Jesus knew that he was the Son of God by virtue of his divinity, but as a Man, or more specifically, as the Second Adam, he also knew that he had been sent to undo the curse brought about through the first Adam’s disobedience…and Satan knew that too. So his temptation hinges on Jesus’ identity as God’s chosen King. “Are you the Son of God?” Are you really the destined ruler of the universe? And, as he did with Adam and Eve, Satan offered him a shortcut. “You don’t have to go through all that pain and suffering that God wants you to…you don’t surely have to die…just bow down to me and you will be the ruler of all the kingdoms of this world.” But Satan lied in the Garden, and he lied once again in the wilderness…but then again, isn’t this the same lie he offers every human leader?

Jesus knew that his primary objective was to be obedient to the Father at all times and at all costs…just as Adam and Eve ought to have been…and so Jesus instructed the believers in Thyatira: “The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations…” But for Jesus, obedience meant death. According to Philippians 2:8-11 it was when Jesus “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” that God “highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Dominion or rule comes through obedience to God and for this reason, Paul urged us to have the same humble mind of Jesus.

Interestingly, even the demonic forces used the title “Son of God” when referring to Jesus. In Luke 4:41 we are told that the demons came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.” They knew that his advent meant that the coming destruction of the kingdom of darkness was near. In Matthew 8:29, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 

As the one and only true Son of God, Jesus is the one who not only has authority over heaven and earth, but also over all that is under the earth…in other words, the demonic forces of hell itself. According to Colossians 2:15, Jesus “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” He defeated Satan, sin, and death at the cross, so those who are sons and daughters of the Most High by virtue of their faith in Jesus need not fear the devil or his demonic minions. Jesus, the Son of God, has disarmed them and triumphed over them.

At the transfiguration, the voice of God said from out of the cloud, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” Again this is a reference to Psalm 2 but note that Jesus is also presented as the final and complete revelation of God…all must hear him. Even Moses and the Prophets are subject to him.

Then again, at the so-called trial of Jesus, the High Priest used this title knowing its significance. In his understanding, if Jesus applied it to himself, he would be guilty of blasphemy having made himself equal to God. In Luke 22:67-71, the Sanhedrin said to Jesus, “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer. But (and please notice the time indicator here) from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” Now, this statement referred to the prophecy of the ascension found in Daniel 7:13-14. That the Sanhedrin understood the divine title “Son of Man” to be synonymous with the divine title “Son of God” is made obvious by their next remark. 

So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” Of course, when Jesus replied “You say that I am”, they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.” Someone they believed to be a mere mortal had declared himself one with God. 

But it is important for us to understand why they reacted the way they did to Jesus’ allusion to the prophecy in Daniel 7. In verses 13-14, Daniel wrote: “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” Again, you need to hear the strains of Psalm 2 in the background here.

The members of the Sanhedrin knew the Scriptures very well and they knew exactly what Jesus meant when he referred to himself as the Son of Man. Coming on the clouds of heaven was a well-known Old Testament image of God coming in Judgement. So what Jesus was saying is that though they were seated in judgement over him at that moment, he would soon be vindicated by God to then be seated in judgement over them and, indeed, over the rest of humanity.

The fact that the Son of Man ascended to God the Father and received an everlasting kingdom again supported the divine theme and so they asked him the obvious question. Was he the Son of God? The use of the titles “Son of Man” and “Son of God” dictates the divine. 

Now, their personal experience of the fulfilment of Daniel’s prophecy came in AD 70 when the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. Interestingly, Josephus, an eyewitness to the event, recorded that on the night before the destruction of the city “chariots and armed troops (were) seen running about among the clouds”.  Jesus had said to the Sanhedrin that they would “see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:62)

The title “Son of God” was also used by the Apostles with reference to Jesus’ divinity and his sovereign rule over the whole world. In Romans 1:4-6, Paul said that Jesus “was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ”. Again, I hope you can hear the clear refrain of Psalm 2 once again.

In Acts 2:32-36 Peter said, “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Psalm 110 and the prophecy of Daniel is in the background here, but the important thing to note is that Jesus was once again referred to as ruler over all as he is both Lord and Christ. 

In Hebrews 1:1-5, the author said, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but (and again, please take note of the time indicator here) in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? 

Now, these quotations were taken from Psalm 2 and 2 Samuel 7 respectively, once again linking the title “Son of God” with universal rule and dominion. But in the same context, the writer quoted from Psalm 110 in verse 13, “And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand (and again take note of the time indicator here) until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?” 

So, from this short study on the use of the title “Son of God” we can conclude that our Lord Jesus has been the reigning monarch over all things from the moment he rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father and that he will continue to “reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet” (1 Corinthians 15:25), and when he has inherited all the nations and when the ends of the earth have become his possession.

