Maar Ik vind het níet goed van jullie, dat er bij jullie in de gemeente mensen zijn die leven volgens de ideeën van Bileam. Bileam leerde koning Balak hoe hij ervoor kon zorgen dat het volk Israël van God zou afdwalen. Hij zorgde ervoor dat het hele volk Israël ging meedoen met het aanbidden van afgoden en de mannen met allerlei vrouwen naar bed gingen.
Wat betekent dit?
In this verse from Revelation, Jesus is speaking to the church in Pergamum and criticizes them for having followers who hold teachings similar to Balaam's, which led others into sin by encouraging them to eat food sacrificed to idols and commit immoral acts.
Uitgelegd voor kinderen
Imagine you're playing with friends but some kids tell everyone they can do things that aren't good. That's what happened in this church too; some people there were saying it was okay to do bad things, just like Balaam did long ago when he tricked others into doing wrong.
Historische achtergrond
The Book of Revelation was written by John the Apostle around 96 AD during a period of Roman persecution. The letter is addressed to seven churches in Asia Minor, highlighting issues within these communities. This verse addresses a specific problem in Pergamum where false teachings were prevalent.
Toepassing voor vandaag
Today, this can apply when someone in your community or workplace promotes harmful behaviors under the guise of normalcy. Just as Balaam's teachings led to spiritual and moral downfall, modern influences that encourage unethical behavior can have similarly damaging effects on individuals and communities.
Onderwerpen
false teachingsmoral integritychurch guidancespiritual pitfallswarning and correctiondivine judgment