Revelation 2:14
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)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Jesus points out that this church, while holding firm to His name, has "a few things against you" because they tolerate the "teaching of Balaam." This wasn't just about abstract error; it was about allowing people to be enticed into actions that were deeply compromising: participating in idol feasts and practicing sexual immorality, which were intertwined in pagan worship. The subtle but dangerous danger here is that tolerating such practices, even by a few, can lead the whole community astray, causing them to stumble into sin.
The Lord acknowledges the church at Pergamos' steadfastness, even amidst persecution, yet points out a serious flaw: they tolerate false teachers who hold to the "teaching of Balaam." This refers to the ancient temptation where Balaam advised Balak to lure the Israelites into idolatry and sexual immorality, causing them to fall away from God. This same corrupting influence, blending compromise with pagan practices and moral looseness, has infiltrated the church, leading them astray.
What if the greatest danger to the church wasn't outright persecution, but a 'few things' that seemed harmless?
Jesus commends the church in Pergamos for holding fast to His name, even in the face of death. Yet, He confronts them with a serious issue: the presence of those who hold to the 'doctrine of Balaam.' This wasn't about a direct attack from the outside, but a subtle corruption from within.
The Strategy of Balaam
Balaam, hired by King Balak, couldn't curse Israel directly. So, he devised a different plan: to lure them into sin. His 'doctrine' involved two key elements:
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Revelation 2:14 is available in the Sola app.
This strategy was a 'stumbling block' – something designed to make God's people fall, not by force, but by temptation. The church in Pergamos was allowing this 'doctrine' to exist among them, a dangerous compromise of their faith.
How can a church that stands firm under persecution falter when faced with internal compromise?
The church at Pergamos was a tough place to be a Christian. They were living in a city known for its emperor worship and pagan temples. Yet, Jesus commends them for their faithfulness – they held onto His name even when it was dangerous.
The Danger of Toleration
But faithfulness has its limits. Jesus points out that while they held fast to His name, they also tolerated those who embraced the 'doctrine of Balaam.' This suggests a crucial distinction:
The danger lies in the idea that 'a few things' might be acceptable. But as Jesus shows, even a small corruption can be a stumbling block that leads others astray. The church's responsibility isn't just to be faithful themselves, but to protect the purity of the community from teachings that undermine God's commands.
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 in Pergamos is being warned against a spiritual danger that mirrors Israel's ancient failure at Baal Peor. Just as Balaam's deceptive counsel led Israel into idolatry and immorality, compromising their relationship with God, certain individuals in Pergamos were promoting similar teachings, threatening the church's spiritual integrity.
c. 1400 BC
Israel's Journey Through the Wilderness
After escaping slavery in Egypt, the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years. This period was marked by challenges and divine guidance as they journeyed toward the Promised Land.
c. 1400 BC
Balaam's Counsel to Balak
King Balak of Moab hired the prophet Balaam to curse Israel. When unable to curse them directly, Balaam advised Balak to entice the Israelites into sin through sexual immorality and idolatry with Moabite and Midianite women.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
The Sin at Peor
Following Balaam's counsel, Israelite men engaged in sexual immorality with Moabite women and participated in their worship of the idol Baal of Peor. This led to divine judgment and a plague.
c. AD 95
The Book of Revelation Written
The Apostle John, exiled to the island of Patmos, received and recorded the visions that make up the Book of Revelation, likely during the reign of Emperor Domitian.
This passage describes the very historical event that Balaam's counsel led Israel into: sexual immorality with Moabite women and worshipping their gods, which brought God's wrath.
Numbers 31:16This verse explicitly states that it was 'through the counsel of Balaam' that the women caused Israel to sin, directly linking Balaam's teaching to the temptation described in Revelation.
2 Peter 2:15Peter warns against false teachers who have 'abandoned the right way and have followed the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing,' highlighting the persistent allure of prioritizing personal gain over God's commands, just as Balaam did.
Jude 1:11Jude also condemns those who have 'gone the way of Cain and are lost in Balaam’s error for pay,' equating the Balaamites' sin with a dangerous pursuit of selfish desires that leads to spiritual ruin.
1 Corinthians 8:10Paul addresses the issue of eating food sacrificed to idols, warning that while an idol is nothing, participating in such feasts can be a stumbling block for weaker believers and implicitly links them to idolatry, echoing the 'eating food sacrificed to idols' mentioned 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…
Jesus points out that this church, while holding firm to His name, has "a few things against you" because they tolerate the "teaching of Balaam." This wasn't just about abstract error; it was about allowing people to be enticed into actions that were deeply compromising: participating in idol feasts and practicing sexual immorality, which were intertwined in pagan worship. The subtle but dangerous danger here is that tolerating such practices, even by a few, can lead the whole community astray, causing them to stumble into sin.
The Lord acknowledges the church at Pergamos' steadfastness, even amidst persecution, yet points out a serious flaw: they tolerate false teachers who hold to the "teaching of Balaam." This refers to the ancient temptation where Balaam advised Balak to lure the Israelites into idolatry and sexual immorality, causing them to fall away from God. This same corrupting influence, blending compromise with pagan practices and moral looseness, has infiltrated the church, leading them astray.
The Lord acknowledges the church at Pergamos' steadfastness, even amidst persecution, yet points out a serious flaw: they tolerate false teachers who hold to the "teaching of Balaam." This refers to the ancient temptation where Balaam advised Balak to lure the Israelites into idolatry and sexual immorality, causing them to fall away from God. This same corrupting influence, blending compromise with pagan practices and moral looseness, has infiltrated the church, leading them 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." — Jesus points out that this church, while holding firm to His name, has "a few things against you" because they tolerate the "teaching of Balaam." This wasn't just about abstract error; it was about a…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
