Who were the Nicolaitans and what did they believe

[ChrisM]

I have been enjoying and considering the letters to the seven churches in Revelation and came upon this issue of the Nicolaitans. We don't know exactly what they believed, but in Rev. 2 we read
" 14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. 15 So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth"

A quick run around the internet shows tons of suppositions,theories, and such. I found one article interesting, though. This thought was put forward and I wondered if any of the folks here have more information on this issue to add. That bastion of knowledge, Wikipedia, had this to say:

"Hippolytus of Rome states that the deacon Nicolas was the author of the heresy and the sect.[2] Several of the early church fathers, including Irenaeus, Epiphanius, and Theodoret mentioned this group. Irenaeus discusses them but adds nothing to the Apocalypse except that "they lead lives of unrestrained indulgence."[3] Victorinus of Pettau states that they ate things offered to idols.[4] Bede states that Nicolas allowed other men to marry his wife[5] and Thomas Aquinas believed that Nicholas supported either polygamy or the holding of wives in common.[6] Eusebius said that the sect was short-lived.[7]"

I believe that the sexual immorality mentioned in the Scriptural text probably led them to this conclusion to include polygamy as one of the possible manifestations of immorality as Thomas Aquinas seems to believe polygamy to be sinful. Is this all supposition, is there more of Aquinas's writing on the subject? Thanks for any help folks can offer.

 

[Verifyveritas76]

I'm bumping this so I can respond later as I have time

 

[Verifyveritas76]

The following are excerpts that I have found in attempting to study out the Nicholaitans. An overview of these has led me to believe that Nicholas the deacon in Acts was the initiator of heresies that revolved around the idea that since we have liberty in Christ, we may do as we please with no repercussions. Apparently they included such things as eating meat (at pagan temple ceremonies) sacrificed to pagan gods (which were often strangled), engaging the services of pagan priestesses as well as a libertine lifestyle, seducing married women to leave their own husbands to follow and 'serve' these so called 'apostles'. (Which may be the form of polygamy condemned by Hippolytus above)
I find it very interesting that the decree put out by the elders in Jerusalem in Acts 15:29 deals with this very issue although it is not called Nicolaitanism. "That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well." Also notice that the 'doctrine' of Jezebel is derived from 'Nicolaitanism' and is associated with a woman usurping authority in the church to the extent of baptizing!


John, however, in the Apocalypse is charged to chastise those "who eat things sacrificed to idols," and "who commit fornication." There are even now another sort of Nicolaitans.
From <http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/tertullian11.html>

There are, however, among the Gnostics diversities of opinion; but we have decided that it would not be worth while to enumerate the silly doctrines of these (heretics), inasmuch as they are (too) numerous and devoid of reason, and full of blasphemy. Now, even those (of the heretics) who are of a more serious turn in regard of the Divinity, and have derived their systems of speculation from the Greeks, must stand convicted (of these charges). But Nicolaus has been a cause of the wide-spread combination of these wicked men. He, as one of the seven (that were chosen) for the diaconate, was appointed by the Apostles. (But Nicolaus) departed from correct doctrine, and was in the habit of inculcating indifferency of both life and food. And when the disciples (of Nicolaus) continued to offer insult to the Holy Spirit, John reproved them in the Apocalypse as fornicators and eaters of things offered unto idols.
From <http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/hippolytus7.html>

The early church fathers also spoke of the Nicolaitans. “Tertullian reports the lust and luxury of the Nicolaitans, cites evidence from Revelation, and adds that there was another sort of Nicolaitans, a satanic sect, called the Gaian heresy [worship of Mother Earth, which has reared its ugly head today] . . . Clement of Alexandria knows of followers of Nicolaus, ‘lascivious goats,’ who perverted his saying that it was necessary to abuse the flesh . . . Clement undertakes to show that Nicolaus [the deacon mentioned in Acts 6:1-6, a faithful servant of God] was a true ascetic and that the later, immoral Nicolaitans were not his followers, though they claimed him as their teacher . . . Later their name flourished as a designation for heretics.”
From <http://www.triumphpro.com/nicolaitans.htm>

The flesh is not, according to Marcion, immersed in the water of the sacrament, unless it be in virginity, widowhood, or celibacy, or has purchased by divorce a title to baptism, as if even generative impotents did not all receive their flesh from nuptial union. Now, such a scheme as this must no doubt involve the proscription of marriage. Let us see, then, whether it be a just one: not as if we 294 aimed at destroying the happiness of sanctity, as do certain Nicolaitans in their maintenance of lust and luxury, but as those who have come to the knowledge of sanctity, and pursue it and prefer it, without detriment, however, to marriage;
From <http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/tertullian121.html>

But how far (are we to treat) of Paul; since even John appears to give some secret countenance to the opposite side? as if in the Apocalypse he has manifestly assigned to fornication the auxiliary aid of repentance, where, to the angel of the Thyatirenes, the Spirit sends a message that He "hath against him that he kept (in communion) the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophet, and teacheth, and seduceth my servants unto fornicating and eating of idol sacrifice. And I gave her bounteously a space of time, that she might enter upon repentance; nor is she willing to enter upon it on the count of fornication. Behold, I will give her into a bed, and her adulterers with herself into greatest pressure, unless they shall have repented of her works." I am content with the fact that, between apostles, there is a common agreement in rules of faith and of discipline. For, "Whether (it be) I," says (Paul), "or they, thus we preach." Accordingly, it is material to the interest of the whole sacrament to believe nothing conceded by John, which has been taffy refused by Paul. This harmony of the Holy Spirit whoever observes, shall by Him be conducted into His meanings. For (the angel of the Thyatirene Church) was secretly introducing into the Church, and urging justly to repentance, an heretical woman, who had taken upon herself to teach what she had learnt from the Nicolaitans. For who has a doubt that an heretic, deceived by (a spurious baptismal) rite, upon discovering his mischance, and expiating it by repentance, both attains pardon and is restored to the bosom of the Church?
From <http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/tertullian32.html>

Now the cause of the heresies of the Nicolaitans was first brought forward in like manner by Nicolas—he was one of the deacons who were elected at the first and is recorded in the Acts—when he was troubled by strange spirits saying that the resurrection had taken place; supposing that the resurrection was to believe in the Messiah and to be baptized, not meaning the resurrection of the flesh.'

To him Hippolytus goes on to trace the errors of Hymenaeus and Philetus and of the Gnostics; and he couples with them the false teachers at Corinth, explaining S. Paul's language 'we have this treasure in earthen vessels' of the gift of immortality; for 'what is our dead flesh but these vessels before mentioned, into which the treasure of incorruption being put makes them immortal?'
From <http://earlychristianwritings.com/lightfoot/pt1vol2/hippo5.html>

 

[Joleneakamama]

And for fun here is another perspective.