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. 15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. (Revelation 2:14-16 KJV)
Thomas Scott
Verses 14-16: The Lord had, however, a few things to allege against this church; because they permitted in the communion, or otherwise connived at, some of those licentious teachers against whom his apostles had protested, 2Pe 2:1-22; Jude 1:1-25 even such as “held the doctrine of Balaam.” For that wicked man, though really favoured with prophetic visions, had yet, “for filthy lucre’s sake,” plotted mischief against Israel, by teaching Balak to seduce them into idolatry ad fornication; Nu 25:1-18 and thus to thrown in their way an occasion of falling into sin and under the wrath of God. In like manner, the church at Pergamos contained persons who held “the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes,” which thing (that is, the doctrine, and all which was connected with it) Christ hated. Hence it is evident that the teachers of this sect sought “the wages of unrighteousness,” by endeavouring to corrupt and pervert professed Christians; and that, in order to obtain them, they laid stumblingblocks in their way, and on some pretence or other encouraged and enticed them to join in the idolatrous feasts of their neighbours, and on those occasions, and at other times, to commit fornication. They might perhaps inculcate the lawfulness of dissembling their religion to escape persecution, which is an occasion of falling to numbers in such circumstances; and joining in the idolatry and excess of the heathen worship would effectually answer this end. They, however, certainly grafted this prevarication on more general principles; and an erroneous and perverted view of the evangelical doctrine, concerning salvation by free grace, and concerning Christian liberty, constituted “the root of bitterness” from which their evil practices naturally grew. “They turned the grace of God into lasciviousness,” and taught others to do the same, and were the antinomians of the primitive church; a heresy which, in one form or other, hath always hitherto sprung up when the true gospel of Christ hath been successful preached, being a kind of tare which the enemy will ever sow among the good seed, as far as he is permitted.—Many have supposed that this sect derived its name from Nicolas, one of the primitive deacons; and such a tradition prevailed early in the church. Yet the name was then so common, and might be given to this sect on so many other accounts, that there is no certainty in it. We read nothing of Nicolas in scripture to warrant so unfavourable an opinion of him: neither Peter nor Jude, who opposed heretics of the same stamp, called them by this name; and it may thence, almost with certainty, be concluded that it was afterwards given them. Some have noted that Nicolaus, I Greek, signifies the same as Balaam does in Hebrew, namely, “the conqueror of the people;” and have thence inferred, that they were so called from the influence which they obtained over men’s minds, and the fatal use which they made of it, as Balaam had done before them.—The Lord, however, commanded the church of Pergamos to repent and forsake these corrupt practices and principles; to exclude such scandalous and pernicious persons from their communion, and by every means to show a decided abhorrence of their tenets: otherwise he would quickly visit them in judgment, and fight against the deceivers, and all who countenanced them, “with the sword of his mouth,” inflicting the threatened vengeance on them; nay, he would even deprive the church of their abused privileges.—This city is at present in a very ruinous condition; very few professed Christians are found in it, and they are wholly dependent on the church at Smyrna, being in a most abject state, and having scarcely any thing of our holy religion except the empty name.—Who hold, Re 2:14-15; Mr 7:3 ‘Holding, that is, strictly, studiously, and with all their might, the traditions of the Elders.’—Leigh. Re 2:13,25; 3:11; 2Th 2:15