Pergamum: Flirting with Idolatry

The third church that John is instructed to send a letter to is the one in Pergamum. Christ pictures Himself as the one who has the sharp two-edged sword. He praises them for living in a very difficult place and yet holding fast His name and not denying faith in Christ. The problem described regarding this church is that they were tolerating people in their fellowship who were following the teaching of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. The prescription for this church involves one command: Repent (change your thinking and thus your actions), or else Christ would come to them speedily and make war against them with the truth out of His mouth. His promise to them was threefold - he would give them: of the hidden manna, a white stone and a new name written on the stone