But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
Few - in comparison of many tokens of thy faithfulness.
Hold the doctrine (teaching) of Balaam - that which he "taught Balac." Compare "the counsel of Balaam," Numbers 31:16. Balac is dative, whence Bengel, 'taught (the Moabites) for (i:e., to please) Balac.' But though in Numbers it is not expressly said he taught Balac, yet there is nothing inconsistent with his having done so; Josephus ('Antiquities,' 4:, 6, 6) says he did. The dative is a Hebraism for the accusative.
Stumblingblock - literally, that part of a trap on which the bait was laid, and which, when touched, caused the trap to close on its prey: then any entanglement (Trench).
Children - `sons of Israel.'
Eat things sacrificed unto idols - common to the Israelites and the Nicolaitanes. He does not add what was special to the Israelites-namely, that they sacred to idols. The temptation to eat idol meats was peculiarly strong to the Gentile converts. Not to do so involved almost a withdrawal from any social meal with the pagan. For idol meats, after a part had been offered in sacrifice, were generally on the pagan entertainer's table; so much so, that 'to kill' х thuein (G2380)] meant originally 'to sacrifice.' Hence arose the decree of the council of Jerusalem forbidding such meats: subsequently some at Corinth ate knowingly such meats, on the ground that the idol is nothing; others tortured themselves with scruples, lest unknowingly they should eat them, in getting meat from the market, or in a pagan friend's house (1 Corinthians 8:1-13 and 1 Corinthians 10:25-33).
Fornication - often connected with idolatry.