Pergamum: The Tolerant Church

Don't you hate it when you get a song that you don't even like stuck in your head? Maybe it comes on the radio while you're driving to work, and then you find yourself humming Ke$ha to yourself the rest of the afternoon. You kick yourself the rest of the day, thinking, "Jiminy, why didn't I just turn off the radio once it came on? Tik Tok. Why did I let myself listen to it for a whole three minutes. But the party don't stop."

In the third letter of Revelation 2-3--this time to the church at Pergamum--Jesus points out that they were allowing themselves to listen to some of the wrong people, and there is great danger in that. Here's what Jesus says in Revelation 2:12-17:

To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live--where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city--where Satan lives. 

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. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 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 with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.

The letter starts out with a commendation for those in the church at Pergamum: They've remained faithful under pressure. They live in a city that is opposed to Christ. It's a city where "Satan has his throne" (a possible reference to an altar to the Greek god Zeus that stood on top of the mountain in Pergamum). The pressure on the church was so great, in fact, that one of its members, Antipas, has lost his life. But in spite of all of this, the believers in Pergamum stood pat and didn't retreat from Christ.

But the church there is also playing with fire. They've been tolerating some dangerous voices within the church. There are some who "hold to the teaching of Balaam" (cf. Num. 22-25). The also permit the Nicolaitans into their midst. We don't know much about what the Nicolaitans taught, but it seems like they advocated antinomianism (no law), claiming that freedom in Christ might freedom to engage in whatever sin one chooses.

Basically, the church at Pergamum had become tolerant.

I hesitate to use the word "tolerant" because it's such an common one in our day and age. I read somewhere that tolerance has become perhaps the most important "virtue" in contemporary culture. We are told over and over again to be tolerant of others, and to be labeled "intolerant" is a major slam. It can seem like the message of our culture today is that no one is really wrong, only different. So every belief, characteristic, or lifestyle must be accepted and celebrated.

Of course, such unqualified open-mindedness doesn't mesh well with Christian truth. As a result, some Christians glory in their intolerance. It's almost as if they are boasting in intolerance, in effect shouting, "Yeah, I think you're wrong. I'm intolerant. So bite me."

That may not be the best approach. As Christians, we should hold unswervingly to the the truth of God's word, but we still need to approach issues with grace and love. Otherwise, we come off like jerks.

All of that is a diversion, however. The point is that the church at Pergamum had become tolerant of some teachers in their midst who were espousing falsehood. And instead of correcting this errant teaching, the church was letting it slide. They weren't standing up for truth. They were taking a "live and let live" attitude. What they needed to do was to draw a line in the sand and firmly say, "This is unacceptable teaching." But instead, they kept listening to things that weren't good for them.

Tik Tok.

I think the letter to Pergumum is an important warning even to us today. It warns us about being careful who we listen to. We can tend to tolerate people who spout out all sorts of ideas that are contrary to Christ, whether they are friends, authors, radio personalities, politicians, professors, or whoever. And while being open to all new ideas and seeking greater general understanding is important, there comes a point when we need to say, "Enough is enough." Because not every idea is a good idea, and not every teaching is worth listening to. Tolerance of such garbage only gets it stuck in your head, and things stuck in your head start to work their way into your actions.

But the party don't stop.

Crap. Now it really is stuck in my head.