Returning to the Orthodoxy of the Church
Message Four
The Church in Pergamos
Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
And to the messenger of the church in Pergamos write: These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword， I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is……I have a few things against you, that you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, In the same way you also have some who hold in like manner the teaching of the Nicolaitans—Rev. 2:12-15.
……To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna, and to him I will give a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knows except him who receives it—v. 17.
Word of Appetizer
As a sign, the church in Pergamos prefigures the church that entered into a marriage union with the world and became a high fortified tower; Why did the church marry to the world?
When Satan failed to destroy the church through the persecution of the Roman Empire in the first three centuries, he changed his strategy. He sought instead to corrupt her throughConstantine’s welcoming her as the state religion in the first part of the fourth century. Through Constantine’s encouragement and political influence, multitudes of unbelieving ones were baptized into the “church,” and the “church” became monstrously great.
Spiritual Burden
The church in Pergamos prefigures the church that entered into a marriage union with the world and became a high fortified tower; We must absolutely come out of this evil system and be separated to God, returning to the orthodoxy of the church so that the church can be a golden lampstand, having nothing to do with worldliness, idolatry, or Satan’s saturation.
We should not be joined to the world, we should be incorporated into the New Jerusalem by eating Christ as the hidden manna.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
In Greek Pergamos means “marriage,” implying union, and “fortified tower”.
The worldly and degraded church holds not only the teaching of Balaam but alsothe teaching of the Nicolaitans.
“To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna, and to him I will give a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knows except him who receives it”.
The Experience of Life
The more we eat Christ, the more we are incorporated into the New Jerusalem, the ultimate tabernacle of God, as a universal incorporation.
Enjoying Christ as the hidden manna produces transformation: if we eat the hidden manna, we will be transformed into white stones for God’s building.
Practice and Application
We need the spirit of martyrdom（Witnesses are martyrs），to testify against the worldly church, stood against all that the worldly church brought in and practiced.
We can pray, “Lord, I agree with Your promise. From now on, I shall eat You in a hidden way and be transformed to become a stone for Your building”.
Using Key Verses to Have a Bird’s-Eye View over the Whole Outline
Key Verses (1)
And to the messenger of the church in Pergamos write: These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword， I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name and have not denied My faith, even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells—Rev. 2:12-13.
I. In Greek Pergamos means “marriage,” implying union, and “fortified tower”
• As a sign, the church in Pergamos prefigures the church that entered into a marriage union with the world and became a high fortified tower.
• Satan’s throne is in the world, the place where he dwells and the sphere of his reign.
• Instead of dwelling where Satan dwells, we need to dwell in our spirit and in Christ.
• Since the church is a spouse to Christ as a chaste bride, her union with the world is considered spiritual fornication in the eyes of God.
• Antipas, as a faithful witness, bore an anti-testimony, a testimony against anything that deviated from the testimony of Jesus.
Key Verses (2)
But I have a few things against you, that you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat idol sacrifices and to commit fornication. In the same way you also have some who hold in like manner the teaching of the Nicolaitans—Rev.2:14-15.
II. The worldly and degraded church holds not only the teaching of Balaam but also the Teaching of the Nicolaitans
• Balaam was a Gentile prophet who for wages enticed God’s people into fornication and idolatry; in the worldly church some began to teach such things; idolatry always brings in fornication.
• The teaching of Balaam distracts believers from the person of Christ to idolatry and from the enjoyment of Christ to spiritual fornication, whereas the teaching of the Nicolaitans destroys the function of the believers as members of the Body of Christ.
•First, the Nicolaitans practiced the hierarchy in the initial church; then they taught it in the degraded church.
Key Verses (3)
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna, and to him I will give a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knows except him who receives it—Rev. 2:17.
III. “To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna, and to him I will give a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written
• We need to eat the hidden manna in order to be incorporated into the New Jerusalem as the tabernacle of God.
• Enjoying Christ as the hidden manna produces transformation.
•Every transformed believer as a white stone bears a new name, which no one knows except him who receives it.
•We can pray, “Lord, I agree with Your promise. From now on, I shall eat You in a hidden way and be transformed to become a stone for Your building.
Prophesying Topics—Twelve Topics per Week
D1
T1 In Greek Pergamos means “marriage,” and “fortified tower” (Matt. 13:31-32, 33)
(Please explain that the church in Pergamos correspond to the parable of the great tree and the parable of the leaven in Matthew 13.)
T2 It is better to suffer persecution than to receive a warm welcome (Luke 6:26)
(Please explain that whenever people extend us a warm welcome, that is a most dangerous time.)
D2
T1 This welcoming of the church by the Roman Empire ruined the church (John 14:30)
(In the early part of fourth century, Constantine the Great accepted Christianity. Please explain what its influence upon the church is.)
T2 The church must have no connections with the world (2 Cor. 11:2)
(Why the church’s union with the world is considered spiritual fornication in the eyes of God?)
D3
T1 No one can serve two masters (Matt. 6:24)
(Why cannot we serve God and mammon?)
T2 In Greek, the name Antipas means “against all.” (Rev. 2:13)
(Please describe what kind of people Antipas the faithful witness of the Lord is.)
D4
T1 The teaching of Balaam distracts believers from the Person of Christ (Rev. 2:14)
(Please explain that what the error of Balaam is.)
T2 The teaching of the Nicolaitans destroys the Body of Christ (Rev. 2:15)
(Why does the Lord hate the Nicolaitan hierarchy?)
D5
T1 Manna is a type of Christ as the heavenly food for God’s people (Rev. 2:17)
(Please explain what the difference between the open manna and the hidden manna is.)
T2 To eat the hidden manna is to be incorporated into the tabernacle (John 14:20)
(Please explain that Christ as the hidden manna is the center of the tabernacle.)
D6
T1 Enjoying Christ as the hidden manna produces transformation (Rev. 2:17)
(Please explain that if we eat the hidden manna, we shall be transformed into white stones for God’s building.)
T2 The building of the church depends upon our transformation (1 Cor. 3:12)
(Please use your experience to explain that our transformation issues from the enjoyment of Christ as our life supply.)
