I would also STRONGLY encourage you to read the following four articles in order to get a broader and deeper perspective on the issues that we will be discussing here.

"The Love of God in Jesus Christ"	"The Wrath of God vs. the Love of God"
"Inexcusable Irreverence and Ingratitude"	"Will God IN FACT, be All-In-All ??"

It seems to be in vogue today, by assorted "preachers of the Gospel', to lay emphasis on the statement that "God HATES us (or YOU)" !! They would claim, I have no doubt, to find precedent in such acclaimed names as the preacher and theologian, Jonathan Edwards (October 5, 1703 – March 22, 1758), for their behavior. If you are not familiar with this name, allow me to reproduce for your reading "enjoyment" a short segment of one of his MOST FAMOUS sermons, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God":

Many of these so-called "preachers" prowl the InterNet like leeches, "Angles of Darkness" or "wolves in sheep's clothing". Here they roam, looking for unwary souls, burdened with guilt, that they might attach themselves to and suck out the lifeblood as do their worm-like counterparts, or that they might spring upon unawares and devour (as does a roaring lion). Others inhabit that nether world called "Television", where they are clothed in the "false garments of legitimacy and respectability" by the voodoo magic of mass media appeal and imputed social acceptability.

They will maintain the outward appearance of religion but will have repudiated its power. So avoid people like these. For some of these insinuate themselves into households and captivate weak women (AND men) who are overwhelmed with sins and led along by various passions. Such women (AND men) are always seeking instruction, yet never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. **** 2 Timothy 3:5-7

As you can see from Edwards, this brand of opportunist is not a modern phenomena -- perhaps only his bid for fame, notoriety, and a public platform to vent his self-centered egotism are new. It has been a plague upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ since perhaps as soon as a few hundred years after His crucifixion, that corrupt men (and women) have sought to turn His message of Love and Deliverance into one of Bondage, Legalism, Fear, Hatred, Punishment and "Eternal Damnation" !!! While the Roman Church has been at the forefront of this assault, it has been amply aided by the "ultra fundamental, legalistic" segments of Protestantism.

The actual reason(s) as to WHY these people preach as they do is open to speculation. In Jonathan Edwards case, at least, his "warped gospel" was intended to drive men and women to God out of the fear of "hell fire". He is STILL well represented, even in the "church" today. With some of the individuals on television and the InterNet, the motive is not so clear. Some do not seem to have ANY interest is seeing individuals coming to Christ.

One, that I viewed on a YouTube video, seemed content to propagate a warped message based upon the OT story of Jacob and Esau, drawing from it the conclusion that, "as God hated Esau and loved Jacob", so too mankind is divided into two segments - those that He "hates" and has consigned to "hell and damnation" and those that He "loves" and has consigned to salvation and Heaven. I believe that the theologian John Calvin put forth his teaching on the doctrine of predestination. The principle, in Calvin's words, is that "All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestinated to life or to death."

There is only ONE "Gospel" (the word meaning "a message of GOOD news"). It is MOST CERTAINLY NOT that "God hates you", that "He is angry with you", or that "He just can't wait to see you burning in the fiery flames of Hell". The nature of this "Good News" was proclaimed by Jesus Himself at the advent of His ministry:

Now Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Then he began to tell them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read." **** Luke 4:16-19,21

If you think that I am being too hard on these "Denizens of Darkness", you need to review what Jesus Christ Himself and the Apostle Paul had to say about such individuals:

There was a reason why Jesus denounced "the experts in the law (Sadducees) and the Pharisees" with such stern, venomous and uncharacteristic harshness. Rather than ministering God's love, care, concern and grace to the people (Israel) that they had been placed over to watch and care for (shepherd) -- they instead were "ravenous wolves", using their God given position and authority to "fleece the sheep", to abuse them, and merely use them to enhance their OWN power, position, prestige and wealth. They felt that THEY were God's "chosen ones" and the masses were merely "the rabble" !!

