TESTED BY FIRE APRIL 5, 2014 Day 2, Session 2: Lessons From Pergamum And Thyatira!!!!! Tim Miller! I. BACKGROUND A. Pergamum 1 1. Became a Roman province in 130BC, and was briefly the capital of the Roman province of Asia (before it was moved to Ephesus); all the main roads of Western Asia converged in Pergamum; three rivers in the area, one of which went to the sea 2. The city was dominated by a huge hill (1000 ft above sea level), with an acropolis; stadium, theatre, amphitheatre, gymnasiums, many temples, a university, a large library (second only to Alexandria 200,000 volumes); about 200,000 residents 3. An illustrious and wealthy city, particularly famous for production of parchment (pergamena) 4. Had many temples and was the religious center of Asia; there was a temple to the Egyptian gods Isis and Serapis; in a grove called Nicephorium were temples to Zeus, Athena, and Dionysos; south of the acropolis was a temple to Asklepios, the god of healing ( worshipped in the form of a living serpent fed in the temple 2); on the upper part of the Acropolis was the Great Altar of Pergamum, dedicated to Zeus 5. Asklepios was known as the god of Pergagum, and on coins was represented by a rod encircled by a serpent (still a medical symbol today); near the temple of Asklepios was a university for the study of medicine; was one of the most famous therapeutic/healing centers in the Roman world 6. Pergamum: the first city in Asia with temple dedicated to Augustus and Rome; became the center in the province for worship of the emperor; the terms Lord, Savior, and God were regularly in reference to the emperor, which put believers in a tough spot B. Thyatira 3! 1 Vincent, M. R. (2002). Word studies in the New Testament (2:446). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.; Robertson, A. (1997). Word Pictures in the New Testament. Vol.V c1932, Vol.VI c1933 by Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. (Re 2:12). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems; Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary: An exposition of the scriptures (2:935-936). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books; Carson, D. A. (1994). New Bible commentary: 21st century edition. Rev. ed. of: The new Bible commentary. 3rd ed. / edited by D. Guthrie, J.A. Motyer. 1970. (4th ed.) (Re 2:12). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press; Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1989). The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--jkt. (Re 2:12). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books; Pergamum, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pergamum>.! 2Vincent, M. R. (2002). Word studies in the New Testament (2:446). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.! Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the 3 scriptures (2:937). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books; Carson, D. A. (1994). New Bible commentary : 21st century edition. Rev. ed. of: The new Bible commentary. 3rd ed. / edited by D. Guthrie, J.A. Motyer. 1970. (4th ed.) (Re 2:18). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press; Willmington, H. L. (1997). Willmington's Bible handbook (795). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers; Robertson, A. (1997). Word Pictures in the New Testament. Vol.V c1932, Vol.VI c1933 by Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. (Re 2:18). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems.
Day 2, Session 2: Lessons From Pergamum And Thyatira!!!! Page 2 of 8 1. Forty miles southeast of Pergamum; a trading center; home to many guilds (dyers, potters, tanners, weavers, bakers, robe makers slave traders, etc); a supplier for the Roman garrison in Pergamum 2. Famous for abundant crops and purple dye (Lydia was from here, Ac 16:14) 3. Apollo the sun god the main deity worshipped here 4. Each guild was dedicated to a patron god; the guilds had feasts in the temples, with meat offered to the various gods II. AFFIRMATIONS A. Attributes of Jesus Highlighted 1. Pergamum To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. ( NIV Re 2:12) In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp doubleedged sword. ( NIV Re 1:16) For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ( ESV Heb 4:12) A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. TheSpirit of the LORD will rest on him the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. ( NIV Is 11:1-5) This will take place on the day when God will judge men s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. ( NIV Rm 2:16) 2. Thyatira To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze (glowing metal). ( NIV Re 2:18) No creature is hidden from Him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account. ( HCSB Heb 4:13)
Day 2, Session 2: Lessons From Pergamum And Thyatira!!!! Page 3 of 8 From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. ( NIV Is 33:13-15) Now this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him. ( HCSB 1Jn 1:5) Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. ( NIV Heb 12:28) Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings? ( ESV Is 33:14) B. Affirmations to Church in Pergamum 1. Clinging to Jesus name/faithful Witness I know where you live where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name (or cling to [NET], or hold fast to [ESV, NASB]). You did not renounce your faith in me (or deny My faith [ESV, NASB, RSV]), even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city where Satan lives. ( NIV Re 2:13) And He was saying to them all, If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me (present imperative: keep following or keep accompanying ). For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. ( NASB Lk 9:23-24) But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with (or through [ISV]) perseverance. ( NASB Lk 8:15) Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. ( NIV Rm 5:3-4) And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. ( ESV Col 1:21-23) You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved ( NASB Mt 10:22) C. Affirmations to the Church in Thyatira 1. Deeds, Love, Faith, Service, Perseverance, Growth
