{That thou hatest} (hoti miseis). Accusative object clause
in apposition with outo (this). Trench tells of the words used
in ancient Greek for hatred of evil (misopon(8872)ia) and
misopon(8872)os (hater of evil), neither of which occurs in the
N.T., but which accurately describe the angel of the church in
Ephesus. {Of the Nicolaitans} ( (936e) Nikolait(936e)). Mentioned again
in verse 15 and really meant in verse 2 . Irenaeus and
Hippolytus take this sect to be followers of Nicolaus of Antioch,
one of the seven deacons ( Ac 6:5 ), a Jewish proselyte, who is
said to have apostatized. There was such a sect in the second
century (Tertullian), but whether descended from Nicolaus of
Antioch is not certain, though possible (Lightfoot). It is even
possible that the Balaamites of verse 14 were a variety of this
same sect (verse 15 ). {Which I also hate} (ha kag(9320)mis(935c)).
Christ himself hates the teachings and deeds of the Nicolaitans
(ha, not hous, deeds, not people), but the church in Pergamum
tolerated them.
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