SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:13
Yo s tus obras, y dnde moras, donde est la silla de Satans; y tienes mi Nombre, y no has negado mi fe, aun en los días en que fue Antipas mi testigo fiel, el cual ha sido muerto entre vosotros, donde Satans mora.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 2:13
Verse 13. Where Satan's seat is] opou o qronov tou satana? Where Satan has his throne - where he reigns as king, and is universally obeyed. It was a maxim among the Jews, that where the law of God was not studied, there Satan dwelt; but he was obliged to leave the place where a synagogue or academy was established.
Thou holdest fast my name] Notwithstanding that the profession of Christianity exposed this Church to the bitterest persecution, they held fast the name of Christian, which they had received from Jesus Christ, and did not deny his faith; for when brought to the trial they openly professed themselves disciples and followers of their Lord and Master.
Antipas was my faithful martyr] Who this Antipas was we cannot tell. We only know that he was a Christian, and probably bore some office in the Church, and became illustrious by his martyrdom in the cause of Christ.
There is a work extant called The Acts of Antipas, which makes him bishop of Pergamos, and states that he was put to death by being enclosed in a burning brazen bull. But this story confutes itself, as the Romans, under whose government Pergamos then was, never put any person to death in this way. It is supposed that he was murdered by some mob, who chose this way to vindicate the honour of their god AEsculapius, in opposition to the claims of our Lord Jesus.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 13. I know thy works , etc.] Both good and bad, and which in that pure part of this church, which opposed the growing corruptions of antichrist, were for the most part good. And where thou dwellest, [even] where Satan's seat [is] . Pergamos was a city very much given to idolatry, here Satan reigned while it was Pagan, and so was a fit emblem of the idolatrous church of Rome. Pausanias says f73 , the country the Pergamenes inhabited was sacred to the Cabiri, the chief gods of the Heathens. And the same writer observes, that Aesculapius particularly was worshipped at Pergamos; and hence he is called by Martial the Pergamean god; to his temple here, men used to go from different parts of the world for cure of diseases; hither Antoninus the emperor went for such a purpose, as Herodian relates; and this being a common thing, hence Lucian scoffingly says, that Aesculapius had an apothecary's shop at Pergamos. As Rome, and its dominions, were the principal seat of the church in this period of time, it may well be called Satan's seat or throne; not only because it had been the seat of the Roman emperors, the ten horned and seven headed beast, ( Revelation 13:2); but because it was the seat of antichrist, which the great dragon Satan gave him, whose coming was after the working of Satan, and he was influenced by him; and who, like Satan, exalted himself above all that is called God; yea, placed himself in the temple of God, the church, as God, showing himself to be God, assuming that power to himself which only belonged to God. Moreover, he may be called so for his enmity and malice against the saints, and for his art and subtlety, and insidious methods to ensnare and destroy them. Now to dwell where such an one has his seat, his throne, has a kingdom, power, and authority, must be very uncomfortable, as well as dangerous; and required great care, circumspection, and prudence how to behave: and yet to the commendation of this church it is said, and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith : the pure members of this church are the two witnesses, which rose up at the beginning of the apostasy of Rome, and bore their testimony against it, and for the truth; and continued to do so amidst all the corruptions and persecutions of that state: these are the two olive trees, that, through the golden pipes of the word and ordinances, emptied the golden oil of Gospel truths out, of themselves, pure and incorrupt, and the two candlesticks that held forth the light of the Gospel in the darkest times of Popery; these held fast the name of Christ, or the Gospel, and denied not, but confessed the doctrine of faith in the worst of times. They had the truths of the Gospel in their possession, which were dear and valuable to them; and whereas there was danger of losing them, they held them fast, with great courage, magnanimity, and strength, though the greater number was against them, and they were attended with reproach and persecution: even in those days wherein Antipas [was] my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth . Antipas is the proper name of a man; so a son of Herod was called f78 , even he that beheaded John, and mocked Christ: and there might be a man of this name at Pergamos, that might suffer martyrdom for the Gospel of Christ; and who was an emblem of the confessors, witnesses, and martyrs, that suffered for Christ, in this period of time, through their opposition to the popes of Rome; for Antipas is the contraction of Antipater, and is the same with Antipapas, or Antipappas, which signifies one that is against the pope, an opposer of that holy father; and so intends all those that made head against him, upon his rising and revelation, and when he assumed the power he did to himself; such as the Waldenses and Albigenses particularly, who set themselves against him, openly declared that the pope was antichrist, and that his government was tyrannical, and his doctrines the doctrines of devils, abominable and fabulous. They bore a faithful testimony against all his corruptions and innovations, and became martyrs in the cause of Christ, many thousands of them being slain for his sake within the dominions of this firstborn of Satan. The Alexandrian copy reads Anteipas; and his name is left out in the Syriac and Arabic versions.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-17 - The word of God is a sword, able to slay both sin and sinners. It turn and cuts every way; but the believer need not fear this sword; yet thi confidence cannot be supported without steady obedience. As our Lor notices all the advantages and opportunities we have for duty in the places where we dwell, so he notices our temptations an discouragements from the same causes. In a situation of trials, the church of Pergamos had not denied the faith, either by open apostacy or by giving way so as to avoid the cross. Christ commends their stedfastness, but reproves their sinful failures. A wrong view of gospel doctrine and Christian liberty, was a root of bitterness from which evil practices grew. Repentance is the duty of churches an bodies of men, as well as of particular persons; those who sin together, should repent together. Here is the promise of favour to those that overcome. The influences and comforts of the Spirit of Christ, come down from heaven into the soul, for its support. This i hidden from the rest of the world. The new name is the name of adoption; when the Holy Spirit shows his own work in the believer' soul, this new name and its real import are understood by him.
Greek Textus Receptus
οιδα 1492 5758 τα 3588 εργα 2041 σου 4675 και 2532 που 4226 κατοικεις 2730 5719 οπου 3699 ο 3588 θρονος 2362 του 3588 σατανα 4567 και 2532 κρατεις 2902 5719 το 3588 ονομα 3686 μου 3450 και 2532 ουκ 3756 ηρνησω 720 5662 την 3588 πιστιν 4102 μου 3450 και 2532 εν 1722 ταις 3588 ημεραις 2250 εν 1722 αις 3739 αντιπας 493 ο 3588 μαρτυς 3144 μου 3450 ο 3588 πιστος 4103 ος 3739 απεκτανθη 615 5681 παρ 3844 υμιν 5213 οπου 3699 κατοικει 2730 5719 ο 3588 σατανας 4567
Vincent's NT Word Studies
13. Dwellest (katoikeiv). See on Luke xi. 26; Acts ii. 5.
Seat (qronov). Rev., rightly, throne, which is a transcript of the Greek word. Better than seat, because it is intended to represent Satan as exercising dominion there. The word is used in the New Testament of a kingly throne (Luke i. 32, 52; Acts ii. 30): of the judicial tribunal or bench (Matt. xxix. 28; Luke xxii. 30): of the seats of the elders (Apoc. iv. 4; xi. 16). Also, by metonymy, of one who exercises authority, so, in the plural, of angels (Col. i. 16), thrones belonging to the highest grade of angelic beings whose place is in the immediate presence of God.
Holdest fast (krateiv). See on Matt. vii. 3; Acts iii. 11.
My name. See on 1 John i. 7.
My faith. See on Acts vi. 7.
Antipas. There is no other record of this martyr.