This is the totality of what it means to say that Jesus is the “Son of God”. 

In Matthew 11:27-28 Jesus said of himself: “All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” This statement is phenomenal as Jesus was using the very similar words spoken by God in Isaiah 45:22, “Turn (or come) to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”

But the Christ title also states that Jesus is the one who has “eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze”. Now, your Old Testament ears ought to be ringing right now. In Daniel 10 he described a vision he received of a man from heaven whose “body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude”…and this heavenly man revealed to Daniel things that were to take place in the future, especially God’s judgment on all of his people’s enemies. 

But at the same time, your Old-World ears should be ringing too because, if you recall, the god of Thyatira, Apollo Tyrimnaios, was not only called the “son of Zeus”, but he was also described as the radiant, horse-riding god associated with the sun and divine insight. So, once again, Jesus portrayed himself in ways that speak into the church’s first century situation perfectly. The Christ title challenges the local false god and the cult’s belief about him. Jesus is the one who alone is the true Son of God and, as such, he outshines any pagan luminary god. His eyes can see through everything, and his feet of burnished bronze can crush any adversary. 

So, what do you mean when you call Jesus the Son of God? Does your understanding include his absolute rule as the sovereign King over the universe? Perhaps, if we were to fully comprehend the complete weight of this title, we might live far more victoriously as believers…and we, like Jesus and though Jesus, might also conquer and keeps his works until the end, and together with him, exercise authority over the nations. We would certainly not live in the shadow of defeated principalities and powers, nor would we fear the temporal powers that be. Rather, we would live in the light of the Almighty King as the nation of kingly priests we were meant to be.

So as you come to celebrate this victory feast that we call the Lord’s Supper, lift up your hearts…be encouraged. The Son of God who sees all things and who rules over all things will continue to reign until all his enemies have been placed under his feet.

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2025

We need your help

Johann and Louise: Training Disciples to Make Disciples in the Netherlands Dear Friends and Partners in the Gospel, Grace and peace to you from Heiloo, North Holland! We write to you with grateful hearts for your continued partnership in the ministry the Lord has entrusted to us. For nearly four years now, we have served here through SAMS-USA, seeking to make Christ known in one of the most spiritually barren regions of Europe. Your prayers, encouragement, and generosity have sustained us through many seasons of joy and trial. This year, however, we find ourselves in one of the most critical seasons yet — both financially and spiritually — and we need your help. A Year of Growth Amid Challenge Though small, Christ Church, Heiloo remains a vibrant and faithful community. Attendance continues to average between 50 and 70 each Sunday, and we have been especially encouraged by the number of new visitors, many from Eastern Europe. Even more thrilling is the story of one recent convert, now active in one of our Bible Study Groups and growing steadily in faith. This year we celebrated our first combined service with the local Dutch (PKN) church, which opened the door to deeper fellowship and future collaboration. I was invited to lecture there on archaeological sites in Turkey and Greece — an unexpected way to connect with Dutch believers and seekers alike. In September we launched our long-awaited Youth Group — our first ever! — open to all local young people. This group is giving us fresh opportunities for evangelism and discipleship. We also began a small Intercessory Prayer Group, believing that prayer must undergird everything we do. Louise continues her outreach work through a municipal service for the elderly, where she cleans homes, listens to their stories, and gently shares her faith with those who have never heard the Gospel. These conversations are precious glimpses of light breaking into lives nearing their end. Seeds of Hope in a Spiritual Wilderness North Holland remains a challenging field — often referred to as “the black hole of the Netherlands” for its spiritual dryness. But we are seeing signs of new life. Our fellowship is learning to reach out with quiet courage, and the relationships being built through small groups, retreats, and outreach events are planting seeds that we believe will one day bear fruit. This coming year we hope to hold our Men’s Day, Women’s Retreat, and children’s outreach events again, though at the moment our funds have run out to support such gatherings. These events have always been open to the community — and it is often here, in these simple settings, that Dutch hearts begin to open to Christ. An Urgent Financial Need For the first time since joining SAMS-USA in 2013, our mission agency was unable to reimburse our travel expenses to the U.S. for the New Wineskins Conference because our personal support account has dropped sharply. A few years ago, that account held a steady $30,000 balance. Today, it stands at just $11,000. SAMS has warned us that unless our monthly support increases, our account will be depleted within one year — which would mean leaving the Netherlands and ending our ministry here. We do not believe this is what the Lord wants. The work is not finished. Souls are being reached, lives are being changed, and the need is as great as ever. But without your help, we cannot stay. In addition to all our regular ministry expenses, we pay €1,307 (about $1,400) per month in Dutch taxes, which was not accounted for in our earlier budgets. Our personal stipend from the church covers only utilities and housing. Everything else — from living expenses to ministry costs — depends entirely on our SAMS account. Our Vision Going Forward Our calling remains unchanged: to bring unbelieving Dutch men, women, and children to Jesus and to disciple them into lifelong followers of Christ. Whether they ever join Christ Church is irrelevant — what matters is that they come to know and love the Lord. We continue to train our members to be witnesses in their workplaces and neighbourhoods, and to build bridges into Dutch society through service and friendship. We are praying about possibly hosting a local art exhibition next year as a creative outreach to the community. Christ Church itself continues to walk through a difficult season, with divisions surrounding its future relationship with the Church of England. Our focus, therefore, has been to hold the congregation together in unity, to keep our eyes on Christ, and to faithfully shepherd all whom God has entrusted to us. How You Can Help Would you prayerfully consider helping us rebuild our SAMS account so that we can remain here and continue the work? Your gift — whether one-time or monthly — goes directly into our SAMS-USA account and is fully tax-deductible. It will sustain our livelihood, fund ministry activities, and keep a Gospel witness alive in a part of Europe where the light is dim but burning still. You can give securely through https://give.samsusa.org/missionary/johann-and-louise-vanderbijl and designate your support for Johann & Louise van der Bijl. Please Pray With Us For renewed financial provision through SAMS-USA so that we may remain on the field. For stability within Christ Church, Heiloo during this difficult time. For growth in our new Youth Group and continued openness among local Dutch seekers. For Louise’s ministry among the elderly — that her words would bring hope to those nearing eternity. For courage, peace, and perseverance as we walk by faith in uncertain days. We remain deeply grateful for your years of faithfulness to us and to this mission. Your prayers and partnership have carried us further than we could ever have gone alone. Please help us continue this work — not for our sake, but for the sake of the Gospel in this spiritually dry corner of the world. With love and gratitude in Christ, Johann & Louise van der Bijl Support Us Johann and Louise spent two years helping to develop the St. Frumentius Seminary in Gambella, Ethiopia. They then worked in Southern Africa, serving in seven southern African countries, while continuing to work with the Diocese of Egypt, North Africa through engaging in a disciple making movement in order to grow the body of Christ. They are now serving in Heiloo, the Netherlands. We are sent  through the Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders, a missionary sending community, engaging in building relationships with the worldwide church to experience the broken restored, the wounded healed, the hungry fed, and the lost found through the love and power of Jesus Christ.  Support SAMS Copyright © 2016 Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders, All rights reserved. www.sams-usa.org      Our mailing address is: PO Box 399 Ambridge PA 15003 Attention to: Johann and Louise van der Bijl Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

