Pergamum, known as the Season of Learning, is one of the Seven Seasons in the Life of the Ecclesia. During this season, the teacher's didactic genius shines, offering instruction for spiritually hungry souls who feed on the Word and cleanse their spirits. This period involves a deep engagement with the Scriptures, where believers are called to listen, discern, and understand God's divine law, ensuring they are not ashamed. The focus is on the transformative power of the Word, which nourishes the spirit and purifies the heart and mind. This season invites believers to immerse themselves in divine wisdom, ensuring the teachings are not only heard but deeply internalized and applied daily.
The first Season of Learning for the ecclesia began during Jesus' public ministry in Galilee. Crowds gathered around Him in outdoor venues, including open fields, to accommodate the growing movement, especially among the poor and the disciples of John the Baptist, who was later beheaded by the local monarch. Despite disobedient times, hearts turned to the Father. The enemy tried to snatch away the teachings, but none were lost. The teachings grew unseen until Pentecost when the Spirit was given to nurture this seed to its present stature before man and heaven. The Season of Learning has, over millennia, transitioned from Hebrew and Aramaic to Greek, Latin, and later Germanic tongues, carrying Jesus' teachings into the modern era. It has withstood the test of time and global scholarship over thousands of years among numerous tribes and people groups.
Preservation of the Hebrew Scriptures: The accurate transmission and preservation of the Hebrew Scriptures, or the Old Testament, is a testament to the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the faithfulness of those who heeded the call to listen to and obey God's Word. The Scriptures have been meticulously preserved over the centuries, with scribes going to great lengths to ensure that every letter and word was copied accurately.
This act of preservation is a powerful reminder of the importance of the Word of God and the need to listen to, understand, and obey it. It's a call to faithfulness and obedience that echoes the central message of the Shema and the biblical significance of the city of Pergamum.
<aside> <img src="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/49de0235-e8bc-4eca-bf20-2a9d6d267a02/89e7b762-8686-4d2a-a186-8f42c6638a3f/IMAGE_2024-02-23_213606.jpg" alt="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/49de0235-e8bc-4eca-bf20-2a9d6d267a02/89e7b762-8686-4d2a-a186-8f42c6638a3f/IMAGE_2024-02-23_213606.jpg" width="40px" /> Pergamum, an ancient city in the first century, part of the Roman province of Asia, in the modern-day country of Turkey.
Significance in the First Century: Pergamum was a major center of culture and learning, known for its library, which was said to be second only to the library of Alexandria in Egypt. It was also a key political center, serving as the capital of the Roman province of Asia for a time.
Biblical Significance: Pergamum is mentioned in the Book of Revelation as one of the seven churches to which John the Apostle addresses his letters. It is often interpreted as representing a period in the early Christian church when it was under threat from false teachings and persecution.
Link to the genius of the Didasko: The genius of the didasko, or teaching, in Pergamum can be likened to the elemental gift of the ear in the Ear of Adam. This gift was not just about the physical act of hearing, but the capacity to listen to, discern, and understand the divine revelations of God. It's a call to remember and obey the Word of God, much like the Shema, the central tenet of the Jewish faith that begins with "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one."
Pergamum, the third of seven communities mentioned in Rev 2-3 whose guardian angel Entolas stood against the doctrinal errors that plagued the first and subsequent centuries within the City of faith allowing the NT ecclesia to recover stability and flight controls over the millennia down to present day orthodoxy by preserving inerrancy as a principal tenet of faith without which “the people perish” (Prov 29:18) but happy is he who keeps the law. Thus is fulfilled the mandate in Malachi 4:4 to “remember the law of Moses” with attendant benefits (see verses 5 and 6) and gospel adjustments.
In the context of Pergamum, this gift of the ear takes on a profound significance in the face of the city's challenges. It represents the need for the church to listen to and discern the truth of the gospel amid false teachings and persecution, and to faithfully transmit and preserve this truth for future generations.
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Thyatira - Season of Enablement
Sardis - Season of Restructuring