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But you do have this going for you: You hate what the Nicolaitans practice—practices I also hate.
Revelation 2:6
But 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.
Revelation 2:14 – 15
The book of the Revelation opens with letters from the Risen King to the seven communities or congregations throughout Asia Minor. Each is profound and applies – not only to the believers within those communities, or only at the time of their writing – but stand as admonition and warning to believers of all stripes throughout the ages. Even to the present day.
The cited passages, taken from the letters to the believers in Ephesus and Pergamum should give us cause for pause… exactly what is a Nicolaitan?
There are a two prevailing views on this, but both essentially point to the same, or similar ends. Moreover, both are relevant to the point of this article, therefore we’ll address them each in turn. Please understand that I’m not weighing in on either side of the “debate”. What I present here is really only surface-level; I am far more interested in getting to the point of these passages than I am in getting mired in academia.
My desire is to understand the Messiah’s message, not to prove one side or the other right or wrong. Let’s begin…
Followers of Nicolas
The proposal pleased the entire group, so they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a Gentile convert to Judaism from Antioch.
Acts 6:5
The first of the two prevailing views on the Nicolaitans, is that they were the followers of Nicolas.
Tradition holds that this Nicolas is one and the same with that of the cited passage (Acts 6:5), a view that stems primarily from the writings of Irenaeus, the bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, circa 178 AD. Irenaeus is noted for his refutation of Gnosticism in “Against Heresies”. Within this work, he identifies the Nicolaitans as follows:
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 practise adultery, and to eat things sacrificed to idols. Wherefore the Word has also spoken of them thus: “But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.”
Against Heresies – Book 1, Chapter 26
Before we move on, know that there is some debate, even from antiquity as to the validity of this claim, though it is accepted and espoused by numerous figures throughout Church History, including Eusebius (ca. ~260 – ~340 AD) , Epiphanius (ca. ~310 – 403 AD) and Jerome (ca. 342 – 420 AD) to name a few.
Obviously, these men are all more than a century removed from the events that would have birthed the term “Nicolaitan”, but this neither validates nor invalidates the view. Again, the point of this article is not to prove or disprove either view, but to shed light on what the word actually means.
Bishop Isidore of Seville wrote in Etymologies, or Origins (ca. 636 AD) of Nicolas:
“The Nicolaites (Nicolaita) are so called from Nicolas, deacon of the church of Jerusalem, who, along with Stephen and the others, was ordained by Peter. He abandoned his wife because of her beauty, so that whoever wanted to might enjoy her; the practice turned into debauchery, with partners being exchanged in turn. Jesus condemns them in the Apocalypse, saying (2:6): “But this thou hast, that thou hates the deeds of the Nicolaites.”
Etymologies – Book VIII “The Church and Sects”
The crux of the issue, as recorded by the early Church is that Nicolas and his followers essentially devolved to a doctrine of antinomianism; that is, anti-Law or anti-Torah to be specific. This view essentially holds that the Law of God is no longer binding (sound familiar?) and that all things were therefore licit, or lawful for a believer… a view we find addressed from the hand of Paul himself:
“All things are lawful for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “All things are lawful for me”—but I will not be controlled by anything.
1 Corinthians 6:12
In the purported practices of the Nicolaitans we see all manner of sexual immorality and a distinct dismissal of “the Law”. Nicolaitan doctrine is frequently associated with Gnosticism, and if you have any level of familiarity with Gnostic texts or doctrine, you can readily see why; Gnostics dismissed “the Law” in favor of a “higher truth” born of personal revelation and, as it happens, engaged in forms of sexual immorality the Torah forbids… after all, “the law was done away with“, right?
All this despite the words of the Messiah Himself:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place.”
Mattew 5:17 – 18
Conquerors of the Laity
The second view, though not entirely at odds with the first, focuses on the etymology of the name.
Nico is Greek for “victory” and laos refers to the “laity”, or common people. From this break-down, one could interpret Nicolaitan(s) as “victory over” or “conqueror(s) of” the laity. For most reading this (author included), that’s us.
Interestingly, the same etymology appears within the name of Balaam: bela meaning “to conquer” and ha’am meaning “people”. More interesting is the fact that these names are called out in the same context, linking the names and their associated doctrines or teachings.
For those that don’t immediately grasp the implications, it is essentially points to the practice of placing the power or authority of, say, the priesthood in the hands of an elite class, who would then spoon-feed the “unwashed masses”. The underlying theme being that people are too ignorant and uneducated to be entrusted with properly understanding and applying the scriptures for themselves.
Many would see this view, predominately as an indictment of the Catholic Church, but that’s a perception that’s too limited. In truth, this view indicts every denomination which mimics the Catholic hierarchy, or that employs an authoritarian hierarchy at all. The difference between this and the biblical model of pastoral leadership is stark and is worth getting to grips with for every believer.
Hierarchies are vertical in structure and operation, but God’s model is distinctly horizontal. There’s God, and then there’s everybody else.
In the hierarchy, the organization is modeled vertically; the person at the top is the final word and has authority over every subordinate in the organization – in the horizontal model, every believer is mutually accountable to their fellows, and ultimately to God. Authority is not centralized geographically nor within a single office or appointee.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t different roles or even offices or operations within God’s, or any horizontal organization – there absolutely are. The difference is that the authority lies with the top office, in our case God, and everyone underneath is of equal status. Even the Romans 1:16 principle of “to the Jew first” speaks to a chronology rather than an authoritarian structure… first, among equals.