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The Sermons to the Seven Churches: The Church of Idolatrous Compromise (2)

Hebrews 10:32-39        Numbers 31:9-16         Zechariah 3:6-10            Revelation 2:12-17

The Sermons to the Seven Churches: The Church of Idolatrous Compromise (2)

Before we look at the last section of this sermon to the church in Pergamum, I’d just like to take a moment to give you a brief introduction to some sound principles of biblical interpretation.

The first principle answers the question, “What was the author’s original intention and meaning and what did his writing mean to the original recipients?” This is called the Literal–Historical–Grammatical principle, in other words, to read the Bible in its plain sense, according to the normal meaning of words and figures of speech and images at that time, to pay attention to the author’s grammar and style – is it poetry, is it narrative, is it prophetic – as well as the historical context. None of the books of the Bible were written in a vacuum…at the time of writing there were well-known idioms, imagery, puns, and symbols that would have been understood by the original author and his audience.

The second principle is the contextual principle that answers the question, “Where does it fit?” Never take a verse or a passage out of context. Every verse fits into a passage, every passage fits into a book, and every book fits into the whole story of Scripture.

Because of the second principle, the third principle is that Scripture must interpret Scripture, or, “the Bible must explain the Bible.” Part of this principle means that we may need to use clear passages to interpret difficult ones, always keeping in mind that God’s Word never contradicts itself…and sometimes we need to admit that the meaning is not clear and therefore we need to be cautious in our interpretation.

The fourth principle is that any interpretation must be Christ-Centred. All Scripture points us to Jesus as he is the heart and the fullness of God’s revelation. As Jesus said to the unbelieving Jews, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

The fifth principle is that God’s revelation of his Person and purpose is progressive…revelation in the Bible is a movement from truth to more truth and so on to full truth. Each revelation builds upon the last, not contradicting it, but moving from a less complete to a more complete truth, with the full revelation culminating in Jesus Christ.

The sixth principle is that of spiritual dependence, or in other words, “pray before you interpret.” The Holy Spirit who inspired the Word must also illuminate our minds to understand it.

