“But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” (Revelation 2:6)
When Christ addressed the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2, He commended their hatred of the deeds of the Nicolaitans whose false doctrine profaned His church and corrupted His people. Christ praised these believers for actively rejecting such heresy. He blessed them for their knowledge, spiritual discernment and allegiance to biblical truth.
False doctrine, like a deadly disease, spreads and infects. Paul warned Timothy that false teaching spreads “like gangrene” (2 Timothy 2:17), eating away at spiritual health and bringing decay to the body of Christ. To resist it calls for more than zeal; it requires scriptural knowledge, doctrinal clarity, and spiritual courage.
The Scriptures are not silent on how to handle heresy. Titus 3:10-11 commands that a divisive person, after proper warning, is to be rejected. Those who make shipwreck of the faith are to be exposed and removed (1 Timothy 1:19-20). Matthew 18 lays the foundation for discipline, not as cruelty, but as a means of seeking the good of the soul and the purity of the church. It is clear from Scripture that tolerating heresy is never love; it is spiritual negligence.
This does not mean that every disagreement among believers calls for separation. Lesser matters may be endured with charity. But any doctrine that assaults the foundations of the Gospel must be opposed. Any teaching that warps the nature of God, distorts the person of Christ, undermines grace, or redefines holiness is heresy. So to hate false doctrine is not an indication of pride but an evidence of faithfulness.
Such discernment begins with the Word; the Ephesians could spot error because they were grounded in truth. This is essential for every believer—to study, know, and apply Scripture rightly. Jude exhorts us to “contend earnestly for the faith once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3). In order to do this well, we must consistently study the scriptures, be vigilant for truth, and possess an unwavering affection for God’s Word.
God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). He loves order, clarity, and purity in His church. Yet He sometimes allows heresies to test His people because He delights in refining our faith. Augustine said it well: God permits errors not because He is powerless to remove them, but because He deems “it to be more befitting His power and goodness to bring good out of evil than to prevent the evil from coming into existence.”[1]
So let the church be prepared and equipped. Let her pastors be watchful. Let her people be discerning. And let every member prize truth above comfort, clarity above compromise, and Christ above all.
Contemplations:
- Loving what God loves, hating what He hates. Lord, make my heart conform to Yours. Let there be no divergence between what You delight in and what I pursue. You praised Ephesus for hating false doctrine; I want that same commendation but I need Your help to get there. Shape my desires and make them holy. Help me root out compromise and give me courage to stand against every lie.
- Holding fast to my First Love. Temptation isn’t always blatant heresy; sometimes it’s a spiritual drifting. I can hold the truth in my hand but lose the love of Christ in my heart. Let me never grow cold toward You, Lord. Help me remember the sweetness of Your Word, the privilege of Your ordinances, and the beauty of fellowship with the saints. Let zeal and affection grow together in me.
- Examining my own doctrine. Lord, show me if I’m holding any error in my heart. Am I clinging to misinterpretations out of pride or ignorance? Am I ignoring passages of Your Word that confront my comfort? I want to hate error not only in others but in myself. Help me be unsparing with falsehood, no matter how small or subtle, and let the truth sanctify every part of my understanding.
- Guarding truth in love. You call me to contend for the faith Lord. Help me be bold yet gentle, firm yet humble. Let me know Your Word so thoroughly that I can spot and resist what does not align with it. Let truth be the sword in my hand and holiness the seal on my life. Keep me pure, keep me diligent, and let me be a faithful servant in Your house.
Prayer (supplication):
Lord of truth and God of holiness, I come to You burdened by the danger of false doctrine in Your church. You are not a God of confusion, nor do You change with the whims of men. You have spoken clearly, and Your Word stands forever. But the enemy sows lies, and the hearts of many are dull. I ask You Lord, with urgency and trembling, to guard Your Church. And start with me.
Let my heart be attuned to Your will. Let me love what You love and hate what You hate. Let me not be indifferent to error nor tolerant of that which perverts the Gospel. You hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans. Teach me to do the same. Let me be so shaped by Your truth that error offends me, because it undermines the spiritual health of your people.
Lord, keep me close to my First Love. I do not want to be doctrinally precise and spiritually cold. I want to love You with my whole heart, to cherish Your truth not only in thought, but in practice. Help me not only teach what is right, but to live it with joy and reverence. Keep me from pride in knowledge, and let love for Christ be the root of all I do.
If I hold anything in error, expose it. Do not let me go on believing what is false, no matter how comfortable it may be. Rip it from me. Replace it with Your light. Make me honest, teachable, and courageous. Let no part of my thinking be opposed to Your Word and keep my heart supple to hear it.
Give me eyes to see the danger that error brings. Let me be gentle with the weak but firm with the rebellious, and give me wisdom to discern the difference. When false teaching arises, help me not shrink back. Give me boldness to stand, not for my own cause, but for the glory of Christ and the purity of His bride.
Help Your Church, Lord. Purge her of confusion. Cleanse her of compromise. Raise up shepherds who feed the flock with truth. Guard our pulpits. Guard our homes. Guard our children. Let every member be equipped with sound doctrine and a holy life. Let us be a people of the Book, filled with the Spirit and grounded in the Gospel.
And let us not be passive. Let us not grow dull. Rather help us contend—earnestly, humbly, and faithfully. That the truth might be preserved, the church built up, and Christ exalted.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further references for Revelation 2:6:
Rev. 2:14–15; Titus 1:9; 1 Tim. 1:10; Jer. 1:7; 2 Tim. 1:13; Titus 3:8.
[1] Augustine of Hippo, “The City of God,” in St. Augustin’s City of God and Christian Doctrine, ed. Philip Schaff, trans. Marcus Dods, vol. 2, A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, First Series (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company, 1887), 479..
