Written and posted by Jean-Louis. 11/2011
In Revelation chapter 2:15 John mentions the Nicolaitans twice. This group is formed as a partnership of the Church and the world, through the ordination of a supposedly superior clergy elite class ruling over a supposedly inferior laity, the spiritually uneducated masses if you will. The supposed meaning in Greek, is derived from Nico and Laitan or the name Nicholau " one who conquers the people". It begins with a compromise and ends in powerlessness and destruction when the Lord judges and removes the candlestick of such churches. The institution can have the appearance of a functioning organization ruled by men but its life source, its spiritual guidance and dynamic power have been removed as when the glory of God departed from the temple in the time of Ezequiel or “Ichabod, the Glory has departed” was pronounced in 1 Samuel 4:19-22.
Who were these Nicolaitans? It is supposed that this group whose name is derived from a man named Nicolau, compromised with pagan practices in order to allow Christians to associate with popular customs.
Does it remind us of another time in Israel’s history when the people wanted a King like the other nations around them and rejected God´s rule? God told them that their King would lord it over them. This is exactly what happened to the institution of the church through the ages, the clergy, a separate hierarchical class of trained ministers, taking the control of God´s people through different methods that are not from God and are not recorded in His Word. WE are ALL a nation of priests according to Peter, none of us superior to the other. In the last half of the twentieth century, the Church has been infiltrated by the world’s philosophy and has found a most welcome reception in both "liberal" and "conservative" elements in its ranks.
This is exactly what Paul, Peter and John were warning their flocks about. In Revelation chapter 2, the teaching of Balaam is mentioned in the same paragraph as the teaching of the Nicolaitans. To study more about this, see 2 Peter 2:15 and Jude 11.
Of course, this practice in the churches is not new. Since the absorption of pagan practices in the church under Roman Emperors Constantine’s and Theodosius’ reigns resulting in a syncretism which has permeated the church until now, we have witnessed this phenomenon in the comtemporary "church" that will culminate in the unification of all the apostate ecumenical churches under the rule of Antichrist during the greatest deception ever perpetrated on mankind.
As far as I know, God has not rescinded His commands to the Church. He has not changed one iota of His perfect, pure, eternal, unchanging Word. He still keeps on building His Church on the perfect, indestructible “foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone”. Ephesians 2:20.
Maybe our human hands build buildings imperfectly on faulty foundations that will crack and not support the weight. Not so with the Lord and his Word. Everything He creates and builds is perfect. We do not need to try and improve on it.
Furthermore, there are warnings throughout the Bible for those who would try and change it. Deuteronomy 4:2 declares: “do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you”.
Several other passages give the same command, with consequences added in the case of Revelation 22:19: “And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”
Further in 2 Corinthians 10:8, Paul continues with this theme after explaining to us the good use of his authority when he declares: “For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it”. We can see from these words that Paul always had his disciples’ best interest at heart.
In conclusion, let us beware of practices prohibited by God in His Word, first introduced by people outside and inside the Church who distort the Scriptures to back up these practices and later on formulate a false theology once the practice has been entrenched through decades or centuries of traditions in the lives of people.
True Christian practices should always have as their basis pure and sound doctrine and should stem from biblical principles and the leading of the Holy Spirit who will never contradict His Word. Sound teaching should always precede good practices, not the other way around because the human heart is so deceitful. Let’s leave this type of behavior to the politicians who have perfected it to an art.
In Revelation chapter 2:15 John mentions the Nicolaitans twice. This group is formed as a partnership of the Church and the world, through the ordination of a supposedly superior clergy elite class ruling over a supposedly inferior laity, the spiritually uneducated masses if you will. The supposed meaning in Greek, is derived from Nico and Laitan or the name Nicholau " one who conquers the people". It begins with a compromise and ends in powerlessness and destruction when the Lord judges and removes the candlestick of such churches. The institution can have the appearance of a functioning organization ruled by men but its life source, its spiritual guidance and dynamic power have been removed as when the glory of God departed from the temple in the time of Ezequiel or “Ichabod, the Glory has departed” was pronounced in 1 Samuel 4:19-22.
Who were these Nicolaitans? It is supposed that this group whose name is derived from a man named Nicolau, compromised with pagan practices in order to allow Christians to associate with popular customs.
Does it remind us of another time in Israel’s history when the people wanted a King like the other nations around them and rejected God´s rule? God told them that their King would lord it over them. This is exactly what happened to the institution of the church through the ages, the clergy, a separate hierarchical class of trained ministers, taking the control of God´s people through different methods that are not from God and are not recorded in His Word. WE are ALL a nation of priests according to Peter, none of us superior to the other. In the last half of the twentieth century, the Church has been infiltrated by the world’s philosophy and has found a most welcome reception in both "liberal" and "conservative" elements in its ranks.
This is exactly what Paul, Peter and John were warning their flocks about. In Revelation chapter 2, the teaching of Balaam is mentioned in the same paragraph as the teaching of the Nicolaitans. To study more about this, see 2 Peter 2:15 and Jude 11.
Of course, this practice in the churches is not new. Since the absorption of pagan practices in the church under Roman Emperors Constantine’s and Theodosius’ reigns resulting in a syncretism which has permeated the church until now, we have witnessed this phenomenon in the comtemporary "church" that will culminate in the unification of all the apostate ecumenical churches under the rule of Antichrist during the greatest deception ever perpetrated on mankind.
As far as I know, God has not rescinded His commands to the Church. He has not changed one iota of His perfect, pure, eternal, unchanging Word. He still keeps on building His Church on the perfect, indestructible “foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone”. Ephesians 2:20.
Maybe our human hands build buildings imperfectly on faulty foundations that will crack and not support the weight. Not so with the Lord and his Word. Everything He creates and builds is perfect. We do not need to try and improve on it.
Furthermore, there are warnings throughout the Bible for those who would try and change it. Deuteronomy 4:2 declares: “do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you”.
Several other passages give the same command, with consequences added in the case of Revelation 22:19: “And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”
Further in 2 Corinthians 10:8, Paul continues with this theme after explaining to us the good use of his authority when he declares: “For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it”. We can see from these words that Paul always had his disciples’ best interest at heart.
In conclusion, let us beware of practices prohibited by God in His Word, first introduced by people outside and inside the Church who distort the Scriptures to back up these practices and later on formulate a false theology once the practice has been entrenched through decades or centuries of traditions in the lives of people.
True Christian practices should always have as their basis pure and sound doctrine and should stem from biblical principles and the leading of the Holy Spirit who will never contradict His Word. Sound teaching should always precede good practices, not the other way around because the human heart is so deceitful. Let’s leave this type of behavior to the politicians who have perfected it to an art.
No comments:
Post a Comment