2:12 「你要寫信給別迦摩教會的使者,說:『那有兩刃利劍的,說:
2:13 我知道你的居所,就是有撒但座位之處;當我忠心的見證人安提帕在你們中間、撒但所住的地方被殺之時,你還堅守我的名,沒有棄絕我的道。
2:14 然而,有幾件事我要責備你:因為在你那裡有人服從了巴蘭的教訓;這巴蘭曾教導巴勒將絆腳石放在以色列人面前,叫他們吃祭偶像之物,行姦淫的事。
2:15 你那裡也有人照樣服從了尼哥拉一黨人的教訓。
2:16 所以,你當悔改;若不悔改,我就快臨到你那裡,用我口中的劍攻擊他們。
2:17 聖靈向眾教會所說的話,凡有耳的,就應當聽!得勝的,我必將那隱藏的嗎哪賜給他,並賜他一塊白石,石上寫著新名;除了那領受的以外,沒有人能認識。』」
"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. '
*********
別迦摩教會也是一個受逼迫的教會,但是她得主稱讚是因為「堅守主的名,沒有棄絕主的道」。雖然在那裏魔鬼的勢力很大,是有撒但座位之處,甚至主忠心的見證人安提帕,在撒但所住的地方被殺。
不過主也對她有所責備,因為「在你那裡有人服從了巴蘭的教訓」,因為巴蘭使上帝的子民「吃祭偶像之物,行姦淫的事」。這也讓我們看見,信仰混雜的是上帝所不喜悅的事。
另外「尼哥拉一黨人的教訓」也進入別迦摩教會,也就是說猶太主義者,也在這教會興風作浪,使他們的信仰不單單服在耶穌基督,還服在猶太傳統而非聖經的教訓之下。所以,那裏是一個信仰混淆之處。
然而成為上帝的子民是要有分別,所以主對她說:「你當悔改;若不悔改,我就快臨到你那裡,用我口中的劍攻擊他們。聖靈向眾教會所說的話,凡有耳的,就應當聽!得勝的,我必將那隱藏的嗎哪賜給他,並賜他一塊白石,石上寫著新名;除了那領受的以外,沒有人能認識。」
這更清楚告訴別迦摩教會,「得勝的,我必將那隱藏的嗎哪賜給他,並賜他一塊白石,石上寫著新名;除了那領受的以外,沒有人能認識」。這就是上帝的分別,這是告訴我們屬上帝的人,明白上帝特殊的啟示——在耶穌基督裡的啟示。