I am studying Revelation and began looking into the Nicolaitans. I was going to start a new thread but this one popped up but with very little study information.
It seems the Nicolaitans may originally have been followers of Nicolas spoken of in Act 6:5 which makes sense to me since he is the only Nicolas in the Bible appointed to minister the word of Jesus and then something went wrong with his ministry.
Acts 6:5 - And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,
Rick Renner has a very good and thorough explanation of Nicolas and the Nicolaintans and why, by the time Jesus spoke to John on Patmos, He expressed hatred for their deeds.
https://renner.org/article/who-were-the-nicolaitans-and-what-was-their-doctrine-and-deeds/
My feeling today is that the spirit of the Nicolaitans is firmly back in the churches that allow a compromise of the Word of God. Idolatry (money,power,greed, possessions), all sexual perversions, self promotion, self centeredness, self help, self ______ (you fill in the blank), no judgement allowed from fellow believers, basically lukewarm, politically correct Christianity. Of course a large part of the problem is the teachers and preachers at the pulpit who follow this Nicolaitan doctrine, beliefs and deeds.
Jesus did not vocalize hatred to much, but we know He hated what the Nicolaitans were doing.
More study information from Bible Gateway
https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Nicolaus
Nicolaus
NICOLAUS nĭk’ ə lā’ əs
(Νικόλαος, G3775, conqueror of the people), the proselyte of Antioch chosen as
one of the seven men to serve the church in Jerusalem (Acts 6:5). The reference
to a proselyte meant that he was a Gentile who had become a convert to Judaism,
and subsequently to Christianity. Because his name was Gr., as well as the
others among the seven men chosen to distribute the food in the dole practiced
by the Jerusalem church, it has been supposed that the others were proselytes
also. It seems rather that they were all Gentiles, and the designation
“proselyte” applied only to Nicolaus meant that he alone had come to Christianity
through Judaism, the other six having come directly from paganism, or at least
not having been converted to Judaism. This, of course, raises the entire
question of circumcision and its importance in the Early Church. Because of a
due consideration for the importance of such Jewish practices even in the Early
Church, it has been most often assumed that all seven were either proselytes or
Jews using Gr. names.
Nicolaus was thought by the Church Fathers to have been the founder of the heretical sect known as the Nicolaitans (Rev 2:6, 15). Irenaeus excused him from responsibility for this by indicating that it was a misunderstanding of his teaching that had produced the Nicolaitans. Nicolaus, according to Irenaeus, had taught that “the flesh must be abused.” By this he had meant that the body must be buffeted to be kept under control. The Nicolaitans changed his teaching to mean that the flesh could be treated in any fashion, that the flesh was insignificant and of no concern. Thus a man could live in any fashion that he wished; all of which led to shameless immorality. On the basis of this teaching the followers of Nicolaus practiced all kinds of wickedness.
The Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary says that the name Nicolas is the same as Nicodemus. This does not prove out completely true to me.
To me there is a huge discrepancy in the definitions Nicolas - A Christian and Nicodemus - An Israelite.
Strong's Concordance G3530
Nikodémos: Nicodemus, an
Israelite
Original Word: Νικόδημος, ου,
ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun,
Masculine
Transliteration: Nikodémos
Phonetic Spelling:
(nik-od'-ay-mos)
Definition: Nicodemus, an
Israelite
Usage: Nicodemus, a member of
the Sanhedrin.
Derived From G3534 and G1218 and primary word G3529
Strong's Concordance G3534
nikos: victory
Original Word: νῖκος, ους, τό
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: nikos
Phonetic Spelling: (nee'-kos)
Definition: victory
Usage: victory.
Strong's Concordance G1218
démos: a district or country,
the common people, esp. the people assembled
Original Word: δῆμος, οῦ, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun,
Masculine
Transliteration: démos
Phonetic Spelling: (day'-mos)
Definition: a district or
country, the common people, the people assembled
Usage: properly: the people,
especially citizens of a Greek city in popular assembly, but in NT, multitude,
rabble.
Strong's Concordance G3529
niké: victory
Original Word: νίκη, ης, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun,
Feminine
Transliteration: niké
Phonetic Spelling: (nee'-kay)
Definition: victory
Usage: victory, a victorious
principle.
The name Nicolas in Act 6:5 is G3532 derived from G3534 and G2004.
Strong's Concordance G3532
Nikolaos: Nicolaus, a
Christian, probably not connected with the sect bearing the same name (my note:
this is speculation and should not be a part of this definition)
Original Word: Νικόλαος, ου, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun,
Masculine
Transliteration: Nikolaos
Phonetic Spelling:
(nik-ol'-ah-os)
Definition: Nicolaus, a
Christian, probably not connected with the sect bearing the same name (again my
note: this is speculation and should not be a part of this definition)
Usage: Nicolaus, a proper
name.
Strong's Concordance G3534 - see above definition
Strong's Concordance G2004
epitassó: to arrange upon,
i.e. to command
Original Word: ἐπιτάσσω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: epitassó
Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-ee-tas'-so)
Definition: to arrange upon,
to command
Usage: I give order, command,
charge.
G2004 is derived from G1909 and G5021
Strong's Concordance G1909
epi: on, upon
Original Word: ἐπί
Part of Speech: Preposition
Transliteration: epi
Phonetic Spelling: (ep-ee')
Definition: on, upon
Usage: on, to, against, on
the basis of, at.
Strong's Concordance G5021
tassó: to draw up in order,
arrange
Original Word: τάσσω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: tassó
Phonetic Spelling: (tas'-so)
Definition: to draw up in
order, arrange
Usage: (a) I assign, arrange,
(b) I determine; mid: I appoint.
My Notes:
Nicolaitans exalted and held in highest esteem the clergy over the people. The Catholic church, with the Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, etc. is an example of the Nicolaitan ideals. Nicolaitans also had an attitude of compromise, which is associated with Balaam. The churches today who allow homosexuality in it's pastors and members or any church than condones any sexual immorality is an example of Nicolaitan ideals. Any church that condones or compromises sin is guilty of Nicolaitan ideals.
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