NOTES for Rev 2:18-29
Whereas the previous passages from this chapter spoke about general problems, today’s passage mentions a particular person, although apparently called not by her real name but by one that had served as a symbol of paganism and betrayal since Old Testament times. This matters to us because references to general problems often seem wholly unrelated to us personally. The sect of the Nicolaitans, one might think, has long since disappeared, and the cities listed in the text have long lived entirely different lives. But the apostle emphasizes separately that general rules are always considered as they apply to a particular person. Everyone answers before God for their choices and their life. Having chosen paganism and idolatry, whatever form they may take, we will have to give the Lord the strictest account of why we so often and so self-forgetfully renounced life with Him.