"The experts in the law and the Pharisees tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by people. Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven! For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in." **** Matthew 23:2-5,13

The Apostle Paul faced a problem of a different nature, though instigated by individuals of the same mentality as that of the Sadducees and the Pharisees. As Paul ministered to non-Jewish individuals, and the Gentile (non-Jewish) church grew, certain Jewish converts were jealous of Paul's message of "grace alone" - that is, that salvation was procured SOLELY by faith in the work of Jesus Christ alone through grace, TOTALLY apart from ANY law keeping or ritual. They choose to follow after Paul and try to undermine his work by insisting that the Gentile converts had to submit to Jewish law, ESPECIALLY the ritual of Circumcision, or else they were NOT saved - were not "Christians".

In the face of these saboteurs and "false apostles", Paul vehemently insisted that there was but ONE "True Gospel", and that was the one which HE preached -- the one stating that salvation was PURELY by grace alone and COULD NOT be adulterated by ANY form or ritual or law-keeping. To do so, he insisted, would be tantamount to ushering in and proclaiming "another gospel" -- adding that it would also be a "FALSE gospel", since there is but ONE TRUE Gospel. He was so adamant about this that he went so far as to proclaim, "If ANY (even an angel from heaven) should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed!". He felt that if the Judaizers were so fond of circumcision, then why not "let them castrate themselves and be done with it" !!

I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his treachery, your minds may be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus different from the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough! For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. **** 2Corinthians 11:3,4,13-15

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are following a different gospel – not that there really is another gospel, but there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we (or an angel from heaven) should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed! **** Galatians 1:6-9

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery. Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all! And I testify again to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be declared righteous by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace! For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight – the only thing that matters is faith working through love. You were running well; who prevented you from obeying the truth? I am confident in the Lord that you will accept no other view. But the one who is confusing you will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. Now, brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. I wish those agitators would go so far as to castrate themselves! **** Galatians 5:1-12

There are at least three major reasons or groupings for so-called "preachers" promulgating their "gospel of hate and damnation".

(1.) The first group, like Jonathan Edwards, have been brainwashed in their "theological thinking" and have had their thought processes twisted and distorted by their "religious training" and the "religious atmosphere of their associations". In other words, they are sincere and "well meaning??", but DRASTICALLY mistaken regarding the "Truth of the Gospel". They believe that they can coerce and terrify men and woman into God's Kingdom -- that they can introduce them to His all-encompassing love and grace through threats of damnation and Hell !!

(2.) The second group, like the "preacher" mentioned from YouTube, do NOT even merit "reasonable doubt". Their intent is to build a "little empire" in order to establish their OWN "glory" (more correctly, their SHAME). Their desire is solely the "rewards" that they hope to achieve from their lies, deceptions and "twisted truths" -- ego satisfaction, "fame" (notoriety), media applause and accolades, and very often MAMMON (money, material riches).

For many live, about whom I have often told you, and now, with tears, I tell you that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is the belly (their physical, this-world desires), they exult in their shame, and they think about earthly things. **** Philippians 3:18,19

(3.) The third group, related to point (1.), have what might be termed "tunnel vision". They have TOTALLY focused in on ONE aspect of the WHOLE scripture (OT and NT) or upon one or two "proof" or favorite verses. They have thus missed the full scope of WHO God truly is and what His ULTIMATE Plan and Purpose are. This, sad to say, is a VERY common malady in "Christendom", and the source of VERY many sad travesties of misinterpretation as to what Scripture TRULY says and who God is and what He is TRULY about !!

It is this third category that I want to address here. One MASSIVE problem that confuses the issue is the broad range of feelings and meanings given in the scripture to the word "HATE", akin to the English (American) usage of the word "LOVE". Other languages have multiple words for "love" to more accurately express its object and intensity. The Greek language (that of the NT) has four different words. We, however, lump ALL usage under the one, overworked word -- we love television, we love sports, we love food, we love our hobby, we love (??) school, we love visiting Paris, we love our favorite media idol, we love our pet, we love our brothers and sisters, we love our parents, we love our friends, we love our boy(girl)friends, we love our husband or wife, we love God (and Jesus), etc., ETC.

