“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.”
(Revelation 2:12–16 NIV)
Jesus praises the church in Pergamum for staying strong in faith, but He also gives them a serious warning. Some people in the church were following wrong teachings and living in sinful ways. Jesus tells them they must repent—turn away from these sins—or He will come and judge them Jesus Fully God and Fully Man.
A Different Challenge Than Smyrna
This church was very different from the church in Smyrna. Smyrna was being persecuted—they suffered for their faith. Pergamum, on the other hand, was being tempted and corrupted.
The devil uses two main tactics:
Persecution, to scare and harm believers
Temptation, to lead them away from God with false teaching and sinful pleasures
In Pergamum, Satan was using temptation, not violence. This made it harder for the church to see the danger Ephesus Sightseeing.
The Problem Wrong Beliefs and Sinful Behavior
Some people in the church were following the teachings of Balaam. In the Old Testament, Balaam told King Balak how to tempt the Israelites into sin. They ended up eating food offered to idols and practicing sexual immorality.
Others in Pergamum were following the ways of the Nicolaitans, a group that taught Christians they could mix sin with faith. Jesus strongly warns against this.
The Sword of Jesus: God’s Word
Jesus says He is the one with the sharp, double-edged sword. This is a symbol of God’s Word. It’s powerful and cuts both ways—it affects the mind and the heart.
It helps us think clearly and see the truth
It also touches our hearts, making us feel sorrow for sin and the desire to change
On the Day of Pentecost, after Peter preached, the people were “cut to the heart” and asked, “What should we do?” (Acts 2:37). That’s the power of God’s Word—it leads to real change.
