Corrupting Influences

Yes, the Christians in Pergamum are integrity keepers. "Nevertheless," says Jesus, "I have a few things against you." What have they done to deserve censure? Jesus tells us: " You have there those holding fast the teaching of Balaam, who went teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication."- Revelation 2:14.

In Mose's day, King Balak of Moab had hired Balaam, a non-Israelited prophet who knew something about Jehovah's ways, to curse Israel. Jehovah resisted Balaam, compelling him to prounounce blessings for the Israelites and woes for their enemies. Balaam pacified Balak's resultant resentment by suggesting a more subtle attack: let Moab's women seduce Israel's men into gross sexual immorality and idolatrous worship of the false god Baal of Peor! This tactic worked. Jehovah's righteous anger blazed, as he sent a scourge that killed 24, 000 of those Israelite fornicators-a scourge that was stayed only when priest Phinehas took positive action to remove badness from Israel.-Numbers 24:10, 11; 25:1-3,6-9; 31:16.

Now, in John's day are there similar stumbling blocks in Pergamum? There are! Immorality and idolatry have infiltrated the congregation. Those Christians have not heeded God's warnings given through the apostle Paul. (1Corinthians 10:6-11) Since they have endured persecution, perhaps they feel that Jehovah will overlook their sexual transgressions. So Jesus makes it plain that they must shun such wickedness.

Similarly today, Christians must guard against "turning the undeserved kindness of our God into an excuse for loose conduct." (Jude 4) We are obliged to hate what is bad and to ' pummel our bodies' in order to pursue a course of Christian virtue. (1Corinthians 9:27; Psalm 97:10; Romans 8:6) We should never think that zeal in God's service and integrity under persecution give us a license to get involved in sexual misconduct. Over the years, offenders disfellowshipped from the worldwide Christians congregation, mostly on grounds of sexual immorality, have numbered into the tens of thousands. In some years there have been even more than fell in ancient Israel because of the Baal of Peor. May we keep on our guard so that we never fall into that company!-Romans 11:20; 1Corinthians 10:12.

Jesus also reprimands the Christians in Pergamum for 'eating things sacrificed to idols.' What would this involve? In view of Paul's words to the Corinthians, perhaps some were abusing their Christian freedom and deliberately offending the consciences of others. More likely, though, they were taking part somehow in actual idol ceremonies. ( 1Corinthians 8:4-13; 10:25-30) Faithful Christians today must show unselfish love in their exercise of Christian freedom, being careful not to stumble others. Certainly, they must avoid modern forms of idolatry, such as worshiping stars of TV, the movies and sports, or making a god out of money, or even out of their own belly!- Matthew 6:24; Philippians 1:9, 10; 3:17-19.

Next time: Avoid Sectarianism!