The seventh and final principle has to do with personal application, answering the question, “how does this truth change me?” However, it is only once we have attempted to understand, as much as possible, the original context and original meaning of the text, that we can then honestly ask ourselves, “if this is what it meant then, how can I apply that meaning to my context today?” But the bottom line is, interpretation must lead to transformation…we study the Word not just to know it, but to live it. 

A good example of these principles at work would be the interpretation of Deuteronomy 22:8: “When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring the guilt of blood upon your house, if anyone should fall from it.” At the time, people lived in homes that had flat roofs, and they would often entertain their guests on the roof. So, this commandment highlights the relatively simple and practical means by which they could prevent accidents that may result in death through being aware of safety issues to avoid harming people through their own negligence or carelessness. 

Now, in application, we may erect a fence around our pool or property, install and maintain smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, have a fire extinguisher or two in the home, install outdoor lighting on dark paths and so on. Anything to make your home a safe environment for you and your guests.

Now, we should apply these same principles when it comes to interpreting the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The structure, language, idioms, images, and symbols were clear to the First Century author and his First Century recipients who no doubt understood everything in the light of the rest of Scripture. The book of the Revelation, like every other book in the Bible, was meant to be understood by the original readers and all subsequent readers according to its original meaning…it was meant to be understood by the seven churches to whom it was addressed. There are no drones or hypersonic missiles or cyber weapons or Carona viruses here…only biblical images with biblical meaning and biblical interpretation.

The general and simple rule of biblical interpretation is this: find out as best you can what the original setting, context, and meaning was…and then…only once you have understood as much as possible what the text meant at the time it was written…then take that same meaning and thoughtfully and prayerfully apply it to today. 

Now, last week we saw that the church addressed in this passage was situated in a city that served as the centre of Roman authority in that area, and, as almost all political and judicial decisions for the area were made in the city, one could say that the throne of Rome was in Pergamum. The city was also home to many temples, altars, and healing centres, as well as the ever-present Imperial Cult centres.

Jesus identified himself in this sermon as the one wielding a sharp two-edged sword and we noticed how this sword was not in his hands but in his mouth, indicating that it represented his word…the ultimate authority that holds every human being accountable. All authority in both heaven and earth has been given to Jesus and therefore, even though those in control of the city seemed to be formidable and deadly, Jesus was sovereign over them all and therefore the church was comforted despite the political and religious aggression, oppression, and persecution.

In the commendation section, Jesus once again reminded the church that he knew their works and their circumstances. He praised the believers for holding fast to their faith in him despite persecution in a city where Satan was enthroned, a statement which I believe refers to the seat of the proconsul of Rome. As we saw last week, John appears to present the Roman Empire and its emperors as Satan’s offspring in the images of the dragon and the beast from the sea in Revelation chapters 12 and 13. Satan’s sin is that he constantly seeks to usurp the authority and place of God…and his sin is mirrored in the emperors of the Roman Empire, most of whom claimed to be gods.

Archaeological sites are filled with images of the emperors. Nero, who was the emperor at the time John was writing the book of the Revelation, had his bust placed in nearly every major city throughout the empire. Those who refused to worship the emperor were severely punished and at times even martyred, as was the case with Antipas who was roasted alive inside a huge bronze bull.

But the important thing for the Church in the First Century, and indeed also for the Church throughout the centuries up until today, the important thing for them and for us to remember was and is the fact that all rulers, no matter how powerful they may seem to be, are just human. And, as such, they are all limited and finite created beings under the total and absolute authority and control of the eternal Creator and Sustainer of all that exists. No earthly authority is more powerful than him…while they may exalt themselves 666X they will never be a divine 7.

Now, in many ways, the church in Pergamum was praiseworthy. How many of us would be able to stand firm in the face of such cruelty? 

And yet, in verses 14-15 Jesus said, “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.”

So what was wrong with the church? Well, it seems that some in the church had buckled under pressure and were trying to encourage other believers to do the same. So what exactly were they guilty of?

Jesus said they were guilty of holding to the teaching of Balaam. Who was Balaam? In Numbers 22–24, we read that after Balaam’s failed attempts to curse Israel, when God compelled him to bless them instead, Balak, king of Moab, still sought a way to weaken Israel. So, though Balaam could not pronounce a curse directly (for God had blessed His people), he later advised Balak on a more subtle and effective strategy.

According to Numbers 31:16, Balaam taught Balak to entice the Israelites into sin through idolatry and sexual immorality. The Moabite and Midianite women invited Israelite men to their pagan feasts, where they bowed to Baal of Peor and defiled themselves through ritual immorality. This provoked the Lord’s wrath, leading to a devastating plague among Israel until Phinehas intervened (Numbers 25).

So, in summary, when Balaam could not curse Israel by word, he ensnared them by counsel, teaching Balak that corruption from within would achieve what cursing from without could not.

