Albert Barnes Commentary Revelation 2:24

"But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, who know not the deep things of Satan, as they are wont to say; I cast upon you none other burden." — Revelation 2:24 (ASV)

But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira. The word "and"—kai—is omitted in many manuscripts and versions, and in the critical editions of Griesbach, Tittmann, and Hahn, and the connection demands that it should be omitted. As it stands in the received text, it would seem that what he says here was addressed to those who had received that doctrine, and to all others as well as to them; whereas the declaration made here manifestly pertains to those who had not received the doctrine.

With that particle omitted, the passage will read, as rendered by Professor Stuart, "But I say to you, the remainder in Thyatira, as many as do not hold this doctrine," etc. That is, he now addresses all the members of the church who were not involved in the charges already made. He does not say how large a portion of the church had escaped the contaminating influence of those opinions, but to that portion, whether great or small, he addresses only words of exhortation and comfort.

As many as have not this doctrine. To all who have not embraced it, or been contaminated with it. It may be presumed that there was a considerable portion of the church which had not.

And which have not known the depths of Satan. This refers to the deep art and designs of Satan. Deep things are those which are hidden from view—like things far underground. Hence, the word is used to denote mysteries, or profound designs and purposes. The allusion here is not to any trials or sufferings that Satan might bring upon anyone, or to any temptations of which he might be the author, but to his profound art in inculcating error and leading people astray.

There are doctrines of error and arguments for sin whose origin seems to lie beyond human power, and which would appear almost to have exhausted the talent of Satan himself. They demonstrate such a profound knowledge of humanity, of the Divine government, of the course of events on earth, and of what our race needs. Furthermore, they are defended with such eloquence, skill, learning, and subtlety of argumentation that they appear to lie beyond the reach of human powers.

As they speak. This cannot mean that the defenders of these errors themselves called their doctrines "the depths of Satan," for no teachers would choose to designate their opinions this way. Instead, it must mean either that those who opposed these errors characterized them as "the depths of Satan," or that those who opposed them said that they had not known "the depths of Satan." Professor Stuart understands it in the latter sense.

However, a somewhat more natural interpretation, it seems to me, is to refer it to what the opponents of these heretics said about these errors. They called them "the depths of Satan," and they professed not to have known anything about them. Perhaps the meaning would be expressed by the familiar words, "as they say," or "as they call them," in the following manner: "As many as have not known the depths of Satan, as they say," or, "to use their own language." Doddridge paraphrases it, "as they proverbially speak." Tyndale encloses it in a parenthesis.

I will put upon you none other burden. That is, no other burden than what you now experience from having these persons with you, and what must accompany the effort to purify the church. He had not approved of their conduct in allowing these persons to remain in the church, and he threatens to punish all those who had become contaminated with these pernicious doctrines.

He evidently intended to say that some token of his displeasure was appropriate in this case. However, he was not disposed to bring upon them any other expression of his displeasure than that which grew naturally and necessarily from the fact that these individuals had been tolerated among them, and from the troubles and toils that must accompany the effort to deliver the church from these errors.

Under any circumstances the church must suffer. It would suffer in reputation and in respect to its internal tranquillity. Perhaps, also, there were those implicated in these errors who would also be implicated in the punishment, and who had friends and relatives in the church. Therefore, the judgments to come upon the advocates of these errors must, in some measure, also come upon the church.

A kind Saviour says that he would bring upon them no other, and no weightier burden, than what must arise from his purpose to inflict appropriate vengeance on the guilty themselves. The trouble that would grow out of that would be a sufficient expression of his displeasure. In fact, this is often now all that is necessary as a punishment on a church for harbouring the advocates of error and sin.

The church ultimately has enough trouble in getting rid of them. The injury such persons do to its piety, peace, and reputation, and the disorders of which they are the cause, constitute a sufficient punishment for having tolerated them in its bosom. Often the most severe punishment that God can bring upon people is to "lay upon them no other burden" than to leave them to the inevitable consequences of their own folly, or to the trouble and vexation associated with the effort to free themselves from what they had for a long time tolerated or practised.