But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.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, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.
3 sermons cite this verse
You're still faithful. Some of you, but against the larger group we could assume, I think, have a few things against you, verse 14. You have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel to eat things sacrificed to idols and commit acts of immorality. Balaam was a prophet who was trying to, under the leadership of Balak, king of Moab, seduce women, Moabite women, to seduce Jewish men to have intermarriage and bring about idolatry. And that's exactly what happened, idolatry and immorality. In verse 15, he says, you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. And so now there are some still mingling with idolatry and immorality, which was not only a part of Balaam's identification back in Numbers 22, but also a part of the paganism from which these churches had emerged. You have some that have bought into the false teaching freedoms of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent, or else I'm coming to you quickly. …
… And then he goes on to talk about being where Satan's throne is. And then he says, verse 14, I have a few things against you because you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam. This would be perversion of the truth, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and commit acts of immorality. So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans, which is another deviation from the truth. And then, verse 16, therefore repent, or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them. Not against you, but against them. Who is them? All those leading the corruption described in verses 14 and 15. I will war against them with the sword of My mouth. This is the sword that He uses. It's two-edged. It's a ram faya. It's a huge broadsword, cuts every way. You know me by now. You know I want to fight against unsound doctrine, false teachers, and false teaching, and cults and deceivers, and frauds and fakes who seek to infiltrate the church. …
… Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Belak 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. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it. And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, The words of the Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. …