Compromise: Daily Thoughts from Revelation (Revelation 2:12-17)

A Church of England church in London held a joint birthday celebration for Jesus and Mohammed. The “Milad, Advent and Christmas Celebration” took place on Sunday at All Saints Church in Kingston upon Thames. The hour-long service included time for Islamic prayer and was followed by the cutting of a birthday cake. Earlier the same year, a passage from the Koran denying that Jesus is the Son of God was read during a service at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Glasgow. The passage claims that Mary was “ashamed” after giving birth and that Jesus spoke to her from his crib. The Reverend Dr. Gavin Ashenden, then chaplain to the Queen, referred to the reading as “blasphemy”, saying: “There are other and considerably better ways to build ‘bridges of understanding’”. [https://billmuehlenberg.com/2017/12/12/compromised-churches-denying-uniqueness-christ/]

Jesus warns churches of the danger of compromising with the world.

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.  “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’ ” (Revelation 2:12-17 ESV)

Jesus identifies himself as the one with the two-edged sword coming from his mouth.  This is a picture of judgment and it is applied to this church if they do not deal with the false teachings and teachers in their midst.  They have succumbed to those who allow idolatry and immorality among believers.  We don’t know exactly what these people were teaching, but like Israel in the wilderness who succumbed to Balaam’s strategy of temptation, they are tolerated and are tempting the faithful.  We don’t know what the Nicolaitans taught.

If there is repentance from this toleration of false teaching and immorality, Jesus will not have to judge.  The one who is faithful will be provided with hidden provisions of spiritual nourishment and honored with a victor’s stone with a unique name for him or her on it. In the judgment, they will be rewarded.

The promise of such judgment indicates that Jesus sees among the churches those who are true and those who are not true believers.  Judgment must come to the latter and to the church that harbors their falsehood.  But there are also believers who fall into temptation who must be restored.  Judgment will not come to them.  They will repent, they will listen to what the Spirit says, and they will conquer.

The end for believers who follow Jesus, who love him and stand for his truth, will be his unique honor of them in the coming kingdom.