Season 3 Podcast 35 Letters of John to the Seven Churches Pt III Pergamos 1 Hidden Manna

Hidden MannaWelcome to season three of ‘A New Voice of Freedom.’  The Podcasts are taken from the four volumes ‘In Defense of Christianity’ written by Ronald Keith Messer. Podcast 35 is entitled “Letters of John to the Seven Churches Pt III Pergamos 1 Hidden Manna” In the Book of Revelation, John writes seven letters to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.   The letter to Pergamos is the third letter. The letters follow a similar format. Four things are listed related to the churches: virtues, vices, warning, and conditional blessing. It is the Savior who dictates the letters to John. Each introduction defines an attribute of Christ“12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges.”Notice that the sword has two attributes. It is sharp and it has two edges. The sword obviously refers to ‘The Word of God” rather than an actual sword for it is introduced with the phrase “These things saith he which hath the sharp sword.” The image brings to mind the adage, ‘the pen is mightier than the sword.’ In this case it could be that the Word of God is sharper that the two edged sword. It is a familiar image in the Bible.King David wrote:6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord. (Psalm 149:6-9)  Isaiah said,“2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword” (Isaiah 49:2)Paul said,“17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” (Ephesians 6:17) “12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)At the time of writing the letters, John is a prisoner on the Isle of Patmos.  Persecution is increasing. The seven churches are located in Asia Minor, what is now modern-day Turkey. The Churches are in the middle of idol worshiping cities which worship the many gods of Rome, the main ones being Apollo and Caesar himself. The Christians in Asia Minor are relatively new coverts. Since the strange vision of the Apostle Peter, the gospel is rapidly being spread among the gentiles, and circumstances are very challenging.  The first thing the letter does is to praise the saints of the church of Pergamos for their many virtues. We learn that Pergamos is a very wicked city.“13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.”Obviously, the saints of Pergamos have very powerful faith, equal to the opposition. However, they are far from perfect and are subject to the temptations that come from idol worship.