Day 2, Session 2: Lessons From Pergamum And Thyatira!!!! Page 4 of 8 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first ( your latter works exceed the first [ESV]). ( NIV Re 2:19) Finally, then, brothers we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. ( ESV 1 Th 4:1) III. CORRECTION/REBUKE A. Pergamum 1. Fellowship with Idols/Demons and Sexual Immorality Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. ( NIV Re 2:14) Then Balak s anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him, I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times. Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the LORD has kept you from being rewarded. Balaam answered Balak, Did I not tell the messengers you sent me, Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the LORD and I must say only what the LORD says? Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come. ( NIV Nu 24:10-14) While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods.so Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the LORD s anger burned against them. The LORD said to Moses, Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the LORD s fierce anger may turn away from Israel. ( NIV Nu 25:1-4) I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion (Gk koinōnia fellowship) of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers (Gk koinōnoi fellowshippers ; participants [ESV], sharers [NASB], partners [NRSV, HCSB, NET, NRSV, RSV]) of the altar? What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? ( NKJV 1 Cor 10:15-22)
Day 2, Session 2: Lessons From Pergamum And Thyatira!!!! Page 5 of 8 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person such a man is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God s wrath comes (or will certainly come [futuristic indicative]) on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.( NIV Eph 5:5-7) For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. ( NIV 1 Th 4:2-8) Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. ( NIV 1 Jn 5:21) 2. The Nicolaitans Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. ( NIV Re 2:15) The Nicolaitanes are the followers of that Nicolas who was one of the seven first ordained to the diaconate by the apostles. They lead lives of unrestrained indulgence. The character of these men is very plainly pointed out in the Apocalypse of John, [when they are represented] as teaching that it is a matter of indifference to practise adultery, and to eat things sacrificed to idols. Wherefore the Word has also spoken of them thus: But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. (Iranaeus, Against Heresies, 1:26:3) Little children, it is the last hour. Just as you heard that an antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour. They left us, but they were not part of us. For if they had been part of us, they would have stayed with us. They simply made it clear that none of them was really part of us. ( ISV 1 Jn 2:18-19) But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb
Day 2, Session 2: Lessons From Pergamum And Thyatira!!!! Page 6 of 8 B. Thyatira says has happened to them: The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire. ( ESV 2 Pt 2:1-3, 20-22) 1. Fellowship with Idols/Demons and Sexual Immorality Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. ( NIV Re 2:20) 2. God s Longsuffering I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I (not the devil!) will cast her on a bed of suffering ( bed of sickness [NASB], sickbed [ESV], bed of violent illness (NET),, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children (i.e. followers/disciples, cf 1 Cor 4:14) dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. ( NIV Re 2:21-23) Then Peter said, Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God. When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. ( NIV Ac 5:3-6) Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry. We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did and in one day twentythree thousand of them died. We should not test the Lord, as some of them did and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did and were killed by the destroying angel.( NIV 1 Cor 10:6-10) Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. ( ESV 1 Cor 11:27-31) In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: My son, do not make light of the Lord s discipline, and do not lose heart
Day 2, Session 2: Lessons From Pergamum And Thyatira!!!! Page 7 of 8 when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. ( NIV Heb 12:4-8) IV. EXHORTATIONS A. Pergamum 1. Repent and Overcome! Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone (Gk psēphon pebble ) with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. ( NIV Re 2:16-17) Moses said, This is what the LORD has commanded: Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt. And Moses said to Aaron, Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the LORD to be kept throughout your generations. ( ESV Ex 16:32-33) Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Jesus then said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. ( ESV Jn 6:31-33) And when you have multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, says the LORD, they shall no longer say, The ark of the covenant of the LORD. It shall not come to mind, or be remembered, or missed; nor shall another one be made. At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the LORD, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they shall no longer stubbornly follow their own evil will. ( NRSV Jer 3:16-17) This old word for pebble (from ψαω [psaō], to rub) was used in courts of justice, black pebbles for condemning, white pebbles for acquitting. The only other use of the word in the N.T. is in Acts 26:10, where Paul speaks of depositing his pebble (κατηνεγκα ψηφον [katēnegka psēphon]) or casting his vote. 4 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them (Lit brought my pebble [psēphon] against them ) ( NIV Ac 26:10), Robertson, A. (1997). Word Pictures in the New Testament. Vol.V c1932, Vol.VI c1933 by Sunday School Board of the Southern 4 Baptist Convention. (Re 2:17). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems.
Day 2, Session 2: Lessons From Pergamum And Thyatira!!!! Page 8 of 8 B. Thyatira 1. Hold Fast and Overcome! Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan s so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): Only hold on to what you have until I come. To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ( NIV Re 2:24-29) God made the two great lights the greater light to rule ( govern [NIV]) the day and the lesser light to rule the night and the stars. ( NRSV Gen 1:16) I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star. ( ESV Rev 22:16) And so we have the prophetic message confirmed even more, [the word] in regard to which you do well if you keep paying careful attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises, in your hearts knowing this first of all (or rises in your hearts ; cf Mk 2:8 knew in his spirit ) ( Author 2 Pt 1:19) The morning star here mostly like refers to the planet Venus (though some think it possibly refers to the sun). Besides the sun, Venus is the brightest star in the sky, reaching its maximum brightness just before sunrise or just after sunset, depending on where it is in its orbit of the sun. Just as the morning star heralds the end of the night and the beginning of the new day, so the Second Coming will mark the end of this age of darkness and the beginning of His Day. Cf Gn 1:14-19; Jb 9:9, 38:32; Ps 19:1-6, 84:11; Is 40:25-26, 60:1-2; Ml 4:2; Lk 1:78; Rm 10:14-18, 13:11-12) And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. ( NIV Rm 13:11-12)