The Powerful Witness

Scripture: Revelation 2:12-17

¹² “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword:

¹³ “I know where you are living, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you are holding fast to my name, and you did not deny your faith in me even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan lives. ¹⁴ But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel, so that they would eat food sacrificed to idols and engage in sexual immorality. ¹⁵ So you also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. ¹⁶ Repent, then. If not, I will come to you soon and wage war against them with the sword of my mouth. ¹⁷ Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.

Questions

1. What does it mean that Satan lives in Pergamum and has a throne in the city?
2. Do we know anything about Antipas and his witness and how does his witness relate to that of the church in Pergamum ?
3. What is the connection between “holding fast to my name” and being a witness?
4. Do we understand who the Nicolaitans were and what their relationship to Pergamum was?

Background

Related Scriptures: Numbers 22-24; Acts 2:1-47

Μάρτυς (witness) is a legal term that refers to someone who can testify to the truth or validity of a claim. Within Christianity it is someone whose behavior and character demonstrates the work of the Holy Spirit. The word witness became so entangled with someone who patiently suffered persecution that μάρτυς became our word martyr- someone who dies for a cause.

Pergamum was the second city of the province of Asia (Ephesus being the capital), it boasted a large library and a temple to Roma (and/or Caesar). Because of this Pergamum became a center, along with Ephesus, for practicing the imperial cult.

The text alludes to Numbers 22-24 where Balaam is incited to curse Israel for Balak and is connected closely to Israel falling into idolatry. What seems to be at issue in Revelation is a group within the church encourages the believers to participate in the imperial cult. 

The hidden manna offered as a reward for following Jesus represents the source of sustenance for the Israelites as they wandered the wilderness in Exodus.

The new name seems to reflect a new identity in Christ but the white stone offered to the conqueror is a little more difficult to understand other than engraving on a stone is a symbol of permeance and the color white reflects purity.

For a fun and enlightening read: Bruce Longenecker The Lost Letters of Pergamum

Reflection

What is your testimony? This is a question that I grew up with and is based on the desire to be a witness for Jesus. Asking people their testimony is common in America because our heritage is steeped in “Come to Jesus” moments and revivalism. Whether because of my inclination to quiet and privacy or the fact I have never had much (if any) time outside the Church, I have always struggled with this question. I do not often feel comfortable providing the kind of public personal testimony that some are accustomed to. I used to find some level of guilt and shame in this fact, but as I read the Bible I am comforted by the fact that being a witness looks different in the New Testament. Yes, we are told of the dramatic conversion of Paul whose testimony forms the basis for this modern idea. But alongside Paul’s witness is Timothy, whose witness is a quiet faithfulness from his youth.

When we think of witnessing we often think of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon Peter and he boldly proclaimed the message of Jesus. I know many people who are very uncomfortable with that story. They do not like how Peter is thrown into the spotlight and they associate the spotlight with witnessing. But witnessing in the Bible is not about being in the spotlight, it is about staying true to Jesus. John praises the church in Pergamum for being a faithful witness, particularly Antipas who met death for his faith. But John does not describe anything about the church that is bold or flashy. John describes the church as faithful, holding fast to Jesus’ name. The witness of Antipas was that he did not give up being a Christian in the face of death, the church’s witness was they remained a church despite the threat of society. John is not suggesting this group was out on the streets preaching on the corners, as we might associate with Peter on Pentecost. Rather, the boldness of the group was they were faithful in living their lives for Jesus and open that they were trying to follow him. Their witness was simply that the Holy Spirit had filled their lives. The evidence for the Spirit’s presence was them, day in and day out, living for Jesus’ kingdom.

We have many people like this in our world today. Many faithful witnesses to Jesus, perhaps not taking the road of a Billy Graham, but witnessing none-the-less. I think of people like Nobel Peace Prize recipient Norman Borlaug, U.N. Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld, Dr. Paul Brand, and Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. Each of these individuals had a very public role and each had in one sense a very public faith. Each man took his job very seriously and rooted his work in his commitment to Jesus. None of these individuals shied away from saying their faith was important to them, yet none were explicitly known for their faith, except in that it helped guide them be the best they could be. This is what God asks of us, to be open about our allegiance to Jesus. We are called to own our commitment to the faith. Maybe some, like Peter or Paul, might feel called to boisterous witnesses. But many of us will be quiet and humble. Witness is about owning our relationship to Jesus in such a way that people understand our motivations. And trusting God’s Spirit to rest on us as at Pentecost, not to make us loud, but to make us true. While we tend to focus on Peter’s sermon, the Holy Spirit’s work continued as people lived together in peace, becoming a family.

Our witness is about being willing to say “I am a Christian who is trying to live a life filled with God.” And then relying on the Holy Spirit to provide the fruit in our changed character. Witness is about saying, I am going to be up front about the fact that Jesus leads my life and then being committed to showing that in the world. Witnessing involves speaking, it involves being open and honest about one’s faith in Jesus. But witnessing is about more than the words that come from your mouth, witnessing is about faith to allow the Holy Spirit to guide your character. Witnessing is about being about to stay true to the ways of Jesus even in the difficult times. Our call this Pentecost is to witness to Jesus, not simply through the kind of bold preaching Peter used, but in allowing the Holy Spirit to visibly transform our lives.