Revelation 2:14 - Exposition

But I have a few things against thee . They are few in comparison with the things commended; but they are very serious; and there must be a sad want of care in the Church at Pergamum to allow such things. These corrupt teachers are alluded to in 2 Peter 2:15 and Jude 1:11 . Like Balaam, they debased spiritual gifts to the vilest purposes, and thus became a σκάνδαλον , a snare or stumbling block, to ethers. Like the Nicolaitans, they held that the freedom of the gospel placed them above the moral Law, and conferred licence to commit the foulest sins. The liberty to eat meats which might have been offered to idols was made a plea for liberty to take part in idolatrous rites, and for introducing heathen orgies into Christian ceremonies. The doctrine of these antinomian teachers was "the doctrine of Balaam," because, like him, they prostituted their influence to the seducing of God's people into idolatry and impurity. The similarity of this doctrine with that of the Nicolaitans is obvious; but that Nicolaus (which is equivalent to "conquering the people") is intended as a translation of Balaam (which is possibly equivalent to "lord of the people") is mere conjecture. That there were two sects side by side at Pergamum is the natural meaning of this passage; and though their doctrines were alike in being autinomian in principle and licentious in result, yet there is no need to identify them. Among countless small improvements made by the Revisers, note that the remarkable word εἰδωλόθυτον , which in the Authorized Version is rendered in six different ways, is by them rendered consistently ( Acts 15:29 ; Acts 21:25 ; 1 Corinthians 8:4 , 1 Corinthians 8:10 ; 1 Corinthians 10:19 ; Revelation 2:14 , Revelation 2:20 ).