Now WE know (hopefully) that these "loves" are of different natures and engender different levels of feeling and appreciation. How do we know this ?? We know it by being raised in the language and exposed daily to its various nuances of meaning !! What understanding, however, would a foreigner - someone NOT familiar with the usage of the language, someone coming along 2,000 years later and trying to make sense of our writings - derive in regard to our expression of "love"? Might they not get VERY confused ??

First, there is the usage of the word "hate" as in Malachi 1:2,3 and Luke 14:26. Here, the implication is one of making a choice, of exercising a preference. God had nothing against Esau - it was merely within keeping to His plan to rather choose Jacob.

Akin to the above usage is the idea of REJECTING one quantity (considered to be the lesser) in favor of receiving another quantity (considered to be the better or greater). It is THIS concept of rejecting (renouncing) a lesser value so as to receive a greater that is reflected in the four verses below. It does NOT mean to despise the lesser or to consider it to be of NO value -- no more than to value $100 over $10 means that the $10 is to be despised or is to be considered of NO value !!

3:20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed (Editor's note: Those referenced in this verse have a FAULTY sense of values from the perspective of Christ. They WRONGLY believe evil to be more desirable than good, therefore making the choice of REJECTING the Light of Christ).

12:25 The one who loves his life destroys it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards it for eternal life. **** John

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions. **** Luke 14:26,33

As to "hating father and mother", the meaning here is clearly that, if one wants to be a disciple (a WHOLE-hearted follower and learner) of Jesus, then NOTHING must take precedence over THAT purpose - not father, not mother, not ANY personal plans or desires of your own. He says that you must TOTALLY renounce ALL else !!

I once heard someone comment to the effect that the problem is NOT that many find this verse in Luke to be unbearably difficult, but rather, that there are TOO many who find it FAR TOO EASY. They are more than glad to find (supposed) justification for "hating" their family, and ALL of mankind for that matter. Their problem is that they ALREADY "hate" themselves, and are FAR too eager to likewise "hate" all other selves. They see ALL "selves" (especially that one called "myself") exactly as Jonathan Edwards claims God sees them -- "much as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked. You are ten thousand times more abominable in His eyes than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours". They have transformed the command of Jesus below into, "HATE your neighbor as you hate yourself !!"

The second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself" **** Matthew 22:39

It is QUITE clear that neither God nor Jesus ever commanded us to literally "HATE" ourselves in the sense of despising ourselves or considering ourselves to be some manner of "despicable creature", as we are to "Love our neighbor as we do ourself". Paul also notes that "no one has ever hated his own body".

For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church **** Ephesians 5:29

At this point, I would like you GOOD parents to use yourselves and your children as an example for a moment. As a parent, there are no doubt MANY things that you would "hate" to see your children get involved in (perhaps things and activities that you yourself LOATHE or are extremely adverse to). How would you feel if your child told you that he (she) had choosen the homosexual lifestyle ? It would no doubt break your heart to see your much loved child become a drug addict (or worse, a drug dealer or peddler to small children). How about a rapist, a child molester, or a prostitute ?? Would it NOT be correct to say that "your soul hates" (despises) these things. However, it would NOT be your child that you would be "hating", but rather the destructive activity that they have become involved in !!

So it is with God. When it is said that He "hates" certain activities or qualities, it is THESE that He is "hating" and NOT the person so ensnared. He "hates" them, number one, because they are TOTALLY opposed to His nature or Who and What He is -- like lying is opposed to truth, darkness is opposed to light, heat is opposed to cold, love is opposed to animosity - BOTH qualities can NOT exist side by side -- The one will "swallow up" or destroy the other. He also "hates" them because He knows that they will ultimately bring "death and destruction" to those so involved !!