I guess what I’m really trying to get at here is that the biblical model I see is most assuredly not that of a pyramid. Sadly, most of what we see in the world today, is. There is certainly no shortage when it comes to organizations which do seek to impose an authoritarian, pyramid-structure on believers. Some even go so far as to discount other denominations as deceived or heretical, touting their particular brand of faith as “the one true faith”.
The problem is that this imposes human beings as the final word on truth. As a human being myself, I feel imminently qualified to state that human beings are the worst possible choice if you’re looking for authoritative truth… Worse till, this model foists upon followers the expectation that they accept what is preached and taught from the pulpit or denominational doctrine regardless of validity. There are those out there who actually believe that, to question what is preached from the pulpit is wrong and essentially means you’re questioning God.
Is this what the bible teaches? Is our submission to Church authority to be like that of an employer <> employee relationship? Worse still, master <> slave? Should we blindly accept whatever doctrines are put forth from a given pulpit as sacrosanct?
Did you guess that I was about unload a bunch of scripture quotes?
Good guess:
Now when the other ten heard this, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Matthew 20:24 – 28
So as your fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings and as one who shares in the glory that will be revealed, I urge the elders among you: Give a shepherd’s care to God’s flock among you, exercising oversight not merely as a duty but willingly under God’s direction, not for shameful profit but eagerly. And do not lord it over those entrusted to you, but be examples to the flock. Then when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that never fades away.
1 Peter 5:1 – 4
Now I appeal to God as my witness, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth. I do not mean that we rule over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because by faith you stand firm.
2 Corinthians 1:23 – 24
To be crystal clear, I’m not saying that there is not a right and proper authority structure laid out in scripture – there absolutely is. I’m specifically addressing the complete misuse of authority to essentially dictate to others what they must believe… heck, even if someone is right in what they preach and practice, hearts and minds don’t get changed by being ordered – they get hardened.
Moreover, scripture instructs us to read and study and ingrain the word into our being. “Study to show thyself approved…” (2 Timothy 2:15 [KJV]). Not your pastor. Not your bishop. Not the pope and not the guy on television, YOU.
But examine all things; hold fast to what is good. Stay away from every form of evil.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 – 22
Pause and consider for a moment: test what? All things. All is all, and that would include the messages coming from your local pulpit, denominational doctrine and even your very own beliefs. Test them how? Test / compare them against the scriptures – against the Word of the Living God.
This brings me to the ultimate point of this article…
Gnosticism – Linking the Two Views
Regardless of which view we analyze regarding the Nicolaitans, we’re going to eventually land on Gnosticism at its root. From either angle, this all essentially boils down to people thinking they know better than God.
For the uninitiated, the term Gnosticism stems from the Greek root-word gnosis, which means “knowledge”. A Gnostic is therefore a person possessing knowledge and Gnosticism would therefore be the practice of the pursuit of said knowledge.
That doesn’t sound like a bad thing does it?
By strict etymology and definition, it isn’t. The issue lies in precisely what knowledge is being pursued and historically speaking, Gnosticism has not been the pursuit of the truth, but rather personal truth. This has developed into heretical doctrines that contradict the word of God, both in antiquity and in the present age.
If you’re still not clear, consider the “New Age” spiritual movement a modern incarnation of Gnosticism. Make no mistake, there’s truth in there… somewhere, but it’s wrapped up in lies, heresies and utter abominations. It may sound good and reasonable on the surface, but it is most certainly not the Gospel of Yeshua the Messiah.
You may be thinking at this point that this applies to those outside of “the Church”, not the Church itself… you’d be dead wrong. Ever heard of “Christian Yoga”? It’s a thing. How about “Christian Mediums” or “Christian Psychics”? Also a thing. “Christian Homosexuality”? Yep – it’s a thing. “Christian Swingers” (e.g. “adulterers”)? A thing. “Christian Witches”? Guess what.
Disgusted yet? I could go on but honestly, would you want me to?
While most within theological circles and denominational ministry would readily decry much of what’s listed here, they would completely fail to see how the Church itself has helped bring these things into existence.
For God only knows how long, there have been Preachers, Teachers, Churches and entire Denominations that have essentially taught that “the Law was done away with at the Cross.” That would be the same Law which condemns spiritsim, mediumship, witchcraft, adultery AND fornication as well as homosexuality.
Now let me ask you, if you tell people who already don’t read their Bibles that “the Law was nailed to the Cross”, can you reasonably expect any other outcome? I mean, they answered an alter call and said the sinners prayer once when they were 12… so they’re good, right?
You could preach against licentiousness endlessly, but without the moral foundation of the Torah, you might as well try convincing a Python to go Vegan.
No matter what we do, everything circles back to the Torah. God gave it and no one, no one other than He has the right or authority to change one jot or tittle. The moment you try, you take away from the word and no matter how slow the descent might be, you’ve already begun circling the drain.
Do not add a thing to what I command you nor subtract from it, so that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I am delivering to you.
Deuteronomy 4:2
If you encounter a denomination, church or group who seek to exert absolute authority over what you think and believe, I suggest shaking the proverbial dust from your feet and walking away. If they attempt to entice you illicitly, I suggest running like your hair is on fire.
Discussion and correction are one thing… coercion and bribery are another.
Read Your Bible
שלום עליכם – Shalom Aleichem – Peace Be Upon You