The book of Revelations tells us that God hates the deeds of the Nicolaitans. And Proverbs tells us that one of the things that God hates is "...And one who sows discord among brethren."

I found a site on the internet for people who had been hurt by churches. I am only being fair when I state that in some cases, it appears to me that the church was trying to do the right thing. But in other cases, people told about joining a group that was extremely friendly. Later, if some of the family wanted to leave, the group would try to turn other family members against them. The groups taught disobedience to various Biblical commands for children to honor and obey their parents, and for husbands and wives to love and honor each other.

Some time ago, my wife and I left a good church that had been seized by a small group of people. A couple of weeks later, my wife was amazed to get a phone call from two of the leaders. They told her that God was going to judge me, and they wanted to warn her. Later, members of the church urged my wife to rebel against me and return to the church without my permission.

The problem here is that my wife is a Godly Christian. She was disgusted at their efforts, and she already knew that their seizure of the church was not part of God's will. We're currently engaged in helping to start a successful church, and both of us are active and blessed in our ministries there.

And the two leaders who called my wife? After the church had gone from 120 to 30 in one year, the other leaders kicked them out of leadership.

Murder

Proverbs 6:17 also tells us that God hates "Hands that shed innocent blood." Catholicism began growing in the early church, as people began strugling for leadership positions in a new religion that was on its way up. Without church buildings, early Christians met in a variety of houses and locations, presided over by a bishop. Soon, people began using the office of bishop as a tool to rule over all the Christians in a geographical area. Persecution began when the government united with these bishops as a tool for both state and church to control people. Eventually, Catholicism provided so many martyrs that God described it as "drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus" (Rev.17:6).

Modern Nicolaitans aren't allowed to practice bloodshed to build their power. They rely on lying and plotting, which God also hates. The only real persecution they can offer today is slander, keeping their opponents out of leadership positions, and driving people out of the church. They sometimes try to turn family members against each other in order to retaliate against Christians who oppose their sins.

And in Revelation 2:6, God praises the church at Ephesus because "... you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate."

A Proud Look

Proverbs 6:17 tells us that one of the things that God hates is "a proud look." The Hebrew word for "proud" refers to a person who exalts himself, or who lifts himself up. In other words, it is a person who is holding a position that is higher than what God appointed him to.

In one Christian school that I taught at, an ambitious church secretary decided that she should teach the senior English class. She planned to use it as a launch pad to become a school administrator. She launched an active smear campaign on the teacher, got the class, and failed miserably.

The ministries of Nicolaitans are usually marked by failure, because they gain their positions without God's authority. They are rarely involved in leadership of successful, growing churches, unless the church is growing by stealing people from other churches. They attribute their failures to other causes, and sometimes are attracted to Calvinism, which blames God for their failures.

When I come across Christians who have been hurt by churches, I often find that the church was led by Nicolaitans; the rest of the time, it was usually the fault of the person who got hurt.

Deeds That God Hates

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

We have seen that 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. So, what activities does God hate?

Proverbs 6:16-19 tells us: These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil,
19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among
brethren.

Notice that lying is listed twice, plotting is listed once, and sowing discord is listed once. "Nicolaitan Christians" refers to Christians who set out to rule over God's people, without being called by God to do so. While they will sometimes plot against each other, they are united in opposing (and fearing) soul-winners. Plotting, slander, judging, and criticizing are tools that they will use.

In talking to such Christians, I have actually had some tell me that soul-winners are immature Christians, and because they are mature Christians, they have the ability to "be in charge." I have also found that they often look down on Christians who spend a lot of time "serving." And I have often found that soul-winners are uninterested in being leaders; they are usually interested in being servants. And Jesus taught that those are the greatest Christians.

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...

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...

More Tares

People with long memories might remember that the purpose of this blog is to help Christians who have been hurt by churches or other Christians. If you have a really long memory, you might recall that I believe that many of these problems are caused by tares. Tares are false Christians who are trained by genuine Christians. Satan plants tares and then goes away; he does not do any great thing in their lives. When tares produce their fruit, the servants (in some parables, servants picture soul-winners) can recognise them for what they are.

Doubly redeemed Christians have tares. Troubled by their lives of sin, and perhaps influenced by Godly training in their youth, some people make a false profession of faith. Some of them can fit in well with the doubly redeemed, because they enjoy the rock music, lack of standards, and lack of condemnation of outward sin.

Conservative fundamentalists also get tares. As long as the tares cling to their man-made standards, the conservative fundamentalists believe that they are living holy lives. Colossians 2:23 talks about man-made rules, but it is almost impossible to understand in the King James Version. The New King James Version translates Col 2:23 "These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."

When these two types of Christians insist on genuine Biblical holiness, they have an easier time spotting tares. And when you recognise tares, it is easier to avoid being hurt by them.