Revelation 2:14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.
Although the church in Pergamum had a lot of good going for it because they had not compromised, there was still some sickness within. They had apparently begun to entertain false teachings. These teachings are characterized by being similar to the teachings of Balaam in Numbers 22. Balaam tried to lead the Israelites astray by committing the sins of idolatry and immorality. Balak tried to get Balaam to curse the Israelites but instead pronounces seven sayings that bless Israel and curse their enemies.
Immorality and idolatry still are huge problems today for believers around the world. These two sins lie at the root of the power of sin into which we are all born. These both appeal to our base sinful nature empowered by the flesh. They are distortions of God plan for us. Immorality appeals to the hormonal urge to reproduce but it turns this into self-pleasure. Idolatry is empowered by the worship of self instead of God. At the base of both of these is the self. The self must be crucified to Christ and resurrected and empowered to a different type of life where Christ is Lord.
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