It is like when, in the beginning, God warned Adam and Eve as to the consequences of certain actions. They chose to ignore His advise and proceed on their OWN way. God was VERY grieved as to the outcome, and the misery and destruction that this pair brought upon themselves and upon His WHOLE Creation !! He no doubt "hated" their actions on this account, but He loved and grieved for the pain and grief of His Children, and immediately revealed His plan to counteract the results of their willful foolishness.

In the same way, God (in the person of Jesus Christ) grieved over His beloved city and people, Jerusalem, as He gazed upon it prior to His day of crucifixion. He had cried out to them through His prophets for THOUSANDS of years, and they had spurned and rejected Him, often preferring their "demon idols".

Today, God continues to cry out to US through His Holy Spirit with the same message, "Your house (your life) WILL remain to you a desolate ruins until that day when you will receive MY Healing and Restoration !!"

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it! Look, your house is forsaken! And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'" **** Luke 13:34,35

Another usage of the word '"hate" can be found in Proverbs. It has nothing to do with what WE would consider to be the "emotional revulsion of hatred". The meaning would be more to the effect of, "I couldn't be bothered, it was too much trouble, I found the prospect unappealing, etc." The book of Proverbs gives numerous examples: "fools hate knowledge - you will say, 'How I hated discipline' - he that hates suretyship (putting up collateral for another) is sure (safe) (KJV) - one who hates reproof is stupid".

An additional interesting shade of meaning can be found in Proverbs 13:24 and 29:24, "The one who spares his rod hates his child, but the one who loves his child is diligent in disciplining him." --- "A thief's accomplice hates himself; though testifying under oath, he reveals nothing."

Here it uses the word 'hate" as the opposite of love, in the sense of, "Does not have the persons best interests at heart".

The truth is, as C.S. Lewis points out in one of his essays, that Christianity, from among the plenitude of world religions, is especially hated for the very reason that ITS God IS a moral, personal entity -- making positive choices, specifying, "THIS is right and THIS is wrong", and declaring that EACH of us will be responsible before Him for how OUR choices align with His !! Among other things, God states that He absolutely DETESTS (hates) the worship of false "gods" (idols) and false, hypocritical religious practices (worship). He hates divorce and the breaking of vows and covenantal agreements, as He does arrogance, injustice, pride and violence. He cannot embrace evil and iniquity.

We as Christians (and as human beings in general) have, for the most part, TOTALLY misunderstood WHO and WHAT God truly is. Because scripture talks of God in "anthropomorphic" terms (ascribing human qualities to non-human entries), many think of God (IF they think of Him AT ALL) as a Big, Old, Powerful Man, occupying some kind of a throne somewhere UP or OUT there -- and being possessed of OUR faulty, inconsistent, forever changing thoughts, feelings, emotions and values.

The reality is that God is NOTHING at all like us (certainly NOT in terms of physical makeup), and that it is as far beyond us to comprehend the reality of God as for an amoebae to comprehend the reality of a man. God has hinted at His reality through Creation and gives more concrete glimpses through Israel and the OT. However, it remained until the manifestation of Jesus Christ for God to reveal His full, INNER Glory in a form that humanity could grasp and comprehend. In terms relating to God's inner nature (His character, NOT His physical existence), Jesus tells us, "If you have seen me, you HAVE seen the Father !!" (John 4:9)

God is unabated, unchanging and without variance in His qualities or attributes. He tell us:

Since, I, the Lord, do not go back on my promises, you, sons of Jacob, have not perished. (NIV) **** For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. (KJV) **** Malachi 3:6

God does NOT have a volume control or a "dimmer switch". He does not turn His Love and his Light up and down. They radiate equally for and upon EACH of His creation !! There are NO shades of quality or preference or partiality or emotionalism in Him. What He is, He is consistently to ALL peoples at ALL times. He does not storm in anger and rage at one moment and then gush over in "sentimental love" the next, like do so many people. The scripture says of God that, "He IS love and He IS Light" - not that He DOES love - but that Love and Light are the essence of His being, the natural expression of His "life" (existence). He doesn't "turn on love" when it is convenient for Him (like we often do), but rather that for God to exist is for Him to Love and to radiate His Light. The problem is that our understanding of "love", especially that of God, is as warped and twisted as is our (mis)understanding of Who and What He REALLY is !!

