Introduction:
Pergamos, also known as Pergamum, was an ancient city located in the region of Mysia in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey. It is notably mentioned in the Book of Revelation as one of the seven churches to which the Apostle John addressed letters. Pergamos was a significant cultural, religious, and political center during the Roman Empire.

Historical and Cultural Context:
Pergamos was renowned for its grandeur and was considered a major center of learning and culture in the ancient world. It housed a library that rivaled the famous Library of Alexandria, containing over 200,000 volumes. The city was also known for its impressive architecture, including the Altar of Zeus, which was one of the wonders of the ancient world.

Religiously, Pergamos was a hub of pagan worship. It was home to numerous temples dedicated to Greek and Roman deities, including Zeus, Athena, Dionysus, and Asclepius, the god of healing. The city's religious atmosphere was further complicated by the presence of emperor worship, which was a significant aspect of Roman political and religious life.

Biblical Significance:
Pergamos is mentioned in the Book of Revelation as one of the seven churches in Asia Minor. The letter to the church in Pergamos is found in Revelation 2:12-17. The Berean Standard Bible records the message as follows:

"To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of the One who holds the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live, where the throne of Satan sits. Yet you have held fast to My name and have not denied your faith in Me, even in the days when My faithful witness Antipas was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites, so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. In the same way, some of you also hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent! Otherwise I will come to you shortly and wage war against them with the sword of My mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone inscribed with a new name, known only to the one who receives it." (Revelation 2:12-17)

Theological Implications:
The message to the church in Pergamos highlights several key theological themes. First, it acknowledges the difficult environment in which the believers lived, referring to Pergamos as the place "where the throne of Satan sits." This likely alludes to the pervasive pagan worship and possibly the imperial cult that dominated the city.

Despite these challenges, the church is commended for holding fast to the name of Christ and not denying their faith, even in the face of persecution, as exemplified by the martyrdom of Antipas. This steadfastness is a testament to the believers' commitment to Christ amidst adversity.

However, the letter also contains a rebuke for tolerating false teachings, specifically those associated with Balaam and the Nicolaitans. The reference to Balaam recalls the Old Testament prophet who led Israel into sin through idolatry and immorality (Numbers 22-25). The Nicolaitans, though less clearly defined, are generally understood to represent a group promoting similar compromises with pagan practices.

The call to repentance is urgent, with a warning of divine judgment symbolized by the "sword of My mouth." This imagery underscores the authority and power of Christ's word to discern and judge.

Symbolism and Promises:
The promises to the overcomers in Pergamos are rich with symbolism. The "hidden manna" represents spiritual sustenance and the provision of Christ, contrasting with the idolatrous feasts of the surrounding culture. The "white stone" with a "new name" signifies acceptance, purity, and a personal relationship with Christ, offering assurance of identity and belonging in the kingdom of God.

Conclusion:
The letter to Pergamos serves as a powerful reminder of the challenges faced by early Christians living in a pagan society. It calls believers to remain faithful to Christ, reject false teachings, and embrace the promises of spiritual nourishment and eternal identity in Him.Pergamos

height; elevation

Pergamos

(in Revised Version Pergamum) (height, elevation), a city of Mysia, about 3 miles to the north of the river Caicus, and 20 miles from its present mouth. It was the residence of a dynasty of Greek princes founded after the time of Alexander the Great, and usually called the Attalic dynasty, from its founder, Attalus. The sumptuousness of the Attalic princes hall raised Pergamos to the rank of the first city in Asia as regards splendor. The city was noted for its vast, library, containing 200,000 volumes. Here were splendid temples of Zeus or Jupiter, Athene, Apollo and AEsculapius. One of "the seven churches of Asia" was in Pergamos. (Revelation 1:11; 2:12-17) It is called "Satan's seat" by John, which some suppose to refer to the worship of AEsculapius, from the serpent being his characteristic emblem. Others refer it to the persecutions of Christians, which was work of Satan. The modern name of the city is Bergama .

Pergamos

Now Bergamo, a city of Mysia, in Asia Minor, and the residence of the Attalian princes. There was here collected by the kings of this race a noble library of two hundred thousand volumes, which, after the country was ceded to the Romans, was transported to Egypt for Cleopatra, and added to the library at Alexandria. Hence the word parchment, from the Latin pergamentum, Greek pergamene; great quantities of this material being here used, and its manufacture perfected. Pogroms was the birthplace of Galen, and contained a famous temple of Esculapius the god of medicine, who was worshipped under the form of a living serpent. A Christian church was established here in the apostolic age, and was addressed by St. John, Revelation 1:11; 2:12. The modern city, called Bergamo, lies twenty miles from the sea on the north side of the river Caicus, and contains twelve thousand inhabitants. A large castle in ruins stands on the highest of three mountains, which environ the town, and many remains of the ancient city still exist.

The chief city of Mysia, in Asia Minor. One of the "seven churches" was planted here (Revelation 1:11; 2:17). It was noted for its wickedness, insomuch that our Lord says "Satan's seat" was there. The church of Pergamos was rebuked for swerving from the truth and embracing the doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitanes. Antipas, Christ's "faithful martyr," here sealed his testimony with his blood.

