Chapter Nine/Holding Fast to Jesus' Name

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 sacrifice to idols to commit fornication." -Revelation 2:14. 

In Moses' day, King Balak of Moab had hired Balaam, a non-Israelite prophet who knew something about Jehovah's ways, to curse Israel. Jehovah resisted  Balaam, compellinghim to pronounce 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 idoltatrous worship of the false God 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.  -Number 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.   (1 Corinthians 10:6-11) Since they have endured persecution, perhaps they feel that Jehovah will overlook their transgressions. So Jesus makes it plain that they must shun such wickedness.

Similarly, today, Christians must guard against "turning against 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.  (1 Corinthians 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 Christian congregation, mostly on grounds of sexual immorality, have numbered into the tens of thousands. In some years there have been even more that fell in ancient Israel because of the Baal of Peor.  May we keep up our guard  so that we never fall into that company! -Romans 11:20;  1 Corinthians 10:12.  

Jesus also reprimands the Christians in Pergamum for 'eathing 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.  (1 Corinthians 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 worshipping of 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: Chapter Nine/Holding Fast to Jesus' Name - Avoid Sectarianism

From the book of Revelation