ACC ~ Revelation 2 v12 - 17

OVERVIEW:

“Pergamum” refers to the divine judgment by the “two-edged sword” which distinguishes between the faithful and the unfaithful (ANDREW OF CAESAREA, BEDE). Here Christ speaks to every church, for the devil everywhere works temptation and wickedness (TYCONIUS). Christ praises this church for its steadfastness, exemplified in the martyrdom of Antipas (ANDREW OF CAESAREA). But Christ is everywhere killed by sin and unbelief (TYCONIUS). Yet, he also blames this church, for she has within her some who follow the teachings of Balaam. Through this heresy the devil induces some to be devoured by pleasure and causes the church to be destroyed and scattered (APRINGIUS, ANDREW OF CAESAREA). Through the teachings of Balaam the Nicolaitans promote a spiritual fornication and pagan ideas (TYCONIUS, BEDE). Nonetheless, the Lord encourages these heretics to repent, lest they be judged by the divine law (PRIMASIUS). To be restored to the church, however, they do not require another baptism (JEROME). Those who conquer the devil will receive immortality (VICTORINUS), which comes through the incarnate Bread from heaven (TYCONIUS), who now offers himself to us in the Eucharist (ANDREW OF CAESAREA, TYCONIUS). They will also receive the adoption of sonship and the name of Christian (VICTORINUS) and the knowledge of the Son of man (CAESARIUS OF ARLES).

2:12a | Write to the Angel of the Church in Pergamum

CHRISTIANS STRONG IN FAITH RETAIN THE GIFTS OF BAPTISM. VICTORINUS OF PETOVIUM: The third class of saints are persons who are strong in the faith and are not frightened by persecution. But since there are even among them some who are inclined toward illicit indulgences, he says, “I will fight with them by the sword of my mouth,” that is, “I will say what I will command, and I will tell you what you are to do.” For there are some “who have taught the doctrine of Balaam and have placed a stone of stumbling before the eyes of the sons of Israel, to eat what is sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication.” And this was known a long time ago. For he gave this advice to the king of the Moabites that in this way he had scandalized the people. “So,” he says, “you have some among you who hold to this teaching,” and under the pretext of mercy you corrupt others. “Whoever conquers,” he says, “I will give to him from the hidden manna.” The “hidden manna” is immortality. The “white stone” is the adoption as a son of God. The “new name” is that of Christian. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2.3.

GOD DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN THE JUST AND THE SINNER. BEDE: “Pergamum” may be rendered “dividing their horns,” for by his judgment he distinguishes between the virtue of the faithful and the deceit of the Nicolaitans, so that the horns of the sinners may be broken and the horns of the just one may be exalted. EXPLANATION OF THE APOCALYPSE 2.12.

2:12b | The Two-Edged Sword

THE SWORD SEPARATES FAITHFUL AND UNFAITHFUL. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: The city to which this is said was given to idolatry, but he is expressing approval of those in it who remained faithful through the endurance of trials. The “two-edged sword” is either the word of the gospel, which cuts the heart and separates the faithful from the unfaithful, or it is the relentless judgment against the impious. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2.12-13.

2:13a | Satan’s Throne

SATAN RULES WHEREVER THERE IS EVIL. TYCONIUS: “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.” This he says to every church, since the tempter is everywhere, and to him it is said, “She shall watch your head, and you shall watch for her heel.” “For the world is placed in evil.” Those persons are the throne of Satan whom he owns in wickedness. The Evangelist reverts to the species, for although the entire sevenfold church is symbolized by these seven locales, nonetheless certain things have occurred in them specifically which he either praises or rebukes. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2.13.

2:13b | You Did Not Deny

THE MARTYR RECALLS THE ENDURANCE OF FAITH. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: Antipas was a most courageous martyr in Pergamum, whose martyrdom I have read. Here the Evangelist recalls his memory as a demonstration of their endurance, as well as of the cruelty of those who were deceived. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2.13.

CHRIST IS MARTYRED BY UNBELIEF AND SIN. TYCONIUS: “You hold my name and you did not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you.” Indeed, Christ is killed among many, who either do not believe that he rose again, or who deny him among themselves through condemnable faults, and this is “where Satan dwells.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2.13.

2:14 | The Teaching of Balaam

HERESY DESTROYS A PEOPLE. APRINGIUS OF BEJA: Nevertheless, the Lord has something against this church because there are some who “hold the teaching of Balaam,” which is interpreted “without people” or “without property.” For Balaam is a type of the adversary who does not gather a people for salvation, nor does he rejoice in the number of the multitude that is being saved. Rather, as long as he destroys all and remains without a people and without any property, then he rejoices. It is he himself who “taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel.” For Balak is interpreted to mean “throwing down” or “devouring.” He has thrown Israel down so that it might be consecrated to the idol, Phogor, and he has devoured them by the eating of pleasure and luxury. TRACTATE ON THE APOCALYPSE 2.14.

THE DEVIL SOWS HERESY THROUGH PLEASURE. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: It seems that this city had two evils. There were a good number of Greeks, and among those regarded as faithful the shameful Nicolaitans were sown as evil weeds among the wheat. And therefore he reminds them of Balaam, saying, “who through Balaam taught Balak.” Through these words it is clear that he refers to the mental Balaam, that is, the devil, who through the sensual Balaam taught Balak to throw a stone of stumbling before the Israelites, namely, to sacrifice to idols and to commit fornication. Through the pleasure of this heresy, they fell so low that they offered sacrifices to Beelphegor. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2.14-15.