This city stood on the banks of the river Caicus, about 20 miles from the sea. It is now called Bergama, and has a population of some twenty thousand, of whom about two thousand profess to be Christians. Parchment (q.v.) was first made here, and was called by the Greeks pergamene, from the name of the city.

PERGAMOS; PERGAMUM

pur'-ga-mos, or pur'-ga-mum (he Pergamos, or to Pergamon):

1. History:

Pergamos, to which the ancient writers also gave the neuter form of the name, was a city of Mysia of the ancient Roman province of Asia, in the Caicus valley, 3 miles from the river, and about 15 miles from the sea. The Caicus was navigable for small native craft. Two of the tributaries of the Caicus were the Selinus and the Kteios. The former of these rivers flowed through the city; the latter ran along its walls. On the hill between these two streams the first city stood, and there also stood the acropolis, the chief temples, and theaters of the later city. The early people of the town were descendants of Greek colonists, and as early as 420 B.C. they struck coins of their own. Lysimachus, who possessed the town, deposited there 9,000 talents of gold. Upon his death, Philetaerus (283-263 B.C.) used this wealth to found the independent Greek dynasty of the Attalid kings. The first of this dynasty to bear the title of king was Attalus I (241-197 B.C.), a nephew of Philetaerus, and not only did he adorn the city with beautiful buildings until it became the most wonderful city of the East, but he added to his kingdom the countries of Mysia, Lydia, Caria, Pamphylia and Phrygia. Eumenes II (197-159 B.C.) was the most illustrious king of the dynasty, and during his reign the city reached its greatest height. Art and literature were encouraged, and in the city was a library of 200,000 volumes which later Antony gave to Cleopatra. The books were of parchment which was here first used; hence, the word "parchment," which is derived from the name of the town Pergamos. Of the structures which adorned the city, the most renowned was the altar of Zeus, which was 40 ft. in height, and also one of the wonders of the ancient world. When in 133 B.C. Attalus III, the last king of the dynasty, died, he gave his kingdom to the Roman government. His son, Aristonicus, however, attempted to seize it for himself, but in 129 he was defeated, and the Roman province of Asia was formed, and Pergamos was made its capital. The term Asia, as here employed, should not be confused with the continent of Asia, nor with Asia Minor. It applied simply to that part of Asia Minor which was then in the possession of the Romans, and formed into the province of which Pergamos was the capital. Upon the establishment of the province of Asia there began a new series of coins struck at Pergamos, which continued into the 3rd century A.D. The magnificence of the city continued.

2. Religions:

There were beautiful temples to the four great gods Zeus, Dionysus, Athena and Asklepios. To the temple of the latter, invalids from all parts of Asia flocked, and there, while they were sleeping in the court, the god revealed to the priests and physicians by means of dreams the remedies which were necessary to heal their maladies. Thus opportunities of deception were numerous. There was a school of medicine in connection with the temple. Pergamos was chiefly a religious center of the province. A title which it bore was "Thrice Neokoros," meaning that in the city 3 temples had been built to the Roman emperors, in which the emperors were worshipped as gods. Smyrna, a rival city, was a commercial center, and as it increased in wealth, it gradually became the political center. Later, when it became the capital, Pergamos remained the religious center. As in many of the towns of Asia Minor, there were at Pergamos many Jews, and in 130 B.C. the people of the city passed a decree in their favor. Many of the Jews were more or less assimilated with the Greeks, even to the extent of bearing Greek names.

3. Christianity:

Christianity reached Pergamos early, for there one of the Seven Churches of the Book of Re stood, and there, according to Revelation 2:13, Antipas was marryred; he was the first Christian to be put to death by the Roman state. The same passage speaks of Pergamos as the place "where Satan's throne is," probably referring to the temples in which the Roman emperors were worshipped. During the Byzantine times Pergamos still continued as a religious center, for there a bishop lived. However, the town fell into the hands of the Seljuks in 1304, and in 1336 it was taken by Suleiman, the son of Orkhan, and became Turkish.

The modern name of the town, which is of considerable size, possessing 15 mosques, is Bergama, the Turkish corruption of the ancient name. One of its mosques is the early Byzantine church of Sophia. The modern town is built among the ruins of the ancient city, but is far less in extent. From 1879 to 1886 excavations among the ruins were conducted by Herr Humann at the expense of the German government. Among them are still to be seen the base of the altar of Zeus, the friezes of which are now in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin; theater, the agora, the gymnasium and several temples. In ancient times the city was noted for its ointments, pottery and parchment; at present the chief articles of trade are cotton, wool, opium, valonia, and leather.

