from the second chapter.

2. “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience.”] In the first epistle He speaks thus: I know that thou sufferest and workest, I see that thou art patient; think not that I am staying long from thee.  

“And that thou canst not bear them that are evil, and who say that they are Jews and are not, and thou has found them liars, and thou hast patience for My name’s sake.”] All these things tend to praise, and that no small praise; and it behoves such men, and such a class, and such elected persons, by all means to be admonished, that they may not be defrauded of such privileges granted to them of God. These few things He said that He had against them.  

4, 5. “And thou hast left thy first love: remember whence thou hast fallen.”] He who falls, falls from a height: therefore He said whence: because, even to the very last, works of love must be practised; and this is the principal commandment. Finally, unless this is done, He threatened to remove their candlestick out of its place, that is, to disperse the congregation.  

6. “This thou hast also, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes.”] But because thou thyself hatest those who hold the doctrines of the Nicolaitanes, thou expectest praise. Moreover, to hate the works of the Nicolaitanes, which He Himself also hated, this tends to praise. But the works of the Nicolaitanes were in that time false and troublesome men, who, as ministers under the name of Nicolaus, had made for themselves a heresy, to the effect that what had been offered to idols might be exorcised and eaten, and that whoever should have committed fornication might receive peace on the eighth day. Therefore He extols those to whom He is writing; and to these men, being such and so great, He promised the tree of life, which is in the paradise of His God.  

The following epistle unfolds the mode of life and habit of another order which follows. He proceeds to say:—  

9. “I know thy tribulation and thy poverty, but thou art rich.”] For He knows that with such men there are riches hidden with Him, and that they deny the blasphemy of the Jews, who say that they are Jews and are not; but they are the synagogue of Satan, since they are gathered together by Antichrist; and to them He says:—  

10. “Be thou faithful unto death.”] That they should continue to be faithful even unto death.  

11. “He that shall overcome, shall not be hurt by the second death.”] That is, he shall not be chastised in hell.  

The third order of the saints shows that they are men who are strong in faith, and who are not afraid of persecution; but because even among them there are some who are inclined to unlawful associations, He says:—  

14–16. “Thou hast there some who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught in the case of Balak that he should put a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat and to commit fornication. So also hast thou them who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes; but I will fight with them with the sword of my mouth.”] That is, I will say what I shall command, and I will tell you what you shall do. For Balaam,22    Num. xxiii. [Wordsworth, ed. 1852, pp. 78–92.]   with his doctrine, taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the eyes of the children of Israel, to eat what was sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication,—a thing which is known to have happened of old. For he gave this advice to the king of the Moabites, and they caused stumbling to the people. Thus, says He, ye have among you those who hold such doctrine; and under the pretext of mercy, you would corrupt others.  

17. “To him that overcometh I will give the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone.”] The hidden manna is immortality; the white gem is adoption to be the son of God; the new name written on the stone is “Christian.”  

The fourth class intimates the nobility of the faithful, who labour daily, and do greater works. But even among them also He shows that there are men of an easy disposition to grant unlawful peace, and to listen to new forms of prophesying; and He reproves and warns the others to whom this is not pleasing, who know the wickedness opposed to them: for which evils He purposes to bring upon the head of the faithful both sorrows and dangers; and therefore He says:—  

24. “I will not put upon you any other burden.”] That is, I have not given you laws, observances, and duties, which is another burden.  

25, 26. “But that which ye have, hold fast until I come; and he that overcometh, to him will I give power over all peoples.”] That is, him I will appoint as judge among the rest of the saints.  

28. “And I will give him the morning star.”] To wit, the first resurrection. He promised the morning star, which drives away the night, and announces the light, that is, the beginning of day.  

EX CAPITE II.

2. Scio laborem tuum, et opera, et patientiam tuam. In prima epistola sic ait, scio te laborare et 0321B operari, video patientem te esse: ne putes me longe morari a te.

