Note: This is the fourth article in a series called Overcoming the Five Failures of Us. Previous articles are always available at http://www.webbweekly.com.

Jesus reveals the second failure of us in Revelation 2:14-16

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. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

Jesus identifies two teachings that were corrupting some of the people of the church in Pergamum: Balaam and the Nicolaitans.

Balaam’s story is told in Numbers 22-24. On first read, Balaam sounds like an obedient prophet of God. He wasn’t. To put it plainly, he was a diviner, like the man behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz. He must have been good at it because he was well known in the region as someone who could illicit the blessing or cursing of the gods.

He was godly, but he wasn’t a follower of the one true God. He was good at playing the game with whoever was willing to pay. In this case, King Balak of the Moabites is seeking a curse against the Israelites—and the god just happens to be the God of Israel.

What we’re reading in Numbers 22-24 is Balaam working his craft. It’s smoke and mirrors designed to earn him a bigger payday. He wasn’t seeking or obeying God; he was scamming Balak.

That may sound harsh, but even a donkey could see it. In fact, every mention of Balaam in Scripture is negative. See II Peter 2:15 and Jude 11. Why else would the angel have been ready to kill him?

By mentioning Balaam, Jesus is pointing out a major failure to which we are all vulnerable: syncretism – crafting a self-centered form of God-worship that grants us exactly what we want.

In religion, syncretism refers to the combining of different belief systems to create something more acceptable. Syncretism is used in politics and culture to help people feel comfortable with something terrible.

For a dictator or a drug cartel, syncretism may be employed to project compassionate or religious values while at the same time committing atrocities. Consider the Nazis and the German Evangelical Church from 1933 until 1945. Syncretism made it possible for German Christians to allow or even support Nazi atrocities.
The Nicolaitans

While scholars debate over who this group was or the basis of their name, there is agreement regarding their sin: the indulgence of license (I am free to do whatever I want) rather than accepting the self-sacrificing call to the responsibilities of liberty (I am free to live holy and serve the purposes of God). Paul directly addresses this topic in I Corinthians 10:14-33. The Nicolaitans were good at twisting the truth to make it serve their selfish purposes.

Balaam and the Nicolaitans were two peas in a pod. They mixed a bit of true spirituality into their self-contained religion to make it exactly what they wanted. That mixing is syncretism – and they aren’t the only ones doing it.

Syncretism is in the church world today – and many are complicit. In other words, we become convinced of our own lies, passing them along to our children and utilizing them in the discipleship of new believers. Over time and generations, syncretism succeeds at making adulterated truth seem normal. This is what makes syncretism so dangerous.
Narcissism and Syncretism

Narcissism is the self-centered worship of instant gratification gained through materialism (money and possessions) and hedonism (pleasure and power). For narcissism to be justifiable in the religious world, it must be mixed with spiritual truth. Charlatan teachers can be very persuasive as they market their lies. It is the way they give itching ears exactly what they want to hear. See II Timothy 4:3.
The Call of Jesus Christ

The call of Jesus stands as a full affront to Balaam, Nicolaitans, and Narcissists. Everything Jesus taught is based on the delayed and eternal gratification of treasures stored in heaven. The call of Jesus Christ requires:
• Submission of the full will to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. See Philippians 2:9-11.
• The death of self through the daily taking up of the cross. See Luke 9:23-24.
• The expectation of suffering, rejection, and persecution. See John 15:18-19, 16:33, II Corinthians 4:17, Hebrews 11:32-40.
• Self-sacrificing servanthood, stewardship, and generosity. Matthew 6:19-24, John 13:34-35 and Luke 12:16-31.

Charlatans believe Christianity has a major problem—it’s not appealing to the average Joe narcissist. How are we supposed to win converts when what Jesus requires is awful? If we want average Joe to join up and pay up, then we’ve got to sweeten the pot and make it worth his while.

Friends, Jesus told us that the love of money and pleasure is sinful idolatry. He said we must choose — we can’t worship both. The love of one will naturally result in hatred of the other.

This is why charlatans syncretize narcissism into Christian belief. Instead of submission, sacrifice, and suffering, they promise financial wealth, physical health, and political power. They teach that these are the signs of God’s blessing while suffering, poverty, and sickness indicate His displeasure. It is very convenient to build and promote a belief system that gives you exactly what you want. Again, see II Timothy 4:3.

That’s what charlatans do. Like Balaam, their god-choice is nothing more than convenience and business. Like the Nicolaitans, they find loopholes in Scripture to justify their selfish indulgences. Jude confronted them because of the damage narcissists can cause in the body of Christ and to the mission of God. That’s the problem of syncretism.

Next week: Overcoming Syncretism.