END OF TIME PROPHECIES 045

PERGAMOS     The Compromise     Revelation 2v14-15. 

"But I have a few things against you, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel,  to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.   So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate". 

The Lord now draws attention to doctrines which some of their members "hold."   It does not say they teach these doctrines, simply that they hold them.   These doctrines were of such a severe nature that they had to be dealt with even if only held.   He did not want them to be present in the church whilst holding such teachings in their hearts.   This does not give us licence to question every difference of interpretation.   The Lord is pointing to serious error.   So what are these doctrines?   It appears that the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes  is the New testament counterpart of the Old Testament doctrine of Balaam.   What the doctrine of Balaam was to Israel, the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes is to the church, although it came in many forms.    At Ephesus the Lord said He hated the deeds of the Nicolaitanes.   At Pergamos He hates their doctrine.   The deeds have become a doctrine; it is the usual pattern of human behavior; we decide how we want to live, then we find a doctrine to justify our behavior.   Jesus is indicating here that the modern heresy was similar to that of Balaam, so we can properly understand it.   

The story is found in Numbers chapters 22 - 25.   A summary of Balaam is given in the New Testament under three headings:

• The way of Balaam   -    2nd Peter 2v15-16     -     This was the prostitution of a spiritual gift for material gain; the practice of making merchandise of people for religious reasons.
• The error of Balaam     -     Jude verse 11     -  This was the secretly held idea that the will of God may be circumvented under cover of an outward respect for God; in short that a man may negotiate with God.   
• The doctrine of Balaam     -     Revelation 2v14     -     This is the counsel given to Balak king of Moab to ruin, by seduction, God's people who could not be cursed by divine permission; in short to bring them down morally when they were spiritually untouchable.   

The counsel Balaam gave to Balak is not recorded in Numbers chapter 25, but the dread results are.

Jesus interprets that doctrine of Balaam here in verse 14.   The result of Balaam's counsel, in other words, Balaam's doctrine, are recorded in Numbers 25v1-3  "The people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab and they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods and the people did eat and bowed to their gods.   And so Israel joined himself unto BAAL-PEOR."       In modern language they became unequally yoked morally and spiritually with idolaters.   The doctrine of the Nicolaitanes was similar; apparently they taught that it was okay to sin because the grace of God overcomes all sin, a very clever Satanic perversion of the grace of God.   Jude calls it  "turning the grace of God into lasciviousness (licence to sin)."   Paul anticipated this gross error in Romans 6v1, following his glorious exposition of the grace of God.   He says  "shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  God forbid!"   They promoted a belief that the sins of the spirit were forgiven, and that the sins of the body would die out with the body.    Thus they taught and practiced open sin while remaining in the faith.   Jesus said He hated this doctrine; it is the lowest form of religious corruption to accept the blessing of grace whilst indulging in sin.   Jesus did not hate the Nicolaitanes, only their doctrine.   This doctrine was now being held by people in the church, and so the seeds of destruction were nestling among them.   Next we shall see how the Lord acted against Israel, and how He is prepared to act against a church which harbours such evil thinking.