Et quia non potes portare malos, et qui se dicunt Judaeos esse, et non sunt, et invenisti eos mendaces, et patientiam habes propter nomen meum. Haec universa ad laudem spectant, et laudem non mediocrem: et tales viros, talemque classem, ac tales electionis homines oportet omnino admoneri, ne, istis Dei bonis concessis, fraudentur. Haec pauca dixit se habere adversus illos.

4, 5. Et charitatem tuam pristinam reliquisti, memento unde excideris. Qui cadit, de alto cadit, ideo dixit, unde; quoniam usque ad novissimum, amoris opera exercenda sunt, quod est principale mandatum. Denique nisi fiat, minatus est movere candelabrum 0321C de loco suo, id est spargere plebem.

6. Sic habes et tu odire opera Nicolaitarum. Sed quoniam et ipse oderas tenentes doctrinam Nicolaitarum, laudem exspectas. Odire autem opera Nicolaitarum quae et ipse oderat, hoc ad laudem spectat. Nicolaitarum autem opera erant illo tempore ficti homines et pestiferi, qui sub nomine Nicolai ministri fecerant sibi haeresim, ut delibatum exorcizaretur et manducari posset: et ut quicumque fornicatus esset, octavo die pacem acciperet; ideo collaudat illos ad quos scribit, quibus talibus et tam magnis viris promisit lignum quod est in paradiso Dei sui.

Sequens epistola sequentem conversationem alterius classis et consuetudinem detegit. Denique ait:

0321D 9. Scio tribulationem tuam et paupertatem, sed dives es. Scit enim apud se talibus divitias esse reconditas, et detractationem de Judaeis negantes, dicunt se esse Judaeos, et non sunt, sed synagoga satanae, quoniam ab antichristo colliguntur, quibus ait:

10. Esto fidelis usque ad mortem. Ut perseverent fideles esse usque ad mortem.

11. Qui vicerit non laedetur a morte secunda. Id est non castigabitur in inferno.

Tertia classis sanctorum ostendit esse viros, qui 0322A fortes sunt in fide, et non expavescunt persecutionem; sed quia et in illis sunt, qui proni sunt ad illicitas permixtiones, ait:

14, 16. Habes ibi tenentes doctrinam Balaam, qui docebat in Balac mittere scandalum coram filiis Israel, edere, et fornicari: ita habes et tu tenentes doctrinam Nicolaitarum, sed pugnabo cum illis in gladio oris mei. Id est, quid praeceperim dicam, et quid feceritis conferam. Nam Balaam (Num., II) doctrina docebat Balab mittere scandalum ante oculos filiorum Israel, esse delibatum, et fornicari; id quod olim accidisse notum est. Ille enim hoc consilium dedit regi Moabitarum, et scandalizaverunt populum. Sic, inquit, inter vos habetis talem tenentes doctrinam, ut sub praetextu misericordiae alios vitiaretis.

0322B 17. Qui vicerit, dabo illi manna absconditum, et dabo illi calculum candidum. Manna absconditum immortalitas est, gemma alba adoptio in filium Dei; nomen novum in calculo scriptum, Christianum est.

Quarta classis nobilitatem fidelium operantium quotidie, et majora facientium opera significat. Sed et ibi esse quoque faciles homines ad illicitas paces dandas et novas prophetias attendendas, ostendit, et arguit, et praemonet caeteros, quibus non placet hoc, qui cognoscunt nequitiam adversam, quibus malis et dolores inducere quaerit in capite fidelium et pericula; et ideo ait:

24. Non mitto super vos aliud pondus. Id est, non dedi vobis leges, observationes et onera, quod est aliud pondus.

0322C 25, 26. Sed quod habetis, teneatis, donec veniam; et qui vicerit dabo illi potestatem super omnes gentes. Id est, judicem illum constituam inter caeteros sanctos.

28. Et dabo illi stellam matutinam. Primam resurrectionem scilicet; promisit stellam matutinam, quae noctem fugat et lucem annuntiat, id est, diei initium.