Light here refers to God's "holiness" -- His purity and His moral excellence. In Him there is NO adulteration - what He is He is ABSOLUTELY and TOTALLY !! - there is no mixture of "good and evil" or "right and wrong", no "winking of the eye" or saying, "this is good enough". God is like a "laser beam of light" - aligned in one purpose - pure and coherent .

Now this is the gospel message we have heard from him and announce to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. We have come to know and to believe the love that God has in us. God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him. **** 1 John 1:5, 4:16

All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change. **** James 1:17

Take our sun as an example. There it is, continuously radiating forth its power - its warmth, its light, its life giving and sustaining radiance and glory -- its unrestrained and undiscriminating benevolence and beneficence -- its "love" if you will. It bears no ill toward any creature and sheds abroad its power equally to all. In the case of the sun, a part of that radiance is a very strong radiation of ultraviolet rays.

So that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. **** Matthew 5:45

The sun is essential for OUR life and the life of our whole solar system. Without its "love" - its radiance, its light and "life"- ALL life in our system would cease in utter cold and darkness. Now I ask you to consider, is it the fault of the sun if its full, unshielded, unmediated, unrestrained power and glory would also instantly consume us frail, human creatures ?? We need ultraviolet radiation for our health and sustenance, yet unshielded and undiminished, it causes severe burns, poisoning and cancer. God has provided for our protection in the form of the ozone layer.

So it is with God. In and unto Himself, He is unrestrained and unabated "LOVE" - a "consuming fire" of love - a zealous (jealous) love - a "dynamo of love" - a love that takes all into itself, transforms it, and radiates it forth in unrestrained splendor, GLORY and Power. He tells us that unchanged, human flesh and blood could not endure His presence. His love is to sin and iniquity - the present day, "fallen" human condition, seperated from God - what ultraviolet radiation is to our unprotected flesh, or what the burning heat of the desert sun is to a block of ice. They can not exist in proximity to each other. So it can truly be said that God "HATES" these various things - they are in antipathy (or opposition) to WHO and WHAT He is - while yet remaining within Himself only undiluted Love !!

That is why mankind requires "salvation", that is why Jesus Christ became man, that is why the bible says that we frail human creatures must "be changed" before we enter into the naked presence of God !! For now, as long as we remain in these "tents of flesh and blood", Jesus is our "ozone layer". He mediates between us and God's "consuming fire", enabling us to stand in His presence without being devoured.

As a consequence of this study, I will repeat, "ALL that we can RIGHTFULLY conclude about God and the word 'hate' from the OT is that God DOES 'hate' our sinful actions, thoughts and attitudes because they are destructive to US and contrary to the very nature and essence of WHO and WHAT God is !!"

However, from the NT we can VERY clearly and without ambiguity or contradiction conclude a number of VERY salient facts:

(1.) God's very essence is Love. He displayed this Love to us, NOT through words but through ACTION. This action consisted in surrendering that which is MOST precious to Him, His ONLY beloved Son - to come to us, to be humiliated, tormented and tortured, to suffer spiritual agonies which WE can not even imagine - so that WE might be able again to enjoy fellowship with our Heavenly Father.

(2.) This He did on His OWN initiative, NOT because WE requested it or wanted it, but because HE wanted us to return again to Him. He did this while WE still HATED and rejected Him -- while WE, in OUR hearts, were still His enemies !!

