Nicolaitanes philosophy of “systematic distortion” and negation of scripture.
- Thread starter just-me
- Start date
-
Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.
If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!
To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
The “end-time” resurrection of this evil apostasy and deception is fast falling into place and coming together before our very eyes, at this moment in history! It is the “Doctrine of the Niclolaitnes.”
What are the identifying “marks” of this vast, deluded apostasy? How do you know that you personally have not (to some extent) fallen into some form of this adulterated philosophy which broke off from true Christianity?
First, look at their teachings and doctrine. Compare them with the Scriptures very carefully, taking nothing for granted. Believe nobody, but check up on everybody, and then believe only your Bible!
The apostle Paul wrote, “PROVE ALL THINGS; HOLD FAST THAT WHICH IS GOOD”
(1 Thessalonians 5:21).
Isaiah the prophet wrote, “To the law and to the testimony [the Old Testament and the New Testament – the Word of God]! If they do not speak according to THIS WORD, it is because there is NO LIGHT in them” (Isa.8:20).
Paul praised the Bereans because “they received the word in all readiness, and SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILYto find out whetherthese things were so” (Acts 17:11). The Bereans didn't have what we know as the New Testament scriptures, but Paul taught them the gospel.
Paul wrote to Timothy, exhorting him (and all of us), “Be diligent to present yourself to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, RIGHTLY DIVIDING (NOT SEPERATING!) the word of truth” (11Tim.2:15).
What are the identifying “marks” of this vast, deluded apostasy? How do you know that you personally have not (to some extent) fallen into some form of this adulterated philosophy which broke off from true Christianity?
First, look at their teachings and doctrine. Compare them with the Scriptures very carefully, taking nothing for granted. Believe nobody, but check up on everybody, and then believe only your Bible!
The apostle Paul wrote, “PROVE ALL THINGS; HOLD FAST THAT WHICH IS GOOD”
(1 Thessalonians 5:21).
Isaiah the prophet wrote, “To the law and to the testimony [the Old Testament and the New Testament – the Word of God]! If they do not speak according to THIS WORD, it is because there is NO LIGHT in them” (Isa.8:20).
Paul praised the Bereans because “they received the word in all readiness, and SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILYto find out whetherthese things were so” (Acts 17:11). The Bereans didn't have what we know as the New Testament scriptures, but Paul taught them the gospel.
Paul wrote to Timothy, exhorting him (and all of us), “Be diligent to present yourself to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, RIGHTLY DIVIDING (NOT SEPERATING!) the word of truth” (11Tim.2:15).
Last edited:
welcome! & i hope you can be patient & forgiving with us -- someone has said,
'where iron sharpens iron, sparks fly'
'where iron sharpens iron, sparks fly'
And I ask the same of you toward me.That is an interesting quote, 'where iron sharpens iron, sparks fly' although, when the sparks fly, the two pieces of iron really aren’t sharpening each other. My dad loved to cook on the grill during the summer, and a sharp knife was absolutely crucial in his mind. There were times he took out that long round hardened steel rod and whipped the knife along like a pro. (Of course he was a pro in the mind of this daddy’s girl!)
I have often heard this expression used when referring to Christians helping other Christians. I understand it to mean that the interchange of ideas among people makes them understand the whole concept of the topic of discussion more clearly and gain new insights. To me it seems most often like people are being hateful with one another and demeaning each other’s understanding of scripture, and no one seems to really come out of it having learned anything. This bothered me because I could see only that the “Christlikeness” we as Christians are supposed to have was MIA. I always imagined two blades slashing away at each other, sparks flying – and the blades getting more and more dull and nicked up by the second. The idea that they could be sharpening each other just did not click in my mind. This caused me to do some research.
The fact is that I don’t know a lot about blacksmithing, but my research showed me that iron is not typically used to sharpen iron. Most commonly, blades are sharpened with a whetstone because the rough texture of the stone provides the necessary resistance to sharpen the blade. But knife sets don’t usually come with a whetstone – if anything, one of those long steel rods. That gave me NO more understanding but served only to confuse me more. Why would the Bible say something I was finding to not be accurate?
I found that those sharpening rods don’t really sharpen a knife – they just reshape it, which works for a while, but sooner or later it will probably have to be really “sharpened” by another means. In general, rubbing two like pieces of metal together will only result in the production of heat via friction. Rather than get long-winded with all of the details, I found that the key to the reshaping and sharpening of an iron blade is the angle at which the tools are held and to actually sharpen, one must use a harder metal tool with a different edge or texture.
When this scripture is used it nearly always emphasizes the “like iron” part of this verse–meaning two similarly strong Christians. But in reality, if a blade is sharpened by resistance, then a similarly smooth blade is of little help. The iron that sharpens iron must be an entirely different tool. So, Proverbs 27:17 is telling me to surround myself with strong Christians who can sharpen me, including those who can “reshape” me as the steel rod does my kitchen knives.
The one thing I would say is most important about this whole comparison is that we hear about the arguing and horrendous amounts of disagreement between Christians and they “smooth it over” by saying, “iron sharpens iron” when in reality a weapon or tool can only be sharpened when the user is at rest, not during combat or slicing that yummy beef roast. So, it is easy to see that whenever there is conversation requiring patience and forgiveness, there probably isn’t a whole lot of sharpening going on.
