Verse 14:[1] But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of (Num. 24:14; 25:1; 31:16; 2 Pet. 2:15; Jude 11) Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, (Rev. 2:20; Acts 15:29; 1 Cor. 8:9, 10; 10:19, 20) to eat things sacrificed unto idols, (1 Cor. 6:13, etc.) and to commit fornication.
[But I have against thee a few things] Namely, things about to be said (Ribera); or, which I would sett before thee, and which I would have emended by thee (Menochius). See Revelation 2:4 (Grotius). He attributes the errors of the people to the Bishop (Gagnæus).
But I have a few things against thee; though I have much to commend thee for, yet I have some things to accuse thee of, and to complain of thee for.
[The doctrine of Balaam] Thus He calls the doctrine of the Nicolaitans (Menochius), which was almost equivalent to that (Durham); for both permitted them to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to consort with prostitutes promiscuously (Pareus, thus Ribera, Menochius, Durham, Cluverus, Gagnæus). See Numbers 23-25 (Erasmus, Junius, Piscator, etc.).
Because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam: by the doctrine of Balaam, he means the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, (as he expounds himself, verse 15,) which was like the doctrine of Balaam.
[Who taught Balac (King of the Midianites, Numbers 22 and following: But that was is narrated in Numbers 25 was done by the counsel of Balaam, is apparent out of the tradition always among the Hebrews, as we said on Numbers 25; Micah 6:5; 2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11: And that very thing is able to be gathered out of Numbers 31:16 [Grotius]) to cast a stumblingblock (or, to throw an obstacle [Beza, Piscator], that is, to send the women who by their appearance would be for a stumblingblock [Ribera, Menochius]) before the children of Israel] That is, To plot the ruin of the Israelites, by making God angry with them. Thus σκάνδαλον/stumblingblock is taken in Joshua 23:13;[2] 1 Samuel 18:21;[3] Psalm 69:22;[4] 106:36.[5] Ἐνώπιον/before with the Genitive here[6] means as much as the Dative. Thus לִפְנֵי/before often in the writings of the Hebrews. In a manuscript it is, ὃς ἐδίδαξε τῷ Βάλακ βασιλεῖ σκάνδαλον, who taught for Balac the king a stumblingblock,[7] that is, he taught the Midianites unto the advantage and according to the requests of Balac the King (Grotius).
[To eat, etc., φαγεῖν, etc.] To eat things sacrificed to idols (or, offered to images [Beza, Piscator], namely, by the Moabitish and Midianite women [Piscator]: Not only did those Israelites eat of things offered, but they also presented worship to the gods of the Midianites: However, here Christ considered it sufficient reference what those Israelites had in common with the Nicolaitans [Grotius]) and to fornicate (Montanus). With the women mentioned (Piscator, thus Drusius), who were enticing them to fornication, upon the condition that they would previously venerate Chemosh, the idol of Moab,[8] or at least eat flesh offered to it. Now, this was the counsel of Balaam, that the Hebrews might be deserted and punished by God, offended by such sins, and thus be overcome by the Moabites (Tirinus).
Who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel; that Balaam of whom we read, Numbers 24; 25, who being sent for by Balak the king of Moab to come and curse Israel, and finding that God restrained him, and turned his tongue from cursing them to pronounce blessings to them, instructed Balak at last how to lay a stumblingblock before them, to make them to fall, namely, to set the Moabitish women to tempt them to commit uncleanness with them, and so to feast with them in their idols’ temples, and eat of their meat first offered unto their idols.
[1] Greek: ἀλλ᾽ ἔχω κατὰ σοῦ ὀλίγα, ὅτι ἔχεις ἐκεῖ κρατοῦντας τὴν διδαχὴν Βαλαάμ, ὃς ἐδίδασκε τὸν Βαλὰκ βαλεῖν σκάνδαλον ἐνώπιον τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ, φαγεῖν εἰδωλόθυτα καὶ πορνεῦσαι.
[2] Joshua 23:13a: “Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps (לְפַ֣ח וּלְמוֹקֵ֗שׁ; εἰς παγίδας καὶ εἰς σκάνδαλα, in the Septuagint) unto you (לָכֶם; ὑμῖν, in the Dative)…”
[3] 1 Samuel 18:21a: “And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare (לְמוֹקֵ֔שׁ; εἰς σκάνδαλον, in the Septuagint) to him (לוֹ; αὐτῷ, in the Dative), and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him…”
[4] Psalm 69:22: “Let their table become a snare (לְפָח; εἰς παγίδα, in the Septuagint) before them (לִפְנֵיהֶם; ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν, in the Septuagint): and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap (לְמוֹקֵשׁ; εἰς σκάνδαλον, in the Septuagint).”
[5] Psalm 106:36: “And they served their idols: which were a snare (לְמוֹקֵשׁ; εἰς σκάνδαλον, in the Septuagint) unto them (לָהֶם; αὐτοῖς, in the Dative).”
[6] Greek: ἐνώπιον τῶν υἱῶν.
[7] Codex Alexandrinus.
[8] See Numbers 21:29.
I certainly seems so, Ron.
I think that there are ever present dangers in participating in a measure in pagan religious practices, giving the appearance of approval, which could prove a snare to others.
And the world has always presented its sexual temptations.
Enjoying the online course lessons on these verses. Both words remembered and caution raised is well needed in our times.
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.
I also have observed that there was a time in Acts where similar words were presented as the few “rules” to the Gentiles. It is surprising how often this is repeated in the text. James speaks it, they agree, they write it down, they send back Paul and Barnabas; and two of their own namely, Judas surnamed…
Thomas Boston's The Church's Prayer against the Antichristian Beast: 'The neglect of the exercise of church-discipline by church-judicatories, greater or lesser, in order to the purging of the church of scandalous members, Revelation 2:14. This has been and is the sin of the Church of Scotland, for which God may justly take his keys out of our hand. And now matters are come to that pass in most congregations, through the land, and has ever so been in this congregation since I knew it, that the vigorous exercise of discipline cannot be to edification, Galatians 5:12, the disease being turned too strong for the cure. May the Lord convince them powerfully, and check them effectually, that make it so!'
John Owen's The Glorious Mystery of the Person of Christ: 'The defence of the truth, from the beginning, was left in charge unto, and managed by, the guides and rulers of the church in their several capacities. And by the Scripture it was that they discharged their duty, confirmed with apostolical tradition consonant thereunto. This was left in charge unto them by the great apostle, (Acts 20:28-31; 1 Timothy 6:13, 14; 2 Timothy 2:1, 2, 15, 23, 24; 4:1-5,) and wherein any of them failed in this duty, they were reproved by Christ himself: Revelation 2:14, 15, 20. Nor were private believers (in their places and capacities) either unable for this duty or exempt from it, but discharged themselves faithfull…
Westminster Larger Catechism 109: 'What are the sins forbidden in the second commandment?
The sins forbidden in the second commandment are, all devising, counselling, commanding, using, and anywise approving, any religious worship not instituted by God himself; tolerating a false religion (Revelation 2:14, 15)'