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Pergamum: The Flexitarian Church

by Stephen Davey

Have you ever heard of the flexitarian diet? The Associated Press wrote a story many years ago about a group of people who followed a vegetarian diet but with one really significant twist—they still ate meat! 

One lady said, “I really like vegetarian food, but I’m just not 100 percent committed. … I really like sausage.” 

Personally, I’m not offended by anyone who struggles to be committed to a vegetarian diet—I certainly wouldn’t want to live without a good hamburger! It is rather amusing, though, that people want to call themselves “vegetarian” without seriously committing to the lifestyle required. 

I find it much less amusing and much more offensive when people treat Christianity with the same flexible attitude. Far too many Christians—including some church pastors and denominational leaders—promote a highly flexitarian faith. Read these advertisements from some churches in America: 

“There is no fire and brimstone here. No Bible-thumping. Just practical, witty messages.” 

“You won’t hear people threatened with hell or referred to as sinners.” 

“The sermons are relevant, upbeat and best of all, short. You won’t hear a lot of preaching about sin.” 

This is what many people want: wit, not wisdom; they want relevance, not repentance; they want upbeat, not uncompromising. They want short, but definitely not sanctifying. 

Many people self-identify as “Christian” and some are even elevated to high levels of church leadership without demonstrating biblical literacy or godly character. They are the ones Jesus described as “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” exploiting Christianity for personal gain, political power, or cultural relevance, and their behavior is an offense to God and should be an offense to genuine Christians. 

If I could identify a single theme in Jesus’ letter to the church at Pergamum, the next in His seven letters to the churches found in Revelation, it would be this: Fighting Flexitarianism in the Faith. 

Jesus begins this letter with some important context. Before we judge this church too harshly, Jesus wants us to know that they dwell “where Satan’s throne is” (Revelation 2:13). 

This is likely either a reference to the massive temple of Zeus in Pergamum, or a reference to this region’s worship of Asclepius, a god symbolized by a snake. 

In other words, the Pergamum church existed in a remarkably pagan culture. That’s not an excuse for the corrections they will face later on, but it is a helpful explanation that it is always easier to compromise when external cultural pressure exists. And we are beginning to see that here in America on issues like female pastors and LGBT inclusion in churches. 

And secondly, Jesus wants us to know that Pergamum’s compromise was not about the deity of Jesus or the sufficiency of His atonement. Jesus tells them through the apostle John, “You hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith …” (Revelation 2:13). 

While this church was flexible with their faith in some ways, on this foundational issue the church remained steadfast and faithful. 

So in what area was this church compromising? Jesus tells them, “You have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Barak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might … practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.” 

If you weren’t following The Wisdom Journey when we studied Balaam, or need a refresher, Balaam is most famous for conversing with his donkey as he traveled to Balak, king of Moab, in order to curse Israel. God intervened and Balaam blessed Israel instead. 

Later on, Balaam did give King Barak advice on how to bring down Israel, and his advice was to sexually entice Israelite men with Moabite women. 

The Nicolaitans taught that sexually immorality was actually a matter of Christian liberty. They believed that because God created sexual activity, it could be enjoyed in almost any context. They saw no contradiction between being a Christian and attending the pagan orgies there in Pergamum. 

Essentially, the church was being far too flexible regarding sexual purity. Jesus is telling them, “You have people in your church who are teaching a sexual ethic that is contrary to godliness. You need to step up and return your church to purity.” 

Do not be surprised by temptation to compromise. 

If the first century church could be influenced by a culture of sexual immorality, we aren’t immune from this temptation today. Our culture flaunts sexual immorality as virtue. You will be tempted; your children will be tempted; your church will be tempted to not take sexual sin seriously. Anticipate this reality; and ask God to prepare you. 

Do not be naïve in the face of temptation. 

Satan wins when we don’t take sexual temptation seriously or think that won’t happen to me. Satan wants to catch us unawares on the internet late at night or alone in that conference room with a flirtatious coworker. Detect temptation; make sure you are prepared to face it in advance, not in the moment. 

Do not negotiate with temptation. 

“Just this once,” “No one is watching,” “I’ll just ask for forgiveness later,” “This is the last time.” These are just a few of the ways we try to negotiate with our sin every single day. Let’s be honest: we are all tempted to be flexible with our sexual purity. But God calls us to faithfulness. 

Let’s ensure that on matters where the Bible’s teaching is clear, we are defined not by our flexibility but by our faithfulness. 

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Comments

Irma Wanitschkr says:
I hunger for good sound teaching that I grew up with I saw the church slipping many years ago I am sick of the things I hear and see that come from professing Christian’s Mainly lying that is called freedom of speech Now we are told there will be no fact checking in this new administration I am sick of what is going on and promoted by people that call themselves Christians Where has the truth been silenced and lies become the Truth Love your teaching it gives me hope