IDOLATRY IS A FORNICATION OF THE SPIRIT. TYCONIUS: “But I have a few things against you.” To be sure, he speaks against some members who must be blamed, but not against those to whom he says, “But you did not deny my faith. You have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat food sacrificed to idols and to practice immorality.” To eat and to commit fornication are the two principle forms [of sin] that the hypocrites struggle to enjoy, as the Lord says, “Inside you are full of plunder and incontinence and every iniquity.” Idolatry is spiritual fornication. “You have lost,” it says, “all who go whoring from you.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2.14.

2:15 | The Teaching of the Nicolaitans

THE NICOLAITANS WERE PROMISCUOUS AND HAD PAGAN IDEAS. BEDE: The Nicolaitans receive their name from the deacon, Nicolaus, of whom Clement reports that, when he was reproached for jealousy of his very beautiful wife, he responded that whoever wanted might take her as wife. On account of this, the faithless taught that the apostles had permitted to everyone a promiscuous and communal intercourse with women. In addition, the Nicolaitans are said to have proclaimed certain fabulous and virtually pagan ideas concerning the beginning of the world and not to have kept their foods separate from those which had been offered to idols. EXPLANATION OF THE APOCALYPSE 2.16.

2:16 | Repent!

HERETICS NEED ONLY TO REPENT. JEROME: Let us show from the Apocalypse that repentance unaccompanied by baptism ought to be allowed valid in the case of heretics. It is imputed to the angel of Ephesus that he has forsaken his first love. In the angel of the church of Pergamum the eating of idol sacrifices is censured, and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. Likewise the angel of Thyatira is rebuked on account of Jezebel the prophetess, and the idol meats, and fornication. And yet the Lord encourages all these to repent and adds a threat, moreover, of future punishment if they do not turn. Now he would not urge them to repent unless he intended to grant pardon to the penitents. Is there any indication of his having said, Let them be rebaptized who have been baptized in the faith of the Nicolaitans? Or let hands be laid upon those of the people of Pergamum who at that time believed, having held the doctrine of Balaam? No, rather, “Repent therefore,” he says, “or else I come to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.” DIALOGUE AGAINST THE LUCIFERIANS 24.

THE COMMANDMENTS WILL JUDGE THE CONTEMPTUOUS. PRIMASIUS: “You also have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent then. If not, I will come to you soon and war against you with the sword of my mouth.” He speaks of a sword. … The sword is the commandments of both Testaments by which the contemptuous are spiritually overcome. “For those who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2.16.

2:17 | Hidden Manna and a White Stone

THE GLORY OF VICTORY CANNOT NOW BE DESCRIBED. OECUMENIUS: “And I will give to him a white stone,” that is, a stone indicating victory and bright with glory, “and upon the stone a new name which no one knows except him who receives it.” For it is said, “What eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has come into the heart of man, that has God prepared for those who love him.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2.12-17.

THE BREAD FROM HEAVEN. TYCONIUS: “To him who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna.” This manna is the invisible Bread which came down from heaven, which indeed was made man, so that “man might eat the bread of angels.” And the figure of this was indicated beforehand in the manna given in the desert. Whoever ate of that bread were said by the Lord to have died, because remaining faithless, they did not eat of this hidden and uniquely spiritual manna by which [Christ] offers immortality to the faithful. For he said, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you will not have eternal life in you.” For, indeed, whoever at that time was able to eat spiritually, they were worthy to obtain the same immortality, as were Moses and others. As the apostle teaches, “They ate the same spiritual food.” For the visible manna was in no way detrimental to those who used the bodily food in a spiritual manner. So also now, the spiritual manna of the Lord’s body does not profit persons in the present if they receive it unworthily, for “they eat and drink judgment upon themselves.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2.17.

THE NAME CHRISTIAN MARKS BAPTISM AND MARTYRDOM. PRIMASIUS: “And I will give him a white stone,” that is, the adoption of the sons of God. This stone is a precious gem and may be understood as similar to that pearl that the merchant found and valued as equal to all his possessions which he sold. Another translation renders this as “pearl.” “And upon the stone is a new name,” that is, the name of Christian, for which reason we read, “And you shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord will give.” And besides baptism I mention also martyrdom, “which no one knows except him who receives it.” Although hypocrites seem to bear the name superficially, they are unable to enter the power of its meaning, “having the form of religion but denying the power of it.” Therefore, the same John says, “He who says that he knows him but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2.17.

REVELATION ONLY GIVES KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF MAN. CAESARIUS OF ARLES: “And I shall give to him a white stone,” that is, the body made white by baptism. “And on the stone is written a new name,” that is, the knowledge of the Son of man. “Which no one knows except him who receives it.” That is, no one knows it except through revelation, and for that reason it is said of the Jews, “For had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 2.17, HOMILY 2.

THE BLESSINGS OF VICTORY. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: The “hidden manna” is “the Bread of Life” which came down from heaven for us and became edible. Figuratively, those good things are also called “manna” which are in the future going to come down from heaven, from where comes also the “new Jerusalem.” Those who conquer the devil shall obtain these things. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2.17.