Notice the Lord’s commendation of the church at Pergamos (from which we get our word parchment). He recognizes their peculiar dangers and their difficulties—where Satan’s seat is. It was an honorable thing to have held fast Christ’s name under such circumstances. To hold fast his name is to be loyal to him in all circumstances. Not to deny his faith is to hold fast to the essential facts and doctrines of primitive Christianity, undeterred by the blandishments or threats of the world.

For the doctrine of Balaam, we must turn to Numbers, chapters 22-24, and then specially to 25:1 and 31:16. Balaam had failed to curse, but though he had thereby forfeited his prestige and payment, he won them back by advising Balak to corrupt the morals of Israel and so break their union with Jehovah. The Nicolaitans apparently promulgated similar tenets, and in their proud and wealthy city were prepared to admit orthodoxy of doctrine so long as it was combined with laxity of morals. But Christ cannot for a moment tolerate such a conjunction. His judgment sword must vindicate the purity of his Church.

Revelation 2: 18-29. Note that Jesus does not hesitate to appropriate the sublime title—the Son of God. His eyes penetrate profoundest secrets, and his advent leaves a trail of purity like fire behind him. He recognizes the many good qualities of his church at Thyatira, but accuses her of having raised no protest against the woman Jezebel. She had actually permitted the promulgation of soul-destroying error, with most disastrous results.

This Jezebel apparently taught that there were deep philosophies in the heathen system around them, and the result was that the professing servants of Christ were led into complicity with the outward corruption of heathendom. An evident attempt was being made to graft on to Christianity the mysteries of darkness, which were in direct antagonism to the purity of the teachings of Christ.

Notice the contrast between her works and my works, vs. 22 and 26. The saints who are true to Christ shall be associated with him in his Kingdom, but best. of all they are made to possess the Morning Star, that is, they now stand with their Lord in the dawn of a new era. Already the day has dawned and the Day Star has arisen in their hearts, 2 Pet. 1:19.

Revelation 3: 1-6. In other addresses to the churches our Lord began with commendation, but no such word is here. He is described in the fulness of his glorious nature, but this chwrch is full of unfulfilled works. What a striking phrase and how true! We begin and do not finish, skirt the edges but do not penetrate to the heart, are superficial and fragmentary. How few can say with the Master, “I have finished the work’; and of how few it can be said, as by Paul of the Baptist, “He fulfilled his course”! Acts 13: 25.

There are four evidences of spiritual life. In a living church there will be growth, compassion, unity, and love; and the Lord missed all these and bitterly lamented their absence. Of what use was the fig tree to abate his hunger, when it bore leaves but no fruit? Amid all this disappointing formalism, there were a few live souls who fulfilled their works and did not defile their robes. Does not this suggest the Transfiguration? On the holy mount, the homely garments of Jesus shone with light; and so the inner purity of the saint shines through and glorifies his simplest acts. The holiness we love in this life shall be rewarded by the white robes, Christ’s acknowledgment, and the deeds of heavenly citizenship.