Revelation 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. FEW - in comparison of many tokens of thy faithfulness. HOLD THE DOCTRINE (TEACHING) OF BALAAM - that which he "taught Balac." Compare "the counsel of Balaam," Numbers 31:16. Balac is dative, whence Bengel, 'taught (the Moabites) for (i:e., to please) Balac.' But though in Numbers it is not expressly said he taught Balac, yet there is nothing inconsistent with his having done so; Josephus ('Antiquities,' 4:, 6, 6) says he did. The dative is a Hebraism for the accusative. STUMBLINGBLOCK - literally, that part of a trap on which...

12-17 The word of God is a sword, able to slay both sin and sinners. It turns and cuts every way; but the believer need not fear this sword; yet this confidence cannot be supported without steady obedience. As our Lord notices all the advantages and opportunities we have for duty in the places where we dwell, so he notices our temptations and discouragements from the same causes. In a situation of trials, the church of Pergamos had not denied the faith, either by open apostacy, or by giving way so as to avoid the cross. Christ commends their stedfastness, but reproves their sinful failures. A wrong view of gospel doctrine and Christian liberty, was a root of bitterness from which evil practices grew. Repentance is the duty of churches and bodies of men, as well as of particular persons; those who sin together, should repent together. Here is the promise of favour to those that overcome....

Verse Revelation 2:14. _I HAVE A FEW THINGS AGAINST THEE_] Their _good deeds_ are first carefully sought out and commended; what was _wrong_ in them is touched with a gentle but effectual hand. The followers of Balaam, the Nicolaitanes, and the Gnostics, were probably all the same kind of persons; but Revelation 2:6. What the doctrine of Balaam was, see the notes on Numbers 24:1; Numbers 31:1. It appears that there were some then in the Church at Pergamos who held eating things offered to idols in honour of those idols, and fornication, indifferent things. They associated with idolaters in the heath

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 first love”; but it is spoken in commendation of them that they “hated the deeds of the Nicolaitanes,” Revelation 2:6. Here the charge is, that they tolerated that sect among them, and that they had among them also those who held the doctrine of Balaam. Their general course had been such that the Saviour could approve it; he did not approve, however, of their tolerating those who held to pernicious practical error - error that tended to sap the very foundation of morals. Because thou hast there the

EXPOSITION REVELATION 3:1 _The epistles to the seven Churches. _Once more we have to consider rival interpretations. Of these we may safely set aside all those which make the seven letters to be pictures of _successive periods _in the history of the Church. On the other hand, we may safely deny that the letters are _purely typical, _and relate to nothing definite in history. Rather they are _both historical and typical. _They refer primarily to the actual condition of the several Churches in St. John's own day, and then are intended for the instruction, encouragement, and warning of the Church and the Churches throughout all time. The Catholic Church, or any one of its branches, will at any period find itself reflected in one or other of the seven Churches. For two Churches, Smyrna and Philadelphia, there is nothing but

BUT I HAVE A FEW THINGS AGAINST THEE,.... The members of this church before their open separation from the apostasy; who still continued in the communion of the corrupt church of Rome, though they remonstrated against the errors and evil practices that crept in; and so were a stumbling block, and a snare to others to join in their idolatry and superstition: BECAUSE THOU HAST THERE THEM THAT HOLD THE DOCTRINE OF BALAAM, WHO TAUGHT BALAK TO CAST A STUMBLING BLOCK BEFORE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, TO EAT THINGS SACRIFICED UNTO IDOLS, AND TO COMMIT FORNICATION: which latter was in order to the former: the instruction Balaam gave to Balak, which is here called his doctrine, was, that Balak should get some of the most beautiful women in his kingdom to ply the men of Israel, and draw them into uncleanness, and so to idolatry; by which means, God being angry with them, he might get an advantage o...

THE "DOCTRINE" OF BALAAM The doctrine of Balaam Compare (_ See Scofield) - (2 Peter 2:15); _ (_ See Scofield) - (Jude 1:11) _ was his teaching Balak to corrupt the people who could not be cursed. (Numbers 31:15); (Numbers 31:16); (Numbers 22:5); (Numbers 23:8) by tempting them to marry women of Moab, defile their separation, and abandon their pilgrim character. It is that union with the world and the church which is spiritual

II. THE THINGS WHICH ARE, THE SEVEN CHURCH MESSAGES, AND THEIR PROPHETIC MEANING CHAPTER 2 _ 1. Ephesus: The post-apostolic period (Revelation 2:1)_ 2. Smyrna: The period of persecution (Revelation 2:8) 3. Pergamos: The corruption period (Revelation 2:12) 4. Thyatira: The Romish corruption (Revelation 2:18) The two Chapter s which follow the introductory chapter contain seven messages to seven local churches which were in existence in the province of Asia in the days when the Apostle John was prisoner in the isle of Patmos. The view held by the late Dr. Bullinge

REVELATION 2:1 TO REVELATION 3:22. THE LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES. These letters are addressed to individual churches, but their messages are intended for the Church as a whole. In every letter there occurs the phrase, He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches....

THE CITY OF _PERGAMOS_ STOOD ABOUT TWENTY MILES FROM THE SEA, AND WAS ONCE CAPITAL OF. KINGDOM BY THE SAME NAME. IT STILL EXISTS, IS CALLED BERGAMOS, AND HAS. POPULATION OF ABOUT 14,000, OF WHOM 3,300 ARE NOMINALLY CHRISTIANS. THE SEVEN CHURCHES.--At the time when John wrote there were hundreds of churches in existence. On the Asiatic Continent many had been founded in Judea, Syria, and elsewhere, and in the district of which Ephesus was the commercial metropolis, and which was especially designated as _Asia,_ we know that in the last quarter of the first century there were not only the seven churches named, but Colossae, Hierapolis, and perhaps many more. Why then should the Lord direct his message to the seven churches alone? If the reader will turn over the pages of Revelation he will be surprised by the frequency with which the number _seven_ occurs. There are the Seven Spirits of Go...