Revelation 2:6 tells the church in Ephesus that Jesus sees and approves of one thing in them: they hate the practices of a group called the Nicolaitans, and he hates those practices too. In plain terms, the verse commends a church for refusing to accept teaching and behavior that Christ rejects. Jesus speaks these words in the letters to the seven churches of Asia, written in the opening chapters of Revelation. The words are addressed to the “angel” of the assembly in Ephesus, a figure most readers understand as the church’s leadership or representative.
But this you have, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Revelation 2:6 (WEB)
What Revelation 2:6 Means
The verse opens with “But this you have,” which signals a contrast. Just before this, Jesus has praised the Ephesians for their endurance and their faithfulness, then rebuked them for leaving their first love. Verse 6 is one of the good things he still sees in them. The church has not drifted into everything that is wrong.
The phrase “you hate the works” is strong language. The Greek word for hate here describes a settled, active opposition, not mere dislike. The object of that hatred is “the works,” meaning the actions and habits that express a way of life. Jesus does not say the church hates the people who held these views. He says they reject the deeds that came from them.
The verse does not spell out what the Nicolaitans taught or did, so readers should be careful not to claim more than the text supports. It does promise nothing directly to Ephesus in this line. Its job is to affirm that the church’s moral clarity pleases Christ, and that Christ shares their opposition to what is false and harmful.
The Context of Revelation 2:6
Revelation is traditionally attributed to the apostle John, who wrote it while exiled on the island of Patmos, and it was sent to real congregations in western Asia Minor in the late first century. Each of the seven letters follows a similar pattern: a description of Christ, a commendation, a rebuke where needed, and a call to overcome. Ephesus receives both praise and a serious warning in the same passage, which is why verse 6 has to be read alongside verses 4 and 5.
The verses that come right after, verse 7, end with a promise to the one who overcomes: access to the tree of life. So verse 6 sits between a warning about lost love and a promise of reward. It reminds readers that faithfulness involves both loving God and resisting what corrupts that love. The church is praised for holding the line, and encouraged to keep holding it while returning to its first devotion.
Key Phrases in Revelation 2:6
Romans 12:9
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good.
(WEB)
Paul tells believers to hate what is evil and cling to what is good. It parallels Revelation 2:6 by joining love and moral resistance, showing that hating evil is part of genuine love rather than its opposite.
Revelation 2:4
But I have this against you, that you left your first love.
(WEB)
This is the rebuke that comes immediately before verse 6. Reading it alongside verse 6 shows that the Ephesians’ strengths did not excuse their drifting love, and that faithfulness must include both zeal for truth and warmth toward God.
A Short Prayer From Revelation 2:6
Lord, you see what is true and what is false, and you hate the works that lead your people away from you. Give me clear eyes to recognize what dishonors you, and a steady heart to refuse it without bitterness. Where I have grown comfortable with compromise, show me gently and firmly. Keep my love for you warm while my convictions stay strong. Let my life reflect the same hatred of evil that you have. Amen.
