The Apocalypse of St. John by Rev. E. Sylvester Berry [1921]

[Stone]

TO THE CHURCH OF PERGAMUS 

CHAPTER II 

12. And to the angel of the church of Pergamus write: These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword:

13. I know where thou dwellest, where the seat of Satan is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith. Even in those days when Antipas was my faithful witness, who was slain amongst you where Satan dwelleth.

14. But I have against thee a few things: because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat and to commit fornication.

15. So thou hast also them that hold the doctrines of the Nicolaites.

l6. In like manner do penance: or else I will come to thee quickly and will fight against thee with the sword of my mouth.

17. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, I will give the hidden manna, and will give him a white counter, and in the counter, a new name written, which no man knoweth, but he that receiveth it.



12. Pergamus, one of the most magnificent cities of ancient times, was located on the River Caicue about fifteen miles from the sea and sixty miles north of Smyrna. It seems that paganism was deeply rooted at Pergamus. Tacitus mentions its famous temple to Aesculapius, the god of medicine.1 There was also a number of the im moral Nicolaites at Pergamus. Persecution had already broken out there in the time of St. John. At least one Christian had valiantly met death for his Faith. In later times Pergamus gave other martyrs for Christ. Eusebius mentions Carpus, Papylus and Agathonice who were executed in March 250 A. D.2

Today the city is known as Bergama arid numbers about 20,000 inhabitants, mostly Turks and Greek schismatics. The ruins of three ancient churches were discovered in 1878-86. One of them had been a magnificent basilica dedicated to St. John. Gaius, to whom St. John addressed his third Epistle, is said to have been the first bishop of Pergamus. 3 If this be true, he was most probably the "angel to whom St. John now writes. 


13. Pergamus is called "Satan's Throne," on account of its deep-rooted paganism, its persecution of the Christians, and the immoralities of the Nicolaites. There may also be a reference to worship offered to the statue of the emperor. It seems that Pergamus was still the capital of proconsular Asia at that time. If so, it had a statue of the emperor to which sacrifice must be offered under pain of death. This would account for the persecution in which Antipas suffered martyrdom.* 


14, 15. The bishop of Pergamus is praised for his zeal and constancy in the face of persecution. Yet there is some room for complaint. He has not been sufficiently energetic in rooting out the hated Nicolaite heresy. Some of his flock are holding this evil doctrine. On account of their immoral teachings and practices they are called disciples of Balaam, This is a reference to the Moabites who went among the Israelites at Balaam's suggestion to seduce them into idolatry and adultery.5 In like manner the Nicolaites are seducing the faithful into sin and error.


16. Unless those wicked ones do penance they shall be smitten with the two-edged sword which breaks the obstinate and confounds all sin and error. There may also be a reference here to the fate of the Moabites who had seduced the children of Israel.6


17. He who overcomes sin and error shall receive the hidden manna of eternal joy through union with Christ in heaven a union that begins on earth in the worthy reception of the Holy Eucharist. The same reward was promised to the bishop of Ephesus under the symbol of the tree of life. The eternal joys of heaven are also symbolized by a white pebble ("counter" in the Douay version) upon which a new name is written. It were useless to speculate on this name since Christ says "no man knoweth but he that receiveth it." It is probably the "new name" mentioned below in chapter xix, 12. 8 Why the joys of heaven should be symbolized by a white pebble is not known. Gigot says there is probably a reference to some use of a "white stone" familiar to St. John's readers, but unknown to us.*



(1) Tacitus "Annales" iii, 63.
(2) Eusebius, "Church History" iy xv, 48.
(3) Apostolic Constitutions vii, 46.
(4) Cf. below, onxiii, 17.
(5) Numbers xxxi, 16.
(6) Numbers xxxi, 17.
(7) See above, page 35.
(8) See below, onxix, 12.
(9) "The Apocalypse of St. John," Westminster version, page 6.