Pergamos

[Rev. 2:12] And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
[Pergamus, or rather, Pergamum, on the river Caicus. Pergamum, about fifty miles north of Smyrna, was a city that had many claims to distinction. Since the second century before Y’Shua it was the capital of the Roman province of Asia. It was capital of Attalus the Second's kingdom, which was bequeathed by him to the Romans, 133 B.C. Famous for its library, founded by Eumenes (197-159), and destroyed by Caliph Omar. Parchment, that is, Pergamena charta, was here discovered for book purposes and also famous for the magnificent temple of Esculapius, the healing idol, Annals, 3.63., Asclepius. Sanatoria were attached to the temples where the sick were laid in the hope that one of the sacred snakes would touch and heal them. The serpent was Asclepius’s symbol, and it is still depicted in the caduceus, the insignia of medical associations. To John, the serpent was a symbol of the personification of evil, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and satan.
Behind the city was a terraced hill on which stood an immense altar to Zeus. The altar stood on a huge platform surrounded by colonnades, and the whole structure looked like an enormous throne. On this platform animal sacrifices were burned twenty-four hours a day by a constantly changing team of priest. The overpowering smell of burning animal flesh permeated the air in Pergamum, and all day long a column of smoke could be seen from miles around, serving to keep the supremacy of Zeus ever in the public eye.] He which hath the sharp sword with two edges - appropriate to His address having a twofold bearing, a searching power so as to convict and convert some (v. 13,17), and to convict and condemn to punishment others (v. 14-16, especially v.16.]
[13] I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
[Exactly how much the people were involved into the pagan cults, such as Esculapius in Pergamos (Satan’s seat) is unknown, but obviously many had become polluted by such practices.
Hostility to the church was determined and more vicious in Pergamum than in many other towns. Martyr - There had been real persecution, and a believer named Antipas had been put to death in order to persuade the others to forsake their faith, and to discourage others from becoming believers.
Believers should not take part in sacrificial meals at pagan shrines. Most of the meat sold in the market came from temples, where it had been sacrificed to a idol – but only a token part was burnt on the altar, and the rest was sold. We do not know what sort of rules the churches in Asia followed. But it seems clear from the sternness of this message to Pergamum that believers there had adopted a life-style very similar to that of their environment.]
[14] But I have a few things against thee, 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 things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
[The similarity between the doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitans can be understood more when we realize that name Balaam is people, while the word Nicolaitans in the Greek was derived from the words nikan - meaning to conquer and lacos - meaning people. In other words these two names, one in Hebrew and one in Greek, carried the same idea. Hebrew history Balaam was a negative symbol of an evil man who let G-d’s people into immorality and sin. It appears Paul is mentioning the same idea to the Galatians 5:13 who had a tendency to take Messiahian liberty as an occasion for the flesh.]
[15] So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
[Thou - emphatic: "So THOU also hast," As Balak and the Moabites of old had Balaam and his followers literally, so hast thou also them that hold the same Balaamite or Nicolaitane doctrine spiritually or symbolically. Literal eating of idol-meats and fornication in Pergamos were accompanied by spiritual idolatry and fornication. "THOU also," as well as Ephesus in like manner" as Ephesus; hast . . . Nicolaitanes, with this important difference, Ephesus, as a Church, hates them and casts them out, but thou "hast them," namely, in the Church. Doctrine - teaching people to idolatry. Which thing I hate - It is sin not to hate what G-d hates. The Ephesian Church (v. 6) had this point of superiority to Pergamos. But the three oldest manuscripts, and Vulgate and Syriac, read instead of "which I hate,"]
[16] Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
[Adaptation to the non-Christian environment also involved an equally permissive attitude to the lax sexual morality of the Nicolaitans and the L-rd tells them to repent, otherwise they will be punished.
The three oldest manuscripts read, "Repent, therefore." Not only the Nicolaitanes, but the whole Church of Pergamos is called on to repent of not having hated the Nicolaitane teaching and practice. Contrast Paul, Acts 20:26. I will come - I am coming. Fight against them - Greek, "war with them"; with the Nicolaitanes primarily; but including also chastisement of the whole Church at Pergamos. With the sword of my mouth - resumed from 1:16, but with an allusion to the drawn sword with which the angel of the L-rd confronted Balaam on his way to curse Israel: an earnest of the sword by which he and the seduced Israelites fell at last. The spiritual Balaamites of John's day are to be smitten with the L-rd's spiritual sword, the word or "rod of His mouth."]