In brief
Antipas is a Christian of Pergamum, a city in Asia Minor, put to death for his faith in the first century. He is named only once, in the message Jesus sends to the church in Pergamum in Revelation 2:13. The Lord calls him my faithful witness and recalls that the church did not deny his faith in the days when Antipas was killed. What we keep is that in the eyes of Jesus, faithfulness unto death is never forgotten.
What does the name Antipas of Pergamum mean?
Antipas is a Greek name, generally understood as a shortened form of Antipater, which suggests the idea of in place of the father. The Bible does not explain the name; it keeps the title Jesus gives him, my faithful witness (Revelation 2:13).
The story of Antipas of Pergamum
A message to Pergamum
Revelation 2:12John is told to write to the angel of the church in Pergamum. The Lord presents himself there as the one who has the sharp two-edged sword. Before mentioning Antipas, Jesus thus recalls that his word judges and divides: he sees this church's situation and has authority over it as well as over those who threaten it.
Where Satan's throne is
Revelation 2:13Jesus tells the church that he knows where it lives, where Satan's throne is. Pergamum is described as a place where opposition to God is particularly strong. The text does not say exactly what this throne refers to. It shows above all that the Lord knows the hostile setting in which his disciples live.
Antipas, faithful witness
Revelation 2:13Despite this climate, the church held fast to the name of Jesus and did not deny its faith, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was killed among you. The Bible tells us neither the circumstances nor the date of his death. It keeps the essential: Jesus knows him by name and calls him his faithful witness.
A call to repentance
Revelation 2:14-16The Lord nevertheless has a charge against this courageous church: some there hold the teaching of Balaam, which led to idolatry and sexual immorality, and others the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Jesus calls for repentance. Antipas's faithfulness under persecution does not excuse the church from guarding the purity of its faith and conduct.
The promise to the one who conquers
Revelation 2:17The message ends with a promise: to the one who conquers, the Lord will give hidden manna and a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it. Antipas lost his life in Pergamum, but those who remain faithful to the end have the assurance of a reward given by Jesus himself.
What Antipas of Pergamum teaches us
- Jesus knows by name those who remain faithful to him, even when the world ignores them.
- Holding fast to the name of Christ can be costly, but it is never in vain.
- Courage in the face of persecution does not replace vigilance against false teaching.
- The Lord sees the difficult setting in which his disciples live and sustains them by his word.
Key verses
The only verse that names Antipas. Jesus commends the church in Pergamum for not denying its faith and honors Antipas with the title of faithful witness, put to death in that city.
In the neighboring message to Smyrna, Jesus tells the believers to be faithful unto death and promises the crown of life. Antipas illustrates this faithfulness to the very end.
Believers overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death, as Antipas did not.
Bible verses to meditate on
Frequently asked questions
Who was Antipas in Revelation?
Antipas is a Christian of Pergamum, put to death for his faith. Jesus names him in the message to the church in Pergamum (Revelation 2:13) and calls him my faithful witness. The Bible gives no other detail about his life or the circumstances of his death. He should not be confused with Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of the Gospels.
Why is Antipas called a faithful witness?
Because he kept the name of Jesus without denying it, to the point of being put to death in Pergamum. The Greek word translated witness later gave us the word martyr. This title recalls the one Jesus himself bears at the beginning of Revelation, the faithful witness (Revelation 1:5).
Where can I find the story of Antipas in the Bible?
Antipas appears only in Revelation 2:13, in the message to the church in Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17). To understand him well, also read the seven messages to the churches in chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation, which encourage faithfulness and call for repentance.