Revelation 2:15 is Jesus warning the church in Pergamum that some members have adopted the teaching of a group called the Nicolaitans, and that this is a serious problem he will not overlook. The verse is short, but it names a real danger: a congregation can keep its faith in general while quietly accepting ideas that pull it away from what Christ has taught. The words come from the risen Christ, speaking through John to the church in Pergamum in the book of Revelation.
So you also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans likewise.
Revelation 2:15 (WEB)
What Revelation 2:15 Means
The phrase “you also have some who hold to the teaching” points to a specific group inside the congregation, not the whole church. Jesus is saying that some believers have embraced a body of teaching that conflicts with his standards. The word “likewise” links this group to the Balaam teaching mentioned in the previous verse, suggesting that both lead believers toward compromise with the surrounding pagan culture.
What the verse does not do is describe the Nicolaitans in detail. Scholars debate their exact beliefs, and the text itself gives only a few clues, mainly that they encouraged eating food sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality. The verse does not promise that every false idea will be instantly removed, and it does not give a formula for keeping a church pure. It simply shows that Christ sees what is taught and tolerated among his people, and he takes it seriously.
The Context of Revelation 2:15
The book of Revelation was written by John, traditionally identified as the apostle, to churches in the Roman province of Asia during a period of pressure and sometimes persecution. Pergamum was a major city with temples to many gods and a strong imperial cult, so Christians there faced constant social and economic pressure to join in pagan practices. Verse 15 sits between two references to Balaam’s teaching in verse 14 and a call to repentance in verse 16.
Reading the verse in this setting changes its tone. The warning is not about strangers outside the church but about teaching that has crept in among the faithful, and Jesus pairs it with a call to repent rather than with condemnation alone. That pairing shows that the goal of the warning is restoration, even as he promises to act against persistent error.
Key Phrases in Revelation 2:15
Jude 1:3
Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
(WEB)
Jude urges believers to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. This pairs naturally with Revelation 2:15 because both call Christians to guard the truth against teaching that would weaken it.
2 Timothy 4:3
For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts…
(WEB)
Paul warns that people will gather teachers who tell them what their ears want to hear. This connects to Revelation 2:15 by showing how false teaching often grows from a desire for comfort rather than from open rebellion against God.
A Short Prayer From Revelation 2:15
Lord Jesus, you see clearly what is taught and tolerated among your people, and I ask you to give me a discerning heart. Help me to recognize teaching that pulls away from your truth, and give me the courage to test what I hear against your word. Where I have grown comfortable with something that dishonors you, show me and lead me to repent. Keep your church faithful and let my life reflect your holiness. Amen.
