NICOLAS - By James Lotz

Screenshot taken from "Vampire's Kiss"

The book of Revelation is an interesting piece of literature.  Most people know it’s located at the end of the Christian Bible and that it contains a lot of odd things pertaining to the end of the world.  Some Christian groups have even used it to try and "do the math” about when the world will end, to decipher the concept of “666,” and even how many people will go to Heaven.  Like I said – it’s a weird book.  Since it is so weird even many Christians tend to dismiss it.

But the problem is if we study Revelation more in depth we realize something: we ignore it to our own detriment.  Revelation contains some very important things that mattered when it was written almost 2,000 years ago, and given the state of the church today, they matter now more than ever.

Written in the first century, chapters two and three of Revelation contain some sobering words from Jesus written to seven churches in seven different areas of the Roman Empire (Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea).  Two of those churches addressed were familiar with a group of people that Jesus wasn't too happy with – the Nicolaitans.  Who these people were is a bit murky.  Some people think that they were started by a Christian named Nicolas, who at one time was a faithful worker in the church.  While that cannot be confirmed what can be confirmed is that the Nicolaitans were making Jesus very, very upset.  For instance, to the church in Ephesus, after warning them to get back to the basics of their faith, Jesus says,

“… you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”

Revelation 2:6

Those are strong words.  His words to the church in Pergamum aren’t much better.  They had members that encouraged sinful behavior pertaining to idolatry and sexual immorality.  Jesus added this to His charge against them:

“Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.  Repent…Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”

Revelation 2:15-16

That’s some heavy stuff.  
Hate?  Swords?

We always hear that Jesus is loving and nice - and He is - but what’s this all about?  Believe it or not He says harsher stuff than that in the Gospels – but I digress.  What in the world did the Nicolaitans do to make Jesus so mad?

In addition to the "weird stuff" in Revelation, the parts about the Nicolaitans is historically confirmed outside of the Bible.  For instance, there was a guy named Irenaeus who lived shortly after Revelation was written.  He seemingly writes about this same group of people called the Nicolaitans as well.  He reports that they identified as Christians – but in name only.  Their reputation was being a people of “unrestrained indulgence.”  Basically they were taking God’s free Grace and using it as a license to sin – apparently preaching “Grace!” but not preaching Grace’s impact on a person’s life.

And that’s basically all there is.  Other stuff written about the Nicolaitans is written hundreds of years later – too late to be fully reliable.  But if we gather the reliable evidence here is what we know:

1. Jesus hated the practices and teachings of the Nicolaitans

2. He will judge them with His words for their rebellion

3. Irenaeus confirms that they were a Christian sect who condoned sin

It suddenly should dawn on us why they drove Jesus nuts: Jesus died for our sins.  Any teachings that condone sin in our lives or the lives of others is a slap in His face – and an abuse of His Grace (no rhyming intended).  If sin separates us from God, why would any church teach that sin is cool?  According to Revelation, no church that is truly of Christ should or will.

Fast forward two thousand years or so and we see this happening today.  Churches, like the Nicolaitans, have abandoned the teachings of Jesus to obey God’s Word and instead encourage participation in the very things Jesus died for.  This is being done by conservative and liberal churches alike, for many sins – and it’s killing people - spiritually and literally.

For giggles, let’s pretend the guy I mentioned earlier (Nicolas) is actually the founder of the Nicolaitans.

How does he go from being a faithful follower of Jesus to suddenly being an enemy of Jesus?  

Being warned by Jesus?  

Being judged by Jesus?

I’m not quite sure how to put it into words - but I do know it happens every day.  It happens to me, it happens to you, it happens to all of us.  With Revelation being the last book of the Bible we now turn to the first book – Genesis.  In Genesis 3 we see a story of human brokenness; two people, loved and protected by the LORD, fall victim to the silky smooth voice of the fork-tongued enemy.  That slippery character called God’s Word into question – and the people fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

Folks, that’s our daily struggle.  People argue constantly about whether or not the “Adam and Eve Story” is historical.  The bottom line is that story is true in that it happens every single day.  People get destroyed by sin.  People get enamored with ideas and teachings that meet them in the “feels” versus being fed in the soul.

The Nicolaitans and those that followed them were no different.  They got judged. And if we don’t take seriously God’s calling for us to take seriously His Word – we too will be no different.

God’s words of warning concerning the practices of the Nicolaitans are clear.

God’s words calling the Nicolaitans away from their sins are clear.

God’s words inviting us into His Love are also clear.

A phrase repeated seven times to the churches in Revelation speaks to us loudly today:

Whoever has ears let them hear what the Spirit
says to the churches.

The Nicolaitans heard God loud and clear.  

He offered them Grace out of His abundant Love.

We have no idea if they listened.

The question remains – will we?

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