Revelation 2:13

Thy works. Textual evidence favors (cf. p. 10) the omission of the words “thy works, and.” Compare on v. 2.

Satan’s seat. Pergamum had distinguished itself in 29 B.C. by becoming the site of the first cult of a living Roman emperor. A temple was built and dedicated to the joint worship of the goddess Roma (a personification of the spirit of the empire) and the emperor Augustus. At the very time John wrote these words Christians were suffering persecution for refusing to worship the emperor Domitian (A.D. 81–96), who insisted on being worshiped as “lord and god.” Pergamum was also the religious capital of Asia Minor. It was a center of Hellenistic (Greco-Mesopotamian) thought and emperor worship, and had many pagan temples. Its designation as the place “where Satan’s seat is” was thus appropriate indeed (see p. 95).

The Pergamos period of church history may be thought of as beginning about the time of Constantine’s espousal of the Christian cause, in A.D. 313, or of his supposed conversion—perhaps in 323 or 325—and ending in 538 (see Additional Note at end of chapter). It was during this time that the papacy won religious, and to some extent political, leadership of Western Europe (see Additional Note on Dan. 7), and that Satan established his “seat” within the church. The papacy was a skillful blend of paganism with Christianity. This period may be termed the Age of Popularity.

Name. See on v. 3.

My faith. That is, faith in Me. Compare the experience of the heroes of faith whose names are enshrined in Heb. 11.

Antipas. A familiar Greek name, compounded of the Greek words anti, “in place of,” and pas, an abbreviated form of patēr, “father” (cf. on Luke 3:1; 24:18; see Josephus Antiquities xiv. 1. 3 [10]). It reflected a father’s hope that the son so named would eventually take his place in the world. Some commentators hold that a Christian by this name at Pergamum had recently been martyred for his faith, presumably for refusing to worship the emperor. If so, the experience and example of this faithful martyr may be considered as typical of that of untold thousands who suffered for their faith in later ages. Although it is possible that the name may have a figurative application to the Pergamos period of church history, Inspiration provides no apparent clue with respect to such an application.

Martyr. Gr. martus, “witness.” A “martyr” is one whose death testifies to his faith. The Greek here rendered “faithful martyr” is identical with that used of Christ in ch. 1:5 and translated “faithful witness.”