Now, food offered to idols and sexual immorality were the results of Balaam’s teaching of subversion and compromise in Numbers, but that does not necessarily mean that the sin of the church in Pergamum was primarily these physical acts themselves…although that interpretation is possible. But from the sentence structure it seems to me that the particular sins mentioned here were the results of Balaam’s teaching at the time of Israel’s wilderness wanderings. 

So, what I think the believers in Pergamum were guilty of was that they were holding to that same teaching that caused the sinful behaviour. The teaching of Balaam and the teaching of some in the church in Pergamum was compromise and, ultimately, any kind of compromise is idolatry.

Why is compromise idolatry? you may ask. Well, because an idol is anything that takes the place of God or diminishes the authority of God. Idolatry always begins with me, myself, and I. I want something or I want to do something, and so I find a way to minimise, dismiss, or disregard the teaching of Scripture. The temptation to ignore or to bend or to change the rules has always plagued the children of God.

So, what would have been the result of this teaching of compromise? Well, it is possible that they reasoned that while they could honour the emperor or the empire externally by offering a sacrifice, burning some incense, and muttering a few words, in their hearts they would remain true to their faith. The temptation to deny Jesus to save your life or the lives of your family or to stop your property from being plundered or confiscated was very real…but as Jesus had warned in Matthew 10:33, “whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”

In Hebrews 10:32-39 we read: “But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”

In the early 4th century during the Diocletian persecution (c. 303–305 AD), some Christian clergy and officials handed over the Scriptures, sacred vessels, or the names of fellow believers to Roman authorities to avoid punishment or death. These individuals were branded “traditores” (traitors) by those who stood firm in the faith despite persecution. 

I think that it is plausible that something similar was happening in Pergamum. Some believers in Pergamum had compromised their faith by bowing to the demands of their pagan society and were teaching others in the church to do the same. Like crossing your fingers behind your back while you tell a boldfaced lie. 

Now, are there some things we do today that may fall into a similar category? What kind of idolatrous compromise are we guilty of? Is there any part of God’s Word that we diminish, ignore, dismiss, or disregard? 

I’m sure you can think of several, but I’m going to home in on one because it may possibly be the most controversial issue in so-called biblical churches today. If there’s anything that can tie believers in knots it is the question of giving money to the church, especially when we use that provocative word, tithing. But what does God’s Word say about giving? Actually, there’s quite a lot in the Bible, but I’m going to quote from just one passage.

In Malachi 3 God says: “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions (10% and then some). You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”

Now, how do some Bible believing folks get around this passage…how do they get around not paying their tithe? Quite easily actually. They simply dismiss God’s command by claiming that this no longer applies to them because it is from the Old Testament. Never mind the fact that God prefaced this indictment by saying that he does not change…and never mind the fact that the command to tithe is never negated in the New Testament. But the sad thing is, they do not just hold to this teaching themselves, but they then teach others to do the same…

God says…but I want to…so I find the loophole…or, at least, I think I do.

Remember, idolatry begins with me, myself, and I…the thing embraced is simple a symptom of a deeper cause.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Moving along. The Lord warned the church in Pergamum that unless they repented of this idolatrous compromise, he would come and war against them with the sword of his mouth…a phrase I think means that he would convict them of their sin by exposing their actions through his Word. 

Now, to those who persevered…to those who were obedient even unto death like Antopas, the faithful witness…to those who refused to compromise whatever the personal cost, Jesus promised to “give some of the hidden manna, and…a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.”

The hidden manna may be referring to the golden jar containing a measure of manna that was placed inside the Ark of the Covenant as a perpetual reminder of God's miraculous provision for the Israelites during their forty years in the wilderness. This “hidden manna” was also to serve as a witness to future generations, demonstrating God's faithfulness and care for His people (Exodus 16:32-34). So, it is possible that this is merely a reminder that God is well able to provide for the needs of his people even when they might be forbidden to purchase food from the marketplace. Or perhaps it is a reference to Jesus who in John 6 compared himself to the manna in the wilderness, saying that he was the true bread of God who had come down from heaven to give life to the world (John 6:33). So, while the manna in the wilderness was a temporary gift to sustain physical life, he was the eternal bread of life who came down from heaven to sustain spiritual life. 

Now, there is no scholarly consensus as to the nature of the white stone engraved with a name known only to the recipient. There are many guesses, but for me the most plausible explanation is the one that links this stone with the stone given to the High Priest Joshua in Zechariah 3. “For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua,” god said, “on a single stone with seven eyes (a symbol of divinity), I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbour to come under his vine and under his fig tree.” This stone with seven eyes, together with its inscription, is somehow connected to what transpired on the cross where our sins were removed once and for all...in a single day.  

