The Danger Within

The early church faced many challenges. Of course many of those came from outside forces. Religious authorities sought to suppress their message. Political powers sought to limit their influence and even used imprisonment and execution. Economic forces and social pressure were used to harass the church. When the gospel message threatened the economic order, those who had become enriched lashed out at the church. Those threats were all real and they all had an impact, but the message of the gospel spread on and could not be stopped. The greatest threats though, came not from outside the church but within.  Hypocrisy, immorality, corrupt leaders, and disunity all threatened the health of the church. A careful study of the New Testament will reveal that few threats occupied the apostles’ attention more than false teaching. Teachers would peddle a corrupt message often for personal gain, and new Christians who were not grounded in the message of the gospel were often easy targets of these unscrupulous profiteers. The greatest danger often arose from within.Such was the case in the ancient city of Pergamum.  The church in this beautiful capital city was the 3rd addressed by our Lord in the visions of Revelation. His warning to them stands as a warning to us. The danger lies within. Support the showFind us at! Calvary.us <- Website 💻Calvary.us <- Instagram 📱CalvaryChurchCLW <- Youtube 📹