P
Strong's Concordance
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Nikolaités
Phonetic Spelling: (nik-ol-ah-ee'-tace)
Short Definition: a Nicolaitan
Definition: a Nicolaitan, possibly a follower of Nicolaus (a heretic at Ephesus).
http://biblehub.com/greek/3531.htm
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3531: Νικολαΐτης
Νικολαΐτης, Νικολαιτου, ὁ, a follower of Nicolaus, a Nicolaitan: plural, Revelation 2:6, 15— a name which, it can scarcely be doubted, refers symbolically to the same persons who in Revelation 2:14 are charged with holding τήν διδαχήνΒαλαάμ, i. e. after the example of Balaam, casting a stumblingblock before the church of God (Numbers 24:1-3) by upholding the liberty of eating things sacrificed unto idols as well as of committing fornication; for the Greek name Νικόλαοςcoincides with the Hebrew בִּלְעָם according to the interpretation of the latter which regards it as signifying destruction of the people. See inΒαλαάμ; (cf. BB. DD., under the words Nicolaitans, Nicolas; also commentaries on Revelation, at the passages cited).
Nikolaités: a Nicolaitan, a follower of Nicolaus
Original Word: Νικολαΐτης, ου, ὁPart of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Nikolaités
Phonetic Spelling: (nik-ol-ah-ee'-tace)
Short Definition: a Nicolaitan
Definition: a Nicolaitan, possibly a follower of Nicolaus (a heretic at Ephesus).
http://biblehub.com/greek/3531.htm
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3531: Νικολαΐτης
Νικολαΐτης, Νικολαιτου, ὁ, a follower of Nicolaus, a Nicolaitan: plural, Revelation 2:6, 15— a name which, it can scarcely be doubted, refers symbolically to the same persons who in Revelation 2:14 are charged with holding τήν διδαχήνΒαλαάμ, i. e. after the example of Balaam, casting a stumblingblock before the church of God (Numbers 24:1-3) by upholding the liberty of eating things sacrificed unto idols as well as of committing fornication; for the Greek name Νικόλαοςcoincides with the Hebrew בִּלְעָם according to the interpretation of the latter which regards it as signifying destruction of the people. See inΒαλαάμ; (cf. BB. DD., under the words Nicolaitans, Nicolas; also commentaries on Revelation, at the passages cited).
Most have rejected the TRUE holy days of God, the annual festivals of His Word (Lev.23), and some THINK they observe them, but have been misled, and keep a false “Passover,” a false “Pentecost,” and even the wrong days for the other holy days, and reject specific commandments of God when they do so. Most reject the TRUE calendar of God, the New Moons, and the proper calculation of the Hebrew months, and therefore the holy days. Many accept a false, “fixed” (civil) Jewish calendar that replaced the true Biblical calendar in 357-58 A.D. in the time of Hillel II, by a Catholic Pope named Gregory.
And these are only SOME of the false teachings of modern day, end-time “Nicolaitan”-influenced churches which claim to be the true remnants of the Church of God and assure the people that they have the bona fide “TRUTH”!
And these are only SOME of the false teachings of modern day, end-time “Nicolaitan”-influenced churches which claim to be the true remnants of the Church of God and assure the people that they have the bona fide “TRUTH”!
http://christianchat.com/bible-disc...lical-doesnt-say-day-rest-oethe-day-rest.html
I think this will fit the bill
I think this will fit the bill
L
Now I agree that the changing of times was an evil thing... but I do not think that anyone will be judged for following the changed times.
I do not think that the correct times are something to be regained. They are lost and gone until restored by Christ.
There are too many conflicting, potentially valid, calendars. Which one do you think is right, and why? What evidence supports your decision? I can tell you now, that there are at least 4 other calendars which hold the same ancient authority, with similar evidences.
No. The calendar was destroyed. The times were changed! You can only PRETEND to know the true calendar. It is not an attainable thing, as it was thoroughly changed... many many times. The details and extents of the changes are only conjecture. There is no "Rosetta Stone" of date and time tables to even get an adequate or even relative understanding of the ancient calendar.
Following some Talmudic calendar is about as useful in pursuing the righteousness of God, as reading the works of Zoroaster.
I do not think that the correct times are something to be regained. They are lost and gone until restored by Christ.
There are too many conflicting, potentially valid, calendars. Which one do you think is right, and why? What evidence supports your decision? I can tell you now, that there are at least 4 other calendars which hold the same ancient authority, with similar evidences.
No. The calendar was destroyed. The times were changed! You can only PRETEND to know the true calendar. It is not an attainable thing, as it was thoroughly changed... many many times. The details and extents of the changes are only conjecture. There is no "Rosetta Stone" of date and time tables to even get an adequate or even relative understanding of the ancient calendar.
Following some Talmudic calendar is about as useful in pursuing the righteousness of God, as reading the works of Zoroaster.
L
Even the days of the week that we know are in question. 3 of the 5 main understandings of how the times were change, disagree with our Saturday as being the 7th day of the week.
You make another very good point, about our spiritual living and function.
We didn't change the times,
but we LIVE in changed times.
God is the one who gives and withholds authority, and He gave Ceasar the authority to change the times. We give to Ceasar what is Caesar's. But we are to also give to God what is God's. We are not expected to be wise enough to unchanged the times, but we are expected to live out the principles given in the Word, through the power of the Spirit, in our present situation, and with our present conscience and understanding/ignorance.
You make another very good point, about our spiritual living and function.
We didn't change the times,
but we LIVE in changed times.
God is the one who gives and withholds authority, and He gave Ceasar the authority to change the times. We give to Ceasar what is Caesar's. But we are to also give to God what is God's. We are not expected to be wise enough to unchanged the times, but we are expected to live out the principles given in the Word, through the power of the Spirit, in our present situation, and with our present conscience and understanding/ignorance.
The calendar is really not the issue. The real issue is for us to recognize that the calendar change is only one of many tools used by the adversary to repress the truth and incorporate deceptions that lead to ignorance on our part.
"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." Daniel 7:25
Notice the rejection by Pergamos in Revelation chapter 2. Notice a parallel between then and now.
"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." Daniel 7:25
Notice the rejection by Pergamos in Revelation chapter 2. Notice a parallel between then and now.
Last edited: