It Starts Small

There is no mention in Acts of the church of Pergamum. Paul describes his journey through the area, but there is no specific mention of him starting this church.

Pergamum was located approximately forty miles northeast of Smyrna. It was along the imperial highway running the coast of Asia. It lay fifteen miles from the Aegean coast and along the banks of the Caius river. The city was built by the Aeolian Greeks after the fall of Troy. This makes it an ancient city of Asia. Ephesus, Smyrna and Pergamum were ancient rivals.

The city was named for its hill on which it was built. The name means tower, height or elevation and carries the idea of exaltation. The name also indicates a union through marriage. This city was considered an impregnable stronghold because an immense rock rising one thousand feet abruptly out of the broad and fertile valley. The walls were almost perpendicular, except on one side, where there was a steep and narrow passageway to the top. This city was easily fortified and guarded.

This city was called the most illustrious city of Asia. It prided its self as being the education center of all of Asia. It has been said that the poet Homer and Herodotus resided in the city because it held the second largest library known to man. This library boasted more than 200,000 volumes of history and literature. Its only rival was the library in Alexandria. There was a long bitter rival between these cities. To stop the growth of the library in Pergamum, the Egyptians would delay or withhold shipments of papyrus paper. So they would have to write on the skins of animals instead. This is where we get parchment paper from. This rivalry ended when Alexander removed the library and took it to Alexandria as a gift to Cleopatra.

For 250 years, while Roman essentially ruled the world, it was the official capital of the providence. All decrees by Caesar was executed from this city. This city also held the seat of the Roman supreme court. Prisoners from all over the providence were sent here to stand trial. Often, they were sent to Smyrna for capital punishment.

This city was full of heathen temples and altars of pagan deities. It has been said that Jupiter originated from this city. There were many beautiful and costly temples erected in honor of these pagan deities. It was given the name of the city of temples. It held temples for Jupiter, Zeus, Athena, Dionysius, and Aesculapius. This city was the center of emperor worship. A great temple was built to worship Augustus Caesar, who was the be prayed to as the Lord Caesar. Domitian decreed that all people should address him as “lord” or “our god”.

The temple of Zeus was the most celebrate pagan deity. The temple was dedicated to Aesculapius. This pagan deity was known as the serpent god or healing god. This temple was known as the temple of great healing and the savior. Can you see how Satan used this pagan worship to counterfeit Christ? This temple kept a living serpent and worshipped it. Many of the ancient coins had a symbol of a snake on a pole. We also see it today as the caduceus of the medical profession. In connection to the temple was a school of medicine.

Cyrus captured the city of Babylon, the ancient seat of Satan’s counterfeit system of religion, the supreme pontiff of the Chaldean mysteries and his priests fled Babylon and made their residence in Pergamum. The re-established their Babylonian worship. When Attalus III died, he turned his royalty and priestly offices over to the Romans. A century later, Caesar became emperor and Pontifex Maximus of religion. Later the duties were passed down to the popes of the catholic religion. The papal system is patterned after Babylonia and Rome.

Jesus recognized the evil environment the believers were living in. Even though they they were in such close proximity to Satan, there was no excuse for failure or defeat, for “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”

Another aspect pf Pergamum to consider is it’s other name meaning: marriage. The Greek word gamos means marriage. During the church’s history, Satan had failed to crush the church and destroy believers through persecution and changed his tactic. During the history of the church, it was exalted to royal power and kingly authority through a union, or marriage, with the state. When Satan failed through violence, he corrupted the church through a worldly alliance. Through Constantine, the church mounted the throne of the Caesars and reigned as queen. Through this “marriage,” popes replace Caesars.