(3.) He did - and STILL does - make this gift FREELY available to us for the receiving. We don't need to pay anything, we don't need to do anything, we don't need to do any "works of repentance" to show how sorry we are or how badly we want to come back home. We don't need to join any organization or study any teachings or travel to some far off monastery where we can find or learn "purity". We MOST definitely DO NOT need to "first get ourselves together and clean ourselves up" so that we might be somehow "worthy" to come back to God.

This is a "come as you are party" !! God tells us that ALL that is necessary for us is to recognize that we have become separated and alienated from our heavenly Father and WANT to come home. We need only to confess to Him and to ourselves that Jesus Christ, by HIS efforts alone, has made the way of return possible -- believe -- and then ACT upon it and turn homeward. We will find our Father waiting there for us with outstretched arms !!!

PLEASE, do read the story of "The Prodigal Son" [ Here ] for a clearer picture of God's heart toward us !!!!

You must not erect a sacred pillar, a thing the Lord your God detests (hates). **** Deut 16:22

Arrogant people cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who behave wickedly. **** Ps 5:5

The Lord approves of the godly, but he hates the wicked and those who love to do violence. **** Ps 11:5

You love justice and hate evil. **** Ps 45:7

There are six things that the Lord hates, even seven things that are an abomination to him -- haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift to run to evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who spreads discord among family members. **** Prov 6:16-19

"I hate your new moon festivals and assemblies; they are a burden that I am tired of carrying." **** Isa 1:14

"For I, the Lord, love justice and hate robbery and sin." **** Isa 61:8

"The people I call my own have turned on me like a lion in the forest. So I will treat them as though I hate them." **** Jer 12:8

"They made me angry by worshiping and offering sacrifice to other gods whom neither they nor you nor your ancestors previously knew. I sent my servants the prophets to you people over and over again, warning you not to do this disgusting thing I hate." **** Jer 44:3,4

"Because of all their evil in Gilgal, I hate them there. On account of their evil deeds, ...." **** Hos 9:15

"I absolutely despise (hate) your festivals! I get no pleasure from your religious assemblies!" **** Amos 5:21

The sovereign Lord confirms this oath by his very own life. The Lord, the God who commands armies, is speaking: "I despise (hate) Jacob's arrogance; I hate their fortresses." **** Amos 6:8

"Do not plan evil in your hearts against one another. Do not favor a false oath – these are all things that I hate", says the Lord. **** Zech 8:17

"Esau was Jacob's brother," the Lord explains, "yet I loved (chose) Jacob and hated (rejected) Esau. **** Malachi 1:2,3

"I hate divorce," says the Lord God of Israel, "and the one who is guilty of violence," says the Lord who rules over all. **** Mal 2:16

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. **** Luke 14:26

"You do have this going for you: You hate what the Nicolaitans (** see note below) practice – practices I also hate." **** Rev 2:6

** Note: In regard to the "Nicolaitanes", a word of explanation might be in order -- The Nicolaitanes are the followers of that Nicolas who was one of the seven first ordained to the diaconate by the apostles. They lead lives of unrestrained indulgence. The character of these men is very plainly pointed out in the Apocalypse of John, [when they are represented] as teaching that it is a matter of indifference to practice adultery, and to eat things sacrificed to idols. — Irenaeus, Adversus haereses, i. 26, §3

The common statement is that the Nicolaitans held the antinomian heresy (there are varying degrees of "antinomianism". In its extreme, it teaches that, since we are "saved by Grace alone", we are therefore freed from observing ANY moral and/or ethical restraints, and are free to do "ANYTHING that we wish!!"). Victorinus of Pettau states that they ate things offered to idols. Bede states that Nicolas allowed other men to marry his wife and Thomas Aquinas believed that Nicholas supported either polygamy or the holding of wives in common. **** From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You will note in the verses below that, "the teaching of the Nicolaitans" is likened to "the teaching of Balaam", namely, "eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality."

"I have a few things against you: You have some people there who follow the teaching of Balaam, who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. In the same way, there are also some among you who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans." **** Rev 2:14,15