Revelation 2:14-16
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While the church in Pergamos held firm to Jesus' name, they allowed a dangerous compromise: some members actively taught the "doctrine of Balaam." This wasn't just a theological debate; it was about allowing practices that blurred the lines between worshiping God and participating in idolatrous feasts and sexual immorality, which Balaam had cunningly orchestrated to weaken Israel.
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. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus commends the church in Pergamos for its faithfulness, even amidst intense persecution. However, He immediately pivots to a serious accusation: they are tolerating within their community those who follow the "teaching of Balaam." This refers back to the incident in the Old Testament where the Moabite king Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel, but Balaam ultimately blessed them. Instead, Balaam advised Balak on a strategy to make Israel sin against God by seducing them into idolatry and sexual immorality, leading to divine judgment.
Even in a church praised for faithfulness, a hidden compromise can become a dangerous threat. How can good intentions pave the way for spiritual decay?
Jesus commends the church at Pergamos for holding fast to His name, even in the face of persecution. However, He points out a critical flaw: they are tolerating individuals who embrace the 'teaching of Balaam.'
A Subtle Compromise
The 'few things' Jesus mentions aren't minor issues; they represent a serious threat to the church's spiritual integrity. Balaam's strategy wasn't to curse Israel directly, but to entice them into sin. He advised King Balak to lure the Israelites into sexual immorality and idolatry, knowing this would bring God's judgment upon them.
The Church's Responsibility
While only some individuals held this teaching, the church as a whole was held responsible for tolerating it. This highlights a vital principle: a community of faith must actively guard against sin, not passively allow it. Allowing sin to fester, even in a few, can corrupt the entire body and lead to divine discipline.
What do eating food sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality have in common? Discover how these ancient sins remain a dangerous temptation today.
The 'doctrine of Balaam' is specifically described as teaching people 'to eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.' These weren't random sins; they were deeply intertwined in the pagan culture of the time.
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The Blurring of Lines
Idol feasts were often occasions for sexual license. By participating in these feasts, the Israelites would have been signaling their participation in idol worship and engaging in the associated immorality. Balaam's counsel was designed to make God's people compromise their distinctiveness and embrace the corrupt practices of the surrounding nations.
Modern Echoes
Today, the 'food sacrificed to idols' might represent compromising our values to fit into secular culture or professional settings. The 'sexual immorality' can take many forms, from overt acts to corrupted views of relationships and intimacy promoted through media and societal norms. The core issue remains the same: allowing worldly practices to infiltrate and compromise our faith and morality.
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.
Nikolaïtēs · Greek Noun
A group referenced in early church history (specifically in Revelation) whose teachings encouraged compromise with pagan practices, likely involving both idolatry and immorality under the guise of Christian liberty.
metanoeō · Greek Verb
A fundamental change of mind and heart that results in a change of direction, turning away from sin and toward God; it is a prerequisite for salvation and a continuous lifestyle for the believer.
rhomphaia · Greek Noun
In apocalyptic literature, this often symbolizes the authoritative, piercing, and destructive power of the word of God, representing His judgment against His enemies.
The church in Pergamos is warned against tolerating those who, like Balaam, promote spiritual compromise by blending pagan practices (eating food sacrificed to idols) and immorality with their faith, mirroring the ancient Israelites' disastrous entanglement at Mount Peor.
c. 1400 BC
Israelites Camp in Moab
After crossing the Jordan River and defeating the Amorite kings, the Israelites camped in the plains of Moab. This proximity brought them into contact and conflict with the Moabites and their neighbors.
c. 1400 BC
Balaam's Counsel to Balak
Balak, king of Moab, hired the prophet Balaam to curse the Israelites. Unable to curse them directly, Balaam advised Balak to lure the Israelites into sin through sexual immorality and idolatry, specifically by mingling with Moabite women and participating in their worship.
c. 1400 BC
Israel's Sin at Peor
Following Balaam's counsel, the Moabite women seduced the Israelite men, leading them to worship Baal of Peor and engage in sexual immorality. This resulted in a plague that killed thousands of Israelites.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Midian
In response to the sin at Peor, God commanded Israel to attack and conquer the Midianites (who had joined with Moab). Balaam was among those killed in this campaign, a consequence of his treacherous advice.
c. AD 90 - AD 96— this verse
John Writes Revelation
The Apostle John, exiled to the island of Patmos, receives visions from Christ and is commanded to write letters to seven churches in Asia Minor, detailing their spiritual state.
This passage directly recounts the event where the Israelites were enticed by Moabite women into sexual immorality and idolatry, directly mirroring the 'stumbling block' Balaam advised Balak to create.
Deuteronomy 23:3-6This passage shows God's lasting judgment on the Moabites for their part in this sin against Israel, highlighting the severe consequences of the temptation Balaam orchestrated.
2 Peter 2:15-16Peter explicitly connects Balaam's sin to false teachers who lead others astray, describing his 'transgression' as being willing to sin for profit and becoming a 'stumbling block'.
Jude 1:11Jude also links false teachers to the 'way of Balaam,' emphasizing their rebellion and greedy pursuit of gain that corrupts the community, much like the compromise seen in Pergamos.
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…
While the church in Pergamos held firm to Jesus' name, they allowed a dangerous compromise: some members actively taught the "doctrine of Balaam." This wasn't just a theological debate; it was about allowing practices that blurred the lines between worshiping God and participating in idolatrous feasts and sexual immorality, which Balaam had cunningly orchestrated to weaken Israel.
Jesus commends the church in Pergamos for its faithfulness, even amidst intense persecution. However, He immediately pivots to a serious accusation: they are tolerating within their community those who follow the "teaching of Balaam." This refers back to the incident in the Old Testament where the Moabite king Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel, but Balaam ultimately blessed them. Instead, Balaam advised Balak on a strategy to make Israel sin against God by seducing them into idolatry and sexual immorality, leading to divine judgment.
Jesus commends the church in Pergamos for its faithfulness, even amidst intense persecution. However, He immediately pivots to a serious accusation: they are tolerating within their community those who follow the "teaching of Balaam." This refers back to the incident in the Old Testament where the Moabite king Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel, but Balaam ultimately blessed them. Instead, Balaam advised Balak on a strategy to make Israel sin against God by seducing them into idolatry and sexual immorality, leading to divine judgment.
"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.…" — While the church in Pergamos held firm to Jesus' name, they allowed a dangerous compromise: some members actively taught the "doctrine of Balaam." This wasn't just a theological debate; it was about…
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Last reviewed October 2026
