“But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”
My Notes
What Does Revelation 2:6 Mean?
"But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." Christ speaks to the Ephesian church with a COMMENDATION embedded in the rebuke: you HATE the deeds of the Nicolaitans — AND I HATE THEM TOO. The shared hatred is the commendation. The Ephesians and Christ agree on what's DETESTABLE. The church that has lost its first love (verse 4) still has its moral discernment. The love may have cooled. The hatred of evil hasn't.
The phrase "thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans" (miseis ta erga tōn Nikolaitōn — you hate the works of the Nicolaitans) commends MORAL REVULSION: the Nicolaitans (likely a group promoting sexual immorality and idol-feast participation) produce WORKS that the Ephesian church HATES. The hatred isn't personal animosity. It's MORAL repulsion — the instinctive recoiling from behavior that violates God's standards. The hatred of the DEEDS (not the people) is the distinction.
The "which I also hate" (ha kagō misō — which I also hate) is CHRIST'S AGREEMENT: Jesus hates the same things the Ephesians hate. The shared hatred validates the Ephesians' moral sense. The agreement between Christ and church on what's detestable is itself a form of spiritual health. The church that hates what Christ hates has its moral compass ALIGNED — even when other things (first love) have drifted.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does Christ hate that you also hate — and is the alignment intact?
- 2.What does moral discernment surviving the loss of first love teach about partial spiritual health?
- 3.How does hating the DEEDS (not the people) describe righteous moral revulsion?
- 4.What does Christ saying 'I ALSO hate' teach about shared moral alignment between the Lord and His church?
Devotional
You hate the Nicolaitans' deeds. I hate them TOO. Christ commends the Ephesians for moral alignment: the church and the Lord share the SAME hatred. What Christ finds detestable, Ephesus finds detestable. The moral compass is aligned even though the first love has cooled (verse 4).
The 'thou hatest the deeds' commends MORAL DISCERNMENT that survived other failures: the Ephesian church has PROBLEMS (they've left their first love, verse 4). But they haven't lost EVERYTHING. They still HATE what should be hated. The moral sense is intact even when the romantic devotion has faded. The church that lost its love kept its disgust. The hatred of evil survived the cooling of passion.
The 'of the Nicolaitans' identifies a SPECIFIC heretical group: the Nicolaitans (mentioned only here and in 2:15) likely promoted participation in pagan practices — idol-feast attendance, sexual immorality normalized as Christian freedom. The Ephesians rejected these PRACTICES (deeds, not just teachings). The hatred was practical, not just theoretical. They didn't just disagree intellectually. They HATED the behavior.
The 'which I also hate' is Christ AGREEING with the church: the validation comes from the HIGHEST authority. Christ doesn't just tolerate the Ephesians' hatred. He SHARES it. The 'I also' (kagō) means: this isn't just YOUR moral sense operating. It's MINE. The hatred of evil that the Ephesians practice is the SAME hatred Christ has. The moral alignment between church and Lord is itself a commendation.
What does Christ HATE that you also hate — and is your moral compass still aligned with His?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
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Cross References
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