Exposition of Revelation 2:14 and the Nicolaitans

Revelation 2:14, part of the letter to the church in Pergamum, states, "But I have a few things against you, because you have there those 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" (ESV). This verse identifies a significant problem within the Pergamene church: the presence of individuals who adhere to a doctrine likened to that of Balaam, leading believers into idolatry and sexual sin.

The broader context of Revelation 2–3 consists of seven letters addressed to specific churches in Asia Minor. Each letter follows a similar structure, beginning with a description of Christ, followed by commendation, critique, exhortation, and a promise to the overcomer ^[9]. The letter to Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17) addresses a church situated in a city known for its pagan worship, including temples to Zeus and Asclepius, and a center for the imperial cult ^[7]. This environment likely contributed to the pressures faced by Christians to compromise their faith.

The core issue in Revelation 2:14 is the "teaching of Balaam." This refers to the Old Testament account in Numbers 25 and 31, where Balaam advised Balak, king of Moab, to entice the Israelites into idolatry and sexual immorality through intermarriage with Moabite women and participation in their pagan feasts ^{[2, 7]}. The result was a plague that killed 24,000 Israelites (Numbers 25:1-9). By drawing this parallel, the author of Revelation highlights a similar spiritual danger within the Pergamene church. The "stumbling block" (Greek: skandalon) refers to anything that causes one to sin or fall away from faith ^[2].

The specific practices condemned are eating "food sacrificed to idols" and engaging in "sexual immorality" ^[7]. These were critical issues for early Christians, as evidenced by the Jerusalem Council's decree in Acts 15:20, 29, which explicitly prohibited these very actions ^{[1, 4]}. Eating idol-meat was often associated with participation in pagan festivals, which could involve immoral behavior ^{[1, 7]}.

Revelation 2:15 immediately follows, stating, "So also you have those who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in the same way" (ESV). This verse directly links the "teaching of Balaam" with the "doctrine of the Nicolaitans." The Nicolaitans are also mentioned in the letter to Ephesus, where the Ephesians are commended for hating their "deeds" (Revelation 2:6) ^{[3, 9]}. While little is definitively known about the Nicolaitans, early church fathers like Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian associated them with Nicolas, one of the seven deacons mentioned in Acts 6:5 ^{[4, 8, 9]}. However, this connection is debated, with some scholars suggesting that Nicolas himself was not the founder of the sect, but that the group was named after him or that the name was symbolic ^{[5, 8]}.

Regardless of their precise origin, the Nicolaitans are consistently depicted as promoting practices that involved eating food sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality ^{[1, 4, 8]}. Adam Clarke notes that they were "a sect of the Gnostics, who taught the most impure doctrines, and followed the most impure practices," including the "community of wives" and considering "adultery and fornication... things indifferent" ^[8]. John Gill suggests that their doctrines, which "forbid marriage to the priests, and recommended celibacy and virginity to others also," were a "source of all uncleanness and abominable lusts" ^[6]. The comparison to Balaam suggests that the Nicolaitans were leading believers into compromise with pagan culture, blurring the lines between Christian faith and idolatrous practices ^{[3, 7]}.

The condemnation of both the "teaching of Balaam" and the "doctrine of the Nicolaitans" highlights a persistent challenge for the early church: maintaining purity and distinctiveness in a pagan world. The Pergamene church was criticized not for actively participating in these sins, but for tolerating those who held and taught such doctrines within their fellowship ^[10]. This tolerance posed a significant threat to the spiritual health and integrity of the community. The call to repentance in Revelation 2:16 underscores the seriousness of this compromise.

