Jesus Christ Himself says explicitly what was the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. He said, "But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. THUS you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate." Rev. 2:14-15
The Nicolaitans were like Balaam, a type of Judas. They counted themselves to be Christians but, like Balaam, were worldly and held congress with kings insinuating that the church and the world, the pursuit of wealth, were not at variance.
I've found some information that may see the story of Balaam in fuller light. See what you think!
Scholars don't really know what the name "nicolaitians" refers to, some assuming there must have been a man "Nickol" starting a new gnostic doctrine. But what if the word is an "untranslated" Greek word, not the name of the originator?
The
word, Nicolaitans, means to be victorious over the people, that is, to conquer the people or laity. It is a combination of two Greeks words: nikos, to conquer and laos, the people or laity.
We can understand the term, this way: "Nicolaitan" derived from nikao, to conquer; and laos, people; meaning, The religious leaders (the Balaams) gain power over the laity, with the aid of king "Balak" in the form of Roman Emperors..
There are students of Revelation that identify this "evil" as:
Nicolaitanism is the subjugation of the assembly or "the laity" by a hierarchical order who lord it over the assembly as if it were their own possession. There is actually very little historical evidence for a sect called the Nicolaitanes. Most references were simply attempts at trying to identify Revelations use of the term, not really accounts of a historical group. Gnostism, of course was a problem back then, but does it connect?
The spirit of Nicolaitanism was already brewing in the early Christian church -- with some wanting preeminence over the laity . That which was mere "deeds" in Ephesus (Rev. 2:6), became "doctrine" in Pergamos (2:15), The Roman Catholic Church clasping hands with the Roman emperors, the bishop of Rome being honored, elevated, and given the Lateran Palace by Constantine, and the seeds of nicolaitanism began to take deep root. The preeminence of the clergy lording it over the laity. Today the world is ready to accept the Roman Pope and be subject to him looking to him, not to Christ, as the author of law and grace and deliverance.
It didn't take long for false worship to be made the "norm". A new holy day to begin its determined push against the true, to denigrate God's holy Sabbath. A whole panorama of paganism, given a pious coating was introduced.
Christianity became respectable in the world, but it was stumbling into false worship and ceremony . Bishops and prelates vied for positions of power in the church. This resulted a low moral state. These leaders engaged in and permitted indulgence in sin.