However, on this stone in Revelation is inscribed a new name known only to the one to whom it is given. Now new names are given to many biblical characters to indicate a new relationship with God. Abram became Abraham, Sarai became Sarah, Jacob became Israel, Simon became Peter, Saul became Paul and so on. 

However, in Isaiah 56:5 God promised: “I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.” And in Isaiah 62:2 he said, “The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give.” And finally in Isaiah 65:15 he said that his servants will be called by another name. 

So it is possible that the gift of a personal new name inscribed on a stone that is somehow linked to sins removed presupposes a new identity...a new creation, if you will.

But then how incongruous to bear the name of Jesus on compromising shoulders! 

To bear a new name given to us through the finished work of Jesus is surely the greatest privilege of all! How sad then to see any believer dishonour that name through compromise. In John 14:15, Jesus said: “If you love me, obey my commandments.” And in John 15:10, he added, “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.”

Compromise can never be good because compromise is idolatry as it places my will above the will of God.

So, the unavoidable question for us is simply this: If Jesus was to come to us today with the sword from his mouth, what would he say?

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2025.

The Sermons to the Seven Churches: The Church of Idolatrous Compromise (1)

Psalm 2                          Romans 13:3-4                       Revelation 2:12-17         (Daniel 7-8)

The Sermons to the Seven Churches: The Church of Idolatrous Compromise (1) 

A few months ago, Brad Smith from Men of Valour gave us a striking illustration of our need for unity as believers. He placed the strongest man in the room at one end of a rope and someone slightly less strong at the other. When they pulled against each other, the outcome was predictable—the stronger man won with ease. But when two more men joined the weaker side, the balance shifted, and the tide was turned.

It’s never easy to hold your ground when someone stronger than you is pulling in the opposite direction, is it? However, when you have a team pulling on your side, the stress factor drops dramatically. But, if one or more of your team members turn and either no longer pull together with you or, worse, if they begin to pull in the opposite direction, against you, then the stress factor increases to beyond what it was before because you now no longer have only one opponent, but several and, as Jesus said, a kingdom divided against itself, cannot stand.

This was the sad reality of the church in Pergamum.

The city was named after Pergamos, a legendary hero from Greek mythology. According to legend, he was the son of Neoptolemos and Andromache, and he captured the city and named it after himself. The name also means "steep rocky castle", "height”, or “elevation," which refers to the city's location on an acropolis, a high and lofty hill. The ancient city was also a major producer of parchment, an alternative to papyrus, allegedly created to deal with an Egyptian export embargo. For this reason, the Latin term for parchment is “pergamena”.

Pergamum was also known for its many spendthrift kings who sought to beautify the city like no other by erecting many monuments and temples. And apparently, in 133 BC the king at the time bequeathed all his riches to Rome, an act that was later supposedly misinterpreted to mean the entire city. So, in time, Pergamum became a Roman city, boasting the second largest library in the world at that time. Ironically, the parchments that were invented because of the Egyptian embargo, were later donated to the library in Alexandria during the reign of Queen Cleopatra.

There were huge temples in honour of Dionysus and Asclepius (the god of healing), and there was a great altar of Zeus that was later restored and reassembled in the Berlin Pergamum museum. More about that great altar soon.

Asclepius, who was later give the title “saviour”, was paradoxically portrayed as holding a staff with a serpent wrapped around it. This snake-entwined staff, known as the Rod of Asclepius, is the modern symbol of medicine and is his most recognizable attribute. Surely this image must have reminded believers of the curse and indeed of Satan himself, as well as the bronze serpent in the wilderness and Jesus’ allusion to that image in reference to his defeat of Satan on the cross. There were also smaller temples to Roma, the goddess of Rome, and Athena, the goddess of Greece. 

But the imperial cult was arguably the most pervasive and significant religion in first-century Pergamum. The city was designated as the first imperial cult centre in the East, making the worship of the Roman emperors a primary and compulsory religious and political activity. So, all in all, Pergamum was a thoroughly pagan city.

The city was also the centre of Roman political activity. The proconsul of Rome was seated there, or, in other words, the very throne of the Roman Empire for the Province of Asia was in Pergamum. The proconsul had the power to dispense Roman justice in the area, making it a centre for Roman authority.

Perhaps this is the reason why Jesus identified himself in the Christ Title as the one who wields the sharp two-edged sword, an image echoing John’s description of Jesus in chapter 1:16. “In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.” 

Interestingly, there are two Greek words translated as “sword” in the book of the Revelation. The first is “machaira” which was a short sword or dagger of about 46 centimetres (see Revelation 6:4; 13:10, 14). The second, which is the word used here, is “romphaia” which was a long, slightly curved sword of about 1 and ½ metres used by the Thracians that could slice through an opponent’s shield with one single blow (see Revelation 1:16; 2:12, 16; 19:15, 21). The image of Jesus with a deadly “romphaia” issuing from his mouth stresses the power of his role as supreme judge, even over the proconsul, who often carried a sword or dagger as a symbol of his power to judge.

Now, the first thing we need to notice is that this massive two-edged sword was not in the Lord’s hand but proceeded from his mouth. Why is this significant?

Well because the sword represented two things. Firstly, it represented the truth. In Hebrews 4:12-13 we read, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword (in this case the word used is “machaira”), piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” It is the very Word of God that ultimately governs all things, and all are held accountable to him, even the proconsul of Rome.

In Ephesians 6:17, the sword (machaira) of the Spirit, is identified as the word of God…a word that John linked to Jesus in his Gospel. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Therefore an encounter with the Word is an encounter with God….his Word reveals both his Person and his purpose and therefore all are held accountable to what it teaches.

But the sword is also an image of authority. In Romans 13:3-4, Paul said: “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword (machaira) in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.” The one wielding the sword is the one wielding authority to preserve peace.

But who gives these earthly rulers the authority to execute justice? During his so-called trial, Jesus said to Pontius Pilate: “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” It is God who gives authority to earthly rulers and therefore they are subject to him, whether they admit that or not. In Revelation 1:5, Jesus is described as “the ruler of kings on earth”. All power outside of the divine Trinity is derivative. All authority in both heaven and earth has been given to Jesus and he is presently reigning at the right hand of God the Father as King of kings and Lord of lords. 

The proconsul of Rome may have wielded the supreme authority of the earthly Roman Empire in Pergamum, but Jesus was the one who wielded the greater sword…the greater authority…as the universal sovereign.

Now, in the commendation section, Jesus said, “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.” Once more we have the comforting reminder that our Lord knows everything about us. Jesus knew their circumstances, and he knew their courage. God knows all things because he made all things and sustains all things. Our knowledge is limited because we are limited…we are finite. But God is infinite and certainly not limited. According to Psalm 139, he knows our thoughts before we express them in words. He knew our names before we were conceived. He knew us before the universe was created and he chose us in Jesus before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).

God is not ignorant of the future, and he certainly is not ignorant of you. He knows all about you and cares for you more than you could ever imagine.

Now, Jesus said he knew that they lived where the “throne of Satan” was. There have been several suggestions made by various scholars over the years as to the identity of this “throne”. The first suggestion has to do with the shape of the acropolis itself, as some think the hill upon which the city was build resembles a throne. The second suggestion is that the throne of Satan was the healing centre of Asclepius, the god of healing. The third suggestion is the great altar of Zeus which currently resides in Berlin and, indeed, does look like a gigantic throne. And finally, the fourth suggestion is the seat of the proconsul of Rome.

But as this throne seems to be connected to the martyrdom of a man named Antipas, possibly the Bishop of Pergamum appointed by John, it is more likely to be referring to the seat of the proconsul. 

Now, as Jeff Weima says, precise identification of the throne of Satan must remain tentative, but it may be that John himself gave us a few clues. In Revelation 12:3 we read, “And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.” Who is this great red dragon? John tells us in verse 9 of the same chapter. “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world…” 

Now, I want you to remember John’s description of Satan because in Revelation 13 he described a beast that had authority over every tribe, tongue, and nation. He wrote: “And I saw a beast rising out of the sea (now, you need to know that in the Old Testament the sea was often a metaphor for the chaotic and turbulent world of Gentile nations, for instance, the four beasts rising from the sea in Daniel 7-8 are interpreted as the Gentile empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome), but what is interesting for us to note is that this beast rising out of the sea in Revelation 13 had “ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.” 

So, Satan was described as having “seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems”, and here a Gentile empire is described as having “ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns”. Very similar imagery used here, don’t you think? But the question we need to ask is, at the time John was writing, which empire covered nearly the whole known world and also persecuted the Church? Yes, only one empire fits that description: Rome

But is it possible that John’s nearly identical descriptions of Satan and Rome is meant to alert his readers to the diabolical nature of the persecution they were about to suffer? Indeed, in verse 2 John tells us that the dragon (in other words, Satan) gave his power and his throne and great authority to this beast that rose from the sea (in other words, the Empire of Rome). 

But then there is yet another beast, one that rises from the earth and this beast made people worship the beast from the sea. Those who did not worship the image of the beast were executed. 

Does this all sound familiar to you? The imperial cult in which the Roman emperors were worship as gods was compulsory. You could worship any god you liked, as long as you paid homage to Rome and, by extension, worshipped the Emperor as god. 

So, if we compare these descriptions of the beasts in Revelation with those beasts in Daniel, I think we can safely say that these beasts are not individual people, but rather the first beast from the sea is the Empire of Rome ruled by various individual Caesars and the second beast from the earth is the Emperor cult. 

