Revelation 2:14
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The church is commended for holding fast to Christ's name, yet Jesus points out that within their community, there are those promoting Balaam's dangerous teaching. This isn't just about past sin; it's about the current tolerance of a doctrine that blends compromise with idolatry and sexual immorality, leading people astray.
But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is addressing the church in Pergamos, commending them for their faithfulness, especially under persecution, even to the point of martyrdom. However, he now turns to address specific issues within the church, particularly the presence of individuals who are compromising their faith by embracing certain dangerous teachings and practices. The context is this specific church's struggle to maintain purity amidst societal pressures that threatened to pull them back into pagan ways.
Jesus commends the church at Pergamos for their steadfastness, yet points out a hidden threat. How could faithfulness become a platform for deep compromise?
While the church at Pergamos held onto Jesus' name, they tolerated a dangerous teaching within their midst. This wasn't about outright rebellion, but a subtle erosion of faith.
The 'Few Things'
Jesus says, 'I have a few things against you.' This doesn't mean the issues are minor. Instead, it highlights that even a small number of serious problems can corrupt the whole community, like a little leaven leavening the whole loaf. The danger here was the toleration of those who held to the 'doctrine of Balaam.'
Balaam's Treachery
Balaam, a prophet hired by King Balak, couldn't curse Israel directly. So, he devised a cunning plan: tempt them into sin. He advised Balak to entice the Israelite men with the women of Moab. This led to sexual immorality and participation in idolatrous feasts, ultimately bringing God's judgment.
This 'doctrine' wasn't about theological debate; it was about practical sin that led people away from God. The church at Pergamos was allowing this same kind of compromise to take root, endangering their spiritual integrity.
The 'doctrine of Balaam' involved two specific sins: eating food sacrificed to idols and practicing sexual immorality. Why were these so intertwined and so offensive to God?
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The core of Balaam's destructive counsel was to lead Israel into practices that directly violated their covenant with God. These two sins were deeply connected:
The Allure of Idolatry
In the ancient world, religious festivals were often social events. Participating in feasts where food had been sacrificed to idols meant more than just eating. It meant engaging in the worship of the idol itself, effectively renouncing loyalty to the one true God.
The Link to Immorality
Idol worship was frequently accompanied by sexual immorality. These pagan practices often involved ecstatic rituals, sensual rites, and a general disregard for the moral standards God had set for His people. Balaam knew that leading Israel into sexual sin would fracture their relationship with God, making them vulnerable to spiritual and physical destruction.
A Test for Pergamos
For the church at Pergamos, this meant that 'eating food sacrificed to idols' could be a guise for participating in pagan feasts, and 'practicing sexual immorality' was the accompanying corruption. Tolerating these practices meant tolerating a rejection of God's holiness and a dangerous slide back into the world's ways.
Understand the original words
bila'am · Hebrew Noun
In biblical history, Balaam was a prophet who sought to subvert God's people by leading them into idolatry and sexual sin. His "teaching" represents the compromise of divine truth for material gain, leading believers away from holiness.
skandalon · Greek Noun
An object or action that causes someone to stumble, fall into sin, or fall away from their faith. It represents a snare that entraps the unwary or compromises the spiritual integrity of the believer.
eidōlothyton · Greek Adjective/Noun
Idolatry is the worship of anything other than the Creator, which in Scripture is strictly forbidden. Eating food sacrificed to idols often involved participation in pagan temple rituals, signifying a compromise with the surrounding worldly culture.
porneia · Greek Noun
Sexual immorality in the Bible (porneia) refers to any sexual activity outside the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman. It is frequently linked in Scripture to spiritual infidelity and the breaking of covenant with God.
The church at Pergamos was tolerating a dangerous blend of compromise, mirroring the ancient Israelites' fall into idolatry and immorality under Balaam's influence. This suggests the spiritual dangers of integrating pagan practices or morals into Christian life, even if done subtly.
c. 1400 BC
Israelites Camp in Moab
As the Israelites journeyed, they camped in the plains of Moab. This proximity led to significant temptation and spiritual compromise among the Israelites.
c. 1400 BC
Balaam's Counsel to Balak
King Balak of Moab hired the prophet Balaam to curse Israel. Unable to curse them directly, Balaam advised Balak to entice the Israelites into idolatry and sexual immorality through Moabite women.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Sin at Baal Peor
Following Balaam's counsel, many Israelites engaged in sexual immorality with Moabite women and participated in their idolatrous worship, particularly of Baal Peor. This led to a plague sent by God.
c. 1400 BC
Judgment and Subsequent Purification
God's judgment fell upon the Israelites, resulting in a plague. Moses then ordered the execution of those who had joined themselves to Baal Peor, and a purification of the people.
c. AD 90-100
Revelation Written to Churches
The Book of Revelation, including this letter to Pergamos, was written by the Apostle John during his exile on the island of Patmos.
This passage describes the original historical event where the Israelites were enticed into sexual immorality and idolatry with the Moabites, directly fulfilling Balaam's wicked counsel and leading to divine judgment.
Numbers 31:15-16This verse explicitly states that Balaam was the one who advised Balak on how to cause the Israelites to sin, directly linking him to the specific sins of idolatry and sexual immorality mentioned in Revelation.
2 Peter 2:15Peter directly references Balaam's sin, calling him 'a worker of iniquity' who was 'fond of the wages of wickedness,' highlighting the corrupting influence and motivation behind his teaching, which is mirrored in Revelation.
Jude 1:11Jude also condemns those who follow the 'straying path of Balaam,' equating their actions to rebellion and greed, further emphasizing the lasting negative legacy of Balaam's teachings and actions.
1 Corinthians 8:10This passage addresses the issue of eating food sacrificed to idols, showing the practical dilemma faced by early Christians and the potential for it to become a 'stumbling block' or lead to impurity, echoing the core problem in Revelation.
ellicottRevelation 2:14: "But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication."
(14) But I have a few things against thee. —The word “few” is not to be taken as though the ground of rebuke was a trifling one. The little leaven might leaven the whole lump; and those who had been brave unto death in the days of persecution…
barnesRevelation 2:14: "But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication."
But I have a few things against thee - As against the church at Ephesus, Revelation 2:4 . The charge against this church, however, is somewhat different from that against the church at Ephesus. The charge there was, that they had "left their…
The church is commended for holding fast to Christ's name, yet Jesus points out that within their community, there are those promoting Balaam's dangerous teaching. This isn't just about past sin; it's about the current tolerance of a doctrine that blends compromise with idolatry and sexual immorality, leading people astray.
Jesus is addressing the church in Pergamos, commending them for their faithfulness, especially under persecution, even to the point of martyrdom. However, he now turns to address specific issues within the church, particularly the presence of individuals who are compromising their faith by embracing certain dangerous teachings and practices. The context is this specific church's struggle to maintain purity amidst societal pressures that threatened to pull them back into pagan ways.
Jesus is addressing the church in Pergamos, commending them for their faithfulness, especially under persecution, even to the point of martyrdom. However, he now turns to address specific issues within the church, particularly the presence of individuals who are compromising their faith by embracing certain dangerous teachings and practices. The context is this specific church's struggle to maintain purity amidst societal pressures that threatened to pull them back into pagan ways.
"But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality." — The church is commended for holding fast to Christ's name, yet Jesus points out that within their community, there are those promoting Balaam's dangerous teaching. This isn't just about past sin; i…
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Last reviewed October 2026
