One of the letters Jesus sent to the churches in Asia was sent to the church in Pergamum. He had a few issues with this church, which they needed to correct, but there also were some real faithful people, such as Antipas:
“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.”
(Revelation 2:13 ESV)
Pergamum was a city filled with images of the Roman gods. It was maybe the main center of worship in Asia, which is present day Turkey. It was also the center of emperor worship in that Roman province.
Just to understand the Roman imperial cult a bit, and its demand for complete loyalty of its citizens, the calendar inscription of Priene from the year 9 BC gives us a lot of insight:
“It seemed good to the Greeks of Asia, in the opinion of the high priest Apollonius of Menophilus Azanitus: ‘Since Providence, which has ordered all things and is deeply interested in our life, has set in most perfect order by giving us Augustus, whom she filled with virtue that he might benefit humankind, sending him as a savior, both for us and for our descendants, that he might end war and arrange all things, and since he, Caesar, by his appearance (excelled even our anticipations), surpassing all previous benefactors, and not even leaving to posterity any hope of surpassing what he has done, and since the birthday of the god Augustus was the beginning of the good tidings [εὐαγγέλιον] for the world that came by reason of him,’ which Asia resolved in Smyrna.”
Notice the words this inscription uses to describe Caesar? Caesar is “savior” and he is “god”. In other documents he is also called “lord.” Notice also that the news about his birth is “euaggelion”, good news, also translated as “gospel”?
Now check out these verses regarding Jesus’ birth:
“The beginning of the GOSPEL [euaggelion]
of Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD.”(Mark 1:1 ESV)
“And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you GOOD NEWS [euaggelizo] of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a SAVIOR, who is Christ the LORD.”
(Luke 2:10-11 ESV)
Weren’t the gospel writers creative enough to come up with language of their own? Or did they deliberately borrow language that was used for the imperial cult to make a point that Jesus demanded the same – or even greater – loyalty as the emperor? I believe the latter! In a way, the Gospels are polemic writings that paint the picture that Jesus is the true Lord, the only Savior and the most high God in the flesh!
Antipas lived and died for that truth. He was a witness (martus) and he was faithful (pistos). That Greek word for witness, martus, is where we get our word martyr from. And the word that is translated as faithful is pistos, which means loyal. Antipas was loyal to Jesus, his Savior, Lord, King and God, faithful until death.
May we have that same loyalty to Jesus over and above any other loyalty in our lives, even to the death! We cannot serve two lords!
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