The Nicolaitans are mentioned in two of Christ’s letters to the seven churches as recorded in the Book of Revelation. No explanation about who or what they did is mentioned except that Christ said he hated their practices and warned the church in Pergamum to repent from that behavior. Research on events from so long ago have proven to be difficult.
The Bible never mentioned the Nicolatitans prior to Revelation and never offers any further explanation. The two references which are in question are found in the letter to Ephesus and again in the letter to Pergamum, the 1st and 3rd letters. We can observe that the practices of the Nicolaitans were hated in Ephesus. However, in Pergamum, there were some members who were engaged in the practices of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. They are warned to repent of both.
(An excerpt from the letter to Ephesus) “Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”
Revelation 2:5-6
(An excerpt from the letter to Pergamum) “Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”
Revelation 2:14-16
Some commentators have speculated that these were followers of Nicolas, one of several deacons mentioned in Acts 6. There is an plausible correlation between his name and the name of this group.
“‘Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.’
“This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.”
Acts 6:3-6
The speculation by some is expanded to say that this Nicolas became an apostate and encouraged his followers to join him in sinful behavior. The followers gained the name Nicolaitans. Many commentators have differing views on exactly what the Nicolaitans did. One observation I can make is that the practices of immorality and idolatry were connected with Balaam. Whatever the Nicolaitans did must have been something unique and different. See the the passage in Revelation 2:15 shown above.
Nicolaitans were False Teachers
There are various theories but I think it’s best to merely play it safe and identify them as false teachers. It’s obvious from the text that they were a group who taught false doctrine, whatever it was. The New Testament is full of warnings to be on guard for false teachers. The truth of the Gospel and sound Biblical Doctrine should be familiar to all Christians. The accuracy of teaching, preaching and practices must be guarded carefully. False teaching should be identified and the members either corrected or excommunicated.
Following is a collection of notes on false teaching. The Nicolaitians may have been referred to by one or more of these passages:
“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.”
Acts 20:28-30
“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
2 Timothy 4:3-4
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”
2 Timothy 3:1-5
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.”
2 Peter 2:1-3
“Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Jude 1:3-4
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”
1 Timothy 4:1
All Scripture quoted from:
New International Version (NIV)
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