Who were the Nicolaitans?
By Jan Roberson
Rev.2:6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Rev.2:14-16 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore!
In the letter to the church at Pergamum, Jesus spoke against those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans (and commended the Ephesian church for hating the practices of the Nicolaitans). What can we know about the Nicolaitans teachings and practices?
There is little known about this group, but they are mentioned in close context with those who hold to the teaching of Balaam. So, these groups might have been similar in their teachings and practices. Etymologically, these names have very similar meanings: Balaam-conquer people;Nicolaitans -nikao-consume, laos-people.
Balaam was a pagan prophet who was called by king Balak to curse the Israelites (Nu. 22-24), but God caused him to give a blessing instead. Later, Balaam was found to be the one that instigated Moab women to seduce the Israelite men as a means of turning them away from the Lord and towards worship of Baal. (Nu.31:15,16).
It would seem then, that these two similar false teachings had to do with fornication and idolatry. It was common practice for the people in these cities to worship the Greek gods with many banquets and celebrations that included drunkenness and sexual promiscuity. Citizens were expected to participation in these events as their duty and privilege.
There was the question of how much could and should a Christian participate in the feasts andeating food sacrificed to idols, with sexual immorality would be a part of the whole.
It is hard to know exactly what was taught and practiced by the Nicolaitans, but it is likely that the heresy and false teaching had to do with compromise with their pagan culture.
Other thoughts:
• The names of Balaam and Nicolaitans possibly could be pseudonyms for those leading Christians in this compromise with culture.
• Some speculate that there was a man named Nicolus that was a leader of the heresy.
• Some believe that both of these groups were part of a larger group of Christian Gnostics that claimed to have special divine insight and special libertine freedom which enabled them to syncretize with their culture.