Revelation 2:15

Revelation 2:15

Revelation 2:15
(KJV) So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
(1611 KJV) So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
(1587 Geneva Bible) Euen so hast thou them, that maintaine the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
(1526 Tyndale) Even so hast thou them that mayntayne the doctryne of the Nicolaytans which thynge I hate.
Counterfeit Versions
(1901 ASV) So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner.
(CEB) In the same way, you have some who follow the Nicolaitans’ teaching.
(CEV) Now some of you are following the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
(CSB) In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
(Douay-Rheims - Roman Catholic) So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaites.
(ESV) So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
(ERV) It is the same in your group. You have people who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
(GNB) In the same way you have people among you who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
(HCSB) In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
(THE MESSAGE) And why do you put up with the Nicolaitans, who do the same thing?
(NCV) You also have some who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
(NASB) 'So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
(NIV) Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
(NLV) You also have some who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans in the same way.
(NLT) In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching.
(RSV) So you also have some who hold the teaching of the Nicola'itans.
(NWT - Jehovah’s Witnesses) So you also, have those holding fast the teaching of the sect of Nicolaus likewise.
Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
outwV eceiV kai su kratountaV thn didachn twn nikolaitwn o misw

Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
outwV eceiV kai su kratountaV thn didachn nikolaitwn omoiwV
Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century
C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century
Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse
Stephanus (1550 A.D.)
1 (Minuscule) - Seventh century
Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Read “in like manner” instead of “which thing I hate”
Greisbach, Johann - 1805
Lachmann, Karl - 1842
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Wordsworth, Christopher - 1856 revised in 1870
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Weiss, Bernhard - 1894
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
Von Soden, Freiherr - 1902
Hodges and Farstad - Majority Text 1982 as corrected in 1985
Affected Teaching
In this verse God is specifically telling us that he hates the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. Now this doctrine has been debated over by many scholars as to what this doctrine may have been. The part that the Hort-Westcott leaves out is “which thing I hate.” The word “misoo” (I hate) is in the present tense. This means that whatever this doctrine was, is still around in present times and is still hated by God today, because it remains present tense. The word “Nicolaitian” comes from two Greek words “nikos” which means “conqueror” and “laos” which means people. So in essence this word means conqueror of the people. In many churches, the Pastor is in charge of the church and they normally take absolute control of the congregation which is against the biblical teachings for the spiritual gift of Pastor. They are to be under the authority of the Elders and the Bishop of the congregation who is the chief or ruling Elder. See my study “Should Pastor’s lead the Church?”
In the Roman Catholic church, the priest is the head of their particular parish. They are looked on as God’s personal representative in that assembly and this deception has been taught and accepted for 1800 years. When the Reformation came and Protestant denominations began to form, they followed the Roman Catholic system. They ordained one man to be head of each church. Ordination is a Roman Catholic tradition and is not found in the Bible. In the majority of churches, one man stands as absolute authority and if he is teaching error and is confronted, the truth bearer is castigated and normally thrown out of the church. This may be the error which God hates simply because He has given every Christian spiritual gifts which are to be used for the furtherance of the Kingdom and the building up of other Christians. There is nothing found in Scripture which teaches that Seminary and Bible College creates Pastors. The Pastor is a spiritual gift, not a ruling gift.
(Eph 4:11 KJV) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; If you notice, in Eph 4:11, the spiritual gift of “Pastor” is not a superior office but is listed along with the other spiritual gifts who also bring the word of God. The Pastor has spiritual authority over the congregation and as a shepherd watches the flocks of his master, the Pastor watches over the spiritual well-being of the congregation of the Lord. He is not to be elevated to god-status in the congregation and he is not to be looked upon as the final and only authority in the congregation.

(Luke 22:25-26 KJV) And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. {26} But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
(1 Pet 5:2-3 KJV) Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; {3} Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
Now back to Revelation 2:15. God specifically says that He hates this doctrine, however, the Hort-Westcott text removes “which thing I hate” and replaces it with the word “likewise.” This means nothing. By removing “which thing I hate” and lopping off the verse, we cannot tell whether God endorses that teaching or loathes it. Verse 16 commands the church at Pergamos to repent of that pernicious doctrine but when “which thing I hate” is removed from the verse, we are not sure what God is requiring the church at Pergamos to repent of. In my United Bible Societies 4^th edition of the Hort-Westcott text, there is no reason given as to why this section was removed.

Yet, we can give a real reason why it was removed. If God was referring to some super spiritual class of clergy that tries to exalt themselves over the flock of God, then it would make perfect sense to remove that from the text, so if you are one of those exalted clergy, as the Gnostics thought they were, as well as the seminary trained clergy of today, then the people will have no idea that God hates that idea of a class of exalted clergy which sets themselves up as rulers instead of examples to the flock as 1 Peter 5:3 states. No wonder so many Protestant churches have thrown the King James Bible out and replaced them with the Gnostic versions, it keeps the clergy exalted and the sheep in their rightful place sitting at their feet. This is nothing more than the spiritual abuse of Christians and the sorry part is that the majority of Christians still choose to remain biblically ignorant which paves the way for this situation in the church.

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