Thursday, May 15, 2008

But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Rev. 2:6

A few times in the Bible, the apostles got into arguments about which one of them was the greatest. Jesus explained one time "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Matthew 23:11-12

I need to explain that there is a gift of "governments," and there are many Godly Christians who serve as Sunday School superintendents, treasurers, kitchen managers, etc.

There are also many Godly Christians whom the Lord calls to be shepherds of His flock, and we are commanded in Hebrews 13:7 "Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct." Notice that rulers called by God teach us the Word of God, and live lives that bring a reward.

Hebrews 12:17 adds "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you." Here we see that the people whom God calls to rule over us watch for our souls, and it is profitable for us to obey them.

So God DOES call certain Christians to rule over us! They are servants,they are humble, they teach the Word of God, they live Godly lives, and they watch for our souls.

The Nicolaitans, on the other hand, engage in activities that God hates.

To be continued...

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Nicolaitan Christians

But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Rev. 2:6

If there are two groups of Christians who really oppose each other, it's the Nicolaitans vs. the soul-winners. Some early Church authors claimed that the Nicolaitans encouraged immorality among the saints, but the truth is, no one knows for sure who they were or what they believed. But we know a few things about them from Scripture:

1) The word "Nicolaitan" means "Ruler of the People," or "I Will Rule People," or "Conqueror of the People." So, what kind of people were they?

2) They committed deeds that God hates, So, what kind of deeds did they commit?

3) God is pleased with us when we hate their deeds. So, what kind of deeds should Christians hate?

To be continued...