Antipas Who?

“I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives” (Revelation 2:13 NIV84 emphasis added).

Antipas, my faithful witness!  As Jesus dictated the letters to the seven churches, he specifically mentioned this man, Antipas, but unfortunately, we have very few specifics about his life.  There are, however, several things that we can surmise from this letter to the church at Pergamum.

Pergamum was in ancient Asia and was once its capital.  Two of its primary attractions were its temple to Caesar and Rome and the temple of Asclepios, the god of healing.  It also had an enormous altar of Zeus.  With its focus on false gods, it’s no wonder that Jesus called it the place where Satan lives and has his throne. Both the leaders and the people of Pergamum placed their hope and their future in the hands of pagan gods, yet a church was able to survive amid them.

Jesus knew that remaining true to Him was not easy when surrounded by the power and lies of those who not only denounced Christ but also persecuted His believers.  The Christians who lived there did not have it easy, much like many of our Christian brothers and sisters in various parts of the world today.  Still, they remained true to Christ.  They stood fast in the face of persecution, and Jesus commended them for it. 

The Scripture does not tell us why Jesus singled out Antipas as His faithful witness.  Perhaps he was just representative of all those who had stood faithful despite the danger.  We know that Antipas ultimately gave his life for the cause of Christ, becoming the first Christian martyr in Asia.  We also know that not everyone in the Church had stood fast against the corrupt teachers of Balaam and the Nicolaitans (vs. 14 – 15).  Perhaps Antipas was one of the few who refused to compromise his faith.

I can’t tell you much about Antipas, but the important thing is that Jesus knew who he was and what he had done, and when you get right down to it, that’s all that matters.  Jesus also knows each of us and what we have done, so that makes me wonder, “Would he call me faithful?” That’s a goal worth striving towards.

Revelation 2:12 – 17