To me this makes more sense when dealing with the number of the beast from the sea (The Empire) that the beast from the land (the Emperor cult) made everyone worship…the number 666. John tells us that “this calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of (a) man, and his number is 666.” The word translated “man” here does not have the definite article, so one could just as well translate this as “man” in general or as “humanity”. So, my translation would be, “for it is the number of humanity, and that number is 666”. 

What is my reasoning for this translation? you may ask. Well because in the Old Testament, the number for humanity was six because humanity was created on the sixth day, as were the beasts. This number six was often contrasted with the number seven, which, as we have seen before, symbolized divine perfection and completion. 

Since six is one less than seven, it is often interpreted as a symbol of something that falls short of perfection.  If we understand the number 666 in Revelation through this lens, where John tells us that it can be calculated  and understood by his readers (all that was needed was a bit of biblical wisdom) and where he explicitly called it the number of man or humanity, then I think we can safely apply it to Rome or, more precisely, to the Emperor of Rome at that time, in other words, Nero Caesar. 

The number 666 then simply represents a counterfeit, satanic, earthly, limited yet powerful Empire that craved and demanded worship by force from all its subjects. But I do think that this principle remains true for all time. All rulers are just humans under the authority and control of God…all sixes…even those that multiply themselves six hundred and sixty-six times…all sixes are subject to the Divine Seven. 

How comforting this must have been to the seven churches in Asia and how comforting this is to us today. The powerful people in the world and the empires they represent are just human…they are fallible…and, what’s more, they are empowered and driven by a defeated enemy. They are all subject to the one who wields the sharp two-edged sword. 

Now, we don’t have to live in an ideal eutopia in order to be followers of Jesus. Often the strongest Christians are those living in the very midst of evil. Jesus did not pray that we should be taken out of the world, but that we should be kept from the evil one. He said that in the world we would have tribulation, but that we should be of good cheer as he has overcome the world. The wheat and the weeds grow side by side until the end of the age. We are meant to disciple the nations of the world, not escape from them. As Jesus was sent into the world, so he has sent us into the world.

The believers in Pergamum were very much in the world, but, like Jesus, they were faithful even to the point of death. “You hold fast my name,” Jesus said to them, “and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.”

Tradition tells us that this Antipas was commanded to recant his Christian faith under threat of death. He refused and was martyred by being roasted to death inside a large, hollow bronze bull. The screams of Antipas were amplified by musical instruments built into the bull making it seem as if the bull itself was making sounds.

It is interesting that Jesus, who was called the faithful witness in Revelation 1:5, applied the same title to Antipas here. Both were faithful even to death.

It has been said that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. It is true that many came to believe in Jesus through the witness of the dying martyrs. Martyrdom is an exceptionally powerful witness. It is often when the Church seems to be weak that God does something wonderful. When we are weak, then he is strong. The apparent defeat on the cross led to the disarming of principalities and powers and the removal of the penalty against us…the cross led to the defeat of Satan, sin, and death. 

Is it possible that the struggles of the global Church…a struggle that is often interpreted as the so-called “signs of the times” (a concept, by the way, that ignores the context of the biblical text itself)…is it possible that this struggle is simply the ongoing tribulation Christians have faced since the First Century? 

In the world, Jesus said, you will have tribulation. All who seek to live godly lives, Paul said, will suffer persecution. If the blood of martyrs are indeed seed, is it possible that the suffering of the Church throughout the ages is part of our call to make disciples of all nations? Every war has its casualties. 

The church in Pergamum was commended for standing fast despite severe persecution. They were faithful. They did not seek an escape route, but stood their ground, even if that action resulted in torture and death.

Now, one would have thought that a group of believers who were in the decided minority and who lived in a hostile and deadly societal environment…one would have thoughts that they would stand together as one united group. And yet, as we shall see next week, their battles were not only against the devil and his followers…there were people within their community that were not pulling in the same direction. Some held to heretical teachings, and they were undermining the witness of the church.  

As I said at the beginning of this talk, it’s never easy to hold your ground when someone stronger than you is pulling in the opposite direction, but when you have a team pulling on your side, the stress factor drops dramatically. However, if one or more of your team members turn and either no longer pull together with you or, worse, if they begin to pull in the opposite direction, then the stress factor increases to beyond what it was before because you now no longer have only one opponent, but several and, as Jesus said, a kingdom divided against itself, cannot stand.

Whatever the false teachings embraced by modern church goers may be…whatever their choice of compromise…they weaken the witness of the church…even the church filled with faithful witnesses.

So, let us turn to the one who knows us better than we know ourselves, and ask him to search and examine our own hearts…and then let us ask him to come with his sharp two-edged sword and remove whatever is not of him.

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2025.