E. J. Banks

4010. Pergamos -- Pergamum, a city of Mysia
... 4009, 4010. Pergamos. 4011 . ... Pergamum. From purgos; fortified; Pergamus, a place
in Asia Minor -- Pergamos. see GREEK purgos. (pergamon) -- 1 Occurrence. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4010.htm - 6k

4011. Perge -- Perga, a city of Pamphylia
... Word Origin probably from the same as Pergamos Definition Perga, a city of
Pamphylia NASB Word Usage Perga (3). Perga. ... see GREEK Pergamos. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4011.htm - 6k

5359. Philadelpheia -- Philadelphia, a city of Lydia
... Philadelphia. From Philadelphos (the same as philadelphos), a king of Pergamos;
Philadelphia, a place in Asia Minor -- Philadelphia. see GREEK philadelphos. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5359.htm - 6k

Pergamos
... PERGAMOS. In Pergamos we have the reference to Balaam, which will have
its counterpart in a yet future day. Through "the counsel ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bullinger/commentary on revelation/pergamos.htm

John's Salutation to the Churches.
... The seven churches to which John sends salutation, were those of Ephesus, Smyrna,
Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, 1:11. ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/johns salutation to the churches.htm

The Laodicean State of Christendom.
... vs.9). In the Epistle to the third church"Pergamos (Rev.2:12-17)"we find
the progress in evil is still more marked. The prophetic ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/3 the laodicean state of.htm

Epistles to the Seven Churches.
... Epistle to the Church in Pergamos. ... 19:12. Pergamos still contains a few
thousand inhabitants. Epistle to the Church in Thyatira. ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/epistles to the seven churches.htm

The Angels of the Seven Churches.
... He was instructed to write down what he saw, and to send it to the Seven Churches
in Asia, "unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira ...
//christianbookshelf.org/killen/the ancient church/chapter iv the angels of.htm

The People on the Earth: Chapters 2-3
... X 1 Ephesus. Israel's Epousals. 2 Smyrna. Israel's Testing. 3 Pergamos. Israel's
Failure. The Land. Y 4 Thyatira. ... 3. THE THIRD EPISTLE."PERGAMOS. (ii.12-17.). ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the people on the earth .htm

Paul's Journeys Acts 13:1-38:31
... Paul's Epistles tell us of the churches in Ephesus, Laodicea, and Colossae, and
the Apocalypse adds churches in Pergamos, Smyrna, Thyatira, Sardis, and ...
/.../sell/bible studies in the life of paul/ii pauls journeys acts 13 1-38 31.htm

Human Characters Determined Only by Divine Decision.
... of circumstances, the inhabitants, like the men of Sodom, "were sinners before the
Lord exceedingly." It might be justly stiled, like Pergamos, "The place ...
/.../sermons on various important subjects/sermon xv human characters determined.htm

The Church of God.
... But since there was a church or congregation of Christians at Antioch, also a church
at Corinth, at Thessalonica, Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis ...
//christianbookshelf.org/orr/the gospel day /chapter vii the church of.htm

Christ's Annunciation.
... like that of a trumpet, saying, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it to
the seven congregations, to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/christs annunciation.htm

Pergamos (1 Occurrence)
... The church of Pergamos was rebuked for swerving from the truth and embracing the
doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitanes. ...PERGAMOS; PERGAMUM. ...
/p/pergamos.htm - 12k

Pergamum (2 Occurrences)
...PERGAMOS; PERGAMUM. ... The books were of parchment which was here first used; hence,
the word "parchment," which is derived from the name of the town Pergamos. ...
/p/pergamum.htm - 12k

Asia (22 Occurrences)
... was a part. However, in that year, Attalus III (Philometer), king of Pergamos,
bequeathed his kingdom to the Roman Empire. It was ...
/a/asia.htm - 71k

Ephesus (20 Occurrences)
... Upon the death of Attalus II (Philadelphus), king of Pergamos, it was bequeathed
to the Roman Empire; and in 190, when the Roman province of Asia was formed ...
/e/ephesus.htm - 24k

Perga (3 Occurrences)

/p/perga.htm - 10k

Nicolaitanes (2 Occurrences)
... The church at Ephesus (Revelation 2:6) is commended for hating the "deeds" of the
Nicolaitanes, and the church of Pergamos is blamed for having them who hold ...
/n/nicolaitanes.htm - 7k

Lydia (5 Occurrences)
... After the death of Alexander its possession was claimed by the kings both of Pergamos
and of Seleucia, but in 190 BC it became the undisputed possession of the ...
/l/lydia.htm - 12k

Thyatira (4 Occurrences)
... It stood on none of the Greek trade routes, but upon the lesser road between Pergamos
and Sardis, and derived its wealth from the Lycus valley in which it ...
/t/thyatira.htm - 12k

Edges (28 Occurrences)
... Revelation 2:12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things
saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; (KJV WBS). ...
/e/edges.htm - 14k

Parchment
... Easton's Bible Dictionary A skin prepared for writing on; so called from Pergamos
(qv), where this was first done (2 Timothy 4:13). Noah Webster's Dictionary. ...
/p/parchment.htm - 8k

What was Jesus' message to the church in Pergamum in Revelation? | GotQuestions.org

Does salvation affect more than just the afterlife? | GotQuestions.org

Who are the Nicolaitans mentioned in Revelation 2:6, 14-15? | GotQuestions.org

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