The elder in Pergamum was rebuked for allowing people to teach doctrines that led the church into worldliness and into a lax attitude towards sin (Revelation 2:14, 15). He himself may have been a good man. But he permitted others to teach Balaam's doctrine. So he was guilty.
The Lord holds elders responsible to ensure that no preaching is permitted in the church that leads people to take sin lightly. There is "a doctrine that leads to godliness" (to a godly, Christ-like life), and that alone is "hygienic teaching" (1 Timothy 6:3 - margin). Every other teaching is unhygienic to a greater or lesser degree.
Why did this elder permit such lax teachings in his church? Probably he never corrected the brothers and sisters for anything, because he wanted a reputation as a humble and gentle brother. If so, he sought his own honour more than the good of the church.
"Humility" and "gentleness" are virtues that we must learn from the example of Jesus, as He Himself told us to do (Matthew 11:29). Otherwise we can get a false understanding of what they mean.
Jesus' humility and gentleness did not prevent Him from driving the money changers out of the temple, or from rebuking Peter with strong words such as, "Get behind me Satan", when Peter preached a false doctrine, that Jesus should avoid the cross (Matthew 16:22, 23).
Satan can use even a good brother like Peter to lead the church astray. For that brother may speak in the meetings in such a way as to dilute the word of the cross. Such preaching must always be recognised as the voice of Satan - for thus Satan can turn the church away from the direction that God wants it to take.
One of the greatest responsibilities we have as elders of churches, is to determine the direction that our church should take. It must not be the direction of worldliness and compromise. Neither must it be the direction of Pharisaism and legalism. But it must be the way of the cross - the direction of the will of God.
Balaam-like preachers usually have great soul-power and can have an unhealthy influence on people in a church. Preachers who have a powerful human personality invariably overwhelm others, and hinder them from being connected to Christ as their Head. They also influence others in such a way as to lead them away from true spirituality, into superficial, worldly religiosity
When a preacher has not understood what it is to put his soul-power to death, he will connect believers to himself, and not to Christ the Head. The believers will admire and follow the preacher, but they will never overcome sin or the world in their lives.
There is a vast difference between spiritual power and soul-power, and we must be able to discern between the two. A person may have a lot of Bible-knowledge and a gift to speak. He may even be very hospitable to the brothers and sisters, and help them in many practical ways. But if he connects people to himself and not to Christ, he will be a hindrance to the building of the Body of Christ.
Balaam-like preachers are happy to receive gifts from others (Numbers 22:15-17). A gift can blind our eyes (Proverbs 17:8), and make us obligated to men, so that we become their slaves. That can hinder us from speaking the truth of God and correcting our benefactors.
A servant of God must always remain free. "You have been bought with a price. Do not become the servants of men." (1 Corinthians 7:23).
