Who Were the Nicolaitans?

Introduction

1. What the Bible says

2. Connection to Balaam

3. Connection to Jezebel

4. Opposed to following any law or rule, do whatever you want, “Do your own thing”

5. Same as Balaam and Jezebel in other letters

6. Epicureans of Greece – Acts 17:18 (opposite of the Stoics)

What Revelation Says

1. To Ephesus – 2:6

2. Pergamum – 2:14-15 Linked to teaching of Balaam

The Teaching of Balaam

1. Balaam – Numbers 22-24

2. Prophet of God – went bad

3. Numbers 31:16

Josephus Weighs In

1. 1^st century Jewish historian

2. In his Antiquities of the Jews, the Jewish historian Josephus records that after Balaam failed to curse the Israelites, he counseled Balak as follows: Do you therefore set out the handsomest of such of your daughters as are most eminent for beauty, and proper to force and conquer the modesty of those that behold them, and these decked and trimmed to the highest degree you are able.
   Then do you send them to be near the Israelites’ camp and give them in charge, that when the young men of the Hebrews desire their company, they allow it them; and when they see that they are enamored of them, let them take their leaves; and if they entreat them to stay, let them not give their consent till they have persuaded them to leave off their obedience to their own laws and the worship of that God who established them, and to worship the gods of the Midianites and Moabites; for by this means God will be angry at them [4:6:6].

3. So Balaam was regarded as advising Balak to use the Midianite women to trick the sons of Israel into committing sexual immorality and abandoning the Law of God and to go after pagan gods.

The Error of Balaam

1. Balaam became synonymous with immorality, fornication, idolatry

2. 2 Peter 2:15

3. Jude 11

4. Fornication, also eating meat offered to idols

5. Violates the order from the apostles – Acts 15:29

The Fathers Know Best

1. Eusedius

2. The second century Father, Irenaeus of Lyons, agrees, writing: 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 [Against Heresies 1:26:3].

Nicholas the Deacon?

1. One of the 7 chosen in Acts 6

2. He was a proselyte – Gentile – to Jew – to Christian

The Mystery Solved?

1. Heretics – took liberal (loose) view toward the NT law of Christ

2. They lasted only a short time and did not become firmly or widely accepted.

3. They were found in Asia Minor (7 churches area)

Jezebel – Thyatira (2:18-29)

1. Nicolaitans mentioned in Ephesus and Pergamum

2. Here Jesus rebukes the teaching of Jezebel

   1. Claims to be a prophetess

   2. Taught immorality (fornication)

   3. Eat meat offered to idols

3. Same two issues as connected with Nicolaitans

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