Sources

Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Nicolaitans — (followers of Nicolas), a sect mentioned in (Revelation 2:6,15) whose deeds were strongly condemned. They may have been identical with those who held the doctrine of Balaam. They seem to have held that it was lawful to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication, in opposition to the decree of the Church rendered in (Acts 15:20,29) The teachers of the Church branded them with a name which expressed their true character. The men who did and taught such things were followers of Balaam. (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 1:11) They, like the false prophet of”
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge “Revelation 2:14 cross-references: Numbers 24:14, Numbers 25:1, Numbers 31:8, Numbers 31:16, Joshua 24:9, Isaiah 57:14, Jeremiah 6:21, Ezekiel 3:20, Ezekiel 44:12, Matthew 18:7, Acts 15:20, Acts 15:29, Acts 21:25, Romans 9:32, Romans 11:9, Romans 14:13, Romans 14:21, 1 Corinthians 1:23, 1 Corinthians 6:13, 1 Corinthians 7:2, 1 Corinthians 8:4, 1 Corinthians 10:18, Hebrews 13:4, 1 Peter 2:8, 2 Peter 2:15, Jude 1:11, Revelation 2:4, Revelation 2:20, Revelation 21:8, Revelation 22:15”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Nicolaitanes — The church at Ephesus (Rev. 2:6) is commended for hating the "deeds" of the Nicolaitanes, and the church of Pergamos is blamed for having them who hold their "doctrines" (15). They were seemingly a class of professing Christians, who sought to introduce into the church a false freedom or licentiousness, thus abusing Paul's doctrine of grace (comp. 2 Pet. 2:15, 16, 19), and were probably identical with those who held the doctrine of Baalam (q.v.), Rev. 2:14.”
Revelation (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Revelation 2:6: 2:6 Not much is known of the Nicolaitans, but their teaching (2:15) seems to link them with those who ate food sacrificed to idols and who were involved in sexual immorality, behavior prohibited by the council in Jerusalem (see Acts 15:20, 29). Irenaeus argued (about AD 180) that the Nicolaitans were dependent on Nicolas (Acts 6:3-5) and that John’s writings were directed against the heresies of the Nicolaitans who followed Cerinthus (see 1 John Book Introduction, “Setting”).”
Revelation (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Revelation 2:6: But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans,.... Though these Christians had left their first love, yet they bore an hatred to the filthy and impure practices of some men, who were called "Nicolaitans"; who committed fornication, adultery, and all uncleanness, and had their wives in common, and also ate things offered to idols; who were so called, as some think (c), from Nicolas of Antioch, one of the seven deacons in Act 6:5; though as to Nicolas himself, it is said (d), that he lived with his own lawful married wife, and no other, and that h”
Revelation (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Revelation 2:15: So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans,.... These impure heretics sprung up in the time of the apostolic church, but their doctrines were not received, and their deeds were hated, see Rev 2:6. This seems to design the doctrines of the church of Rome, which in this period took place; which forbid marriage to the priests, and recommended celibacy and virginity to others also; which were the source of all uncleanness and abominable lusts; for which pardons and indulgences were given, and, in process of time, brothel houses were set up, and l”
Revelation (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Revelation 2:14: 2:14-15 Some in Pergamum were syncretists, combining Christianity with paganism and engaging in immoral activities. John compares them to Balaam, who lured Israel into sin (see Num 25:1-3; 2 Pet 2:15; Jude 1:11). • Nicolaitans: see study note on Rev 2:6.”
Revelation (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Revelation 2:6: The deeds of the Nicolaitanes - These were, as is commonly supposed, a sect of the Gnostics, who taught the most impure doctrines, and followed the most impure practices. They are also supposed to have derived their origin from Nicolas, one of the seven deacons mentioned Act 6:5 (note). The Nicolaitanes taught the community of wives, that adultery and fornication were things indifferent, that eating meats offered to idols was quite lawful; and mixed several pagan rites with the Christian ceremonies. Augustine, Irenaeus, Clemens Alexandrinus, and Tertullian, have ”
Revelation (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Revelation 2:6: But--How graciously, after necessary censure, He returns to praise for our consolation, and as an example to us, that we would show, when we reprove, we have more pleasure in praising than in fault-finding. hatest the deeds--We should hate men's evil deeds, not hate the men themselves. Nicolaitanes--IRENÃ†US [Against Heresies, 1.26.3] and TERTULLIAN [Prescription against Heretics, 46] make these followers of Nicolas, one of the seven (honorably mentioned, Act 6:3, Act 6:5). They (CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA [Miscellanies, 2.20 3.4] and EPIPHANIUS [Her”
Revelation (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Revelation 2:15: thou--emphatic: "So THOU also hast," As Balak and the Moabites of old had Balaam and his followers literally, so hast thou also them that hold the same Balaamite or Nicolaitane doctrine spiritually or symbolically. Literal eating of idol-meats and fornication in Pergamos were accompanied by spiritual idolatry and fornication. So TRENCH explains. But I prefer taking it, "THOU also," as well as Ephesus ("in like manner" as Ephesus; see below the oldest reading), hast . . . Nicolaitanes, with this important difference, Ephesus, as a Church, hates them”

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