Editing Nicolaism (section)

==Interpretations==

=== Connection to Nicolas the Deacon ===
Among later critics, [[Cotelerius]] seems to lean towards the favourable view of the character of Nicolas the Deacon in a note on ''[[Apostolic Constitutions|Constit. Apost]].'' vi. 8, after reciting the various authorities. [[Edward Burton (theologian)|Edward Burton]]<ref>''Lectures on Ecclesiastical History'', Lect. xii. p. 364, ed. 1833.</ref> was of opinion that the origin of the term Nicolaitans is uncertain, and that, "though Nicolas the deacon has been mentioned as their founder, the evidence is extremely slight which would convict that person himself of any immoralities."

[[Tillemont]]<ref>''H. E.'' ii. 47.</ref> was possibly influenced by the fact that no honour is paid to the memory of Nicolas by any branch of the church. He allows more weight to the testimony against him, and peremptorily rejects Cassian's statement (to which [[August Neander|Neander]]<ref>''Planting of the Church'', bk. v. p. 390, ed. Bonn.</ref> adheres) that some other Nicolas was the founder of the sect. Tillemont concludes that, if not the actual founder, he was so unfortunate as to give occasion to the formation of the sect by his indiscreet speaking. [[Grotius]]' view is given in a note on Revelation 2:6<ref>{{bibleverse|Revelation||2:6}}.</ref> and is substantially the same as that of Tillemont.

===Connection to Balaam===
Other scholars think that the group's name was not based upon an individual's name, but as a compound descriptive word. ''Nico-'' means "victory" in Greek, and ''laos'' means "people" or, more specifically, "the laity". Hence they take the word to mean "lay conquerors" or "conquerors of the lay people".

The name [[Balaam]] is perhaps capable of being interpreted as a Hebrew equivalent of the Greek Nicolas. Some commentators<ref>[[Johannes Cocceius|Cocceius]] (''Cogitat. in Rev''. ii. 6) has the credit of being the first to suggest this identification of the Nicolaitans with the followers of Balaam. He has been followed by the elder [[Campegius Vitringa|Vitringa]] (''Dissertatatio de Argumentum Epistola Petri posterior'' in Hase's ''Thesaurus,'' ii. 987), [[Hengstenberg]] (''in loc''.), Stier (''Words of the Risen Lord'', p. 125 Eng. transl.), and others. [[Joseph Barber Lightfoot|Lightfoot]] (''Hor. Heb.'', in Act. Apost. vi. 5) suggests another and more startling ''[[paronomasia]]''. The word, in his view, was chosen, as identical in sound with  ניכולה, ''Nicolah'', "let us eat", and as thus marking out the special characteristic of the sect.</ref> think that John alludes to this in Revelation 2:14;<ref>{{bibleverse|Revelation||2:14|KJV}}.</ref> and [[Campegius Vitringa|C. Vitringa]]<ref>''Obs. Sacr.'' iv. 9.</ref> argues forcibly in support of this opinion. However, Albert Barnes notes:

{{blockquote|Vitringa supposes that the word is derived from νικος, victory, and λαος, people, and that thus it corresponds with the name Balaam, as meaning either ''lord of the people'', or ''he destroyed the people''; and that, as the same effect was produced by their doctrines as by those of Balaam, that the people were led to commit fornication and to join in idolatrous worship, they might be called Balaamites or Nicolaitanes—that is, corrupters of the people. But to this it may be replied,

(a) that it is far-fetched, and is adopted only to remove a difficulty;

(b) that there is every reason to suppose that the word here used refers to a class of people who bore that name, and who were well known in the two churches specified;

(c) that, in  Rev 2:15 , they are expressly distinguished from those who held the doctrine of Balaam,  Rev 2:14—"So hast thou also (και) those that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes."|Albert Barnes, ''New Testament Notes''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ccel.org/ccel/barnes/ntnotes.html|title=Work info: Barnes' New Testament Notes - Christian Classics Ethereal Library|website=www.ccel.org}}</ref>
}}

=== Antinominism from John Henry Blunt ===
A common view holds that the Nicolaitans held the [[Antinomianism|antinomian]] heresy of [[1 Corinthians 6]].<ref name=CE1913>{{cite CE1913 |last= Healy |first= Patrick Joseph |wstitle= Nicolaites}}</ref>  One scholar who espouses this interpretation, [[John Henry Blunt]], maintains that the comparison between the Nicolaitans and [[Balaam]] "proves that the fornication spoken of is not that crime under ordinary circumstances, but fornication connected with religious rites".<ref name=Blunt/> Blunt points out that the Hebrews had a long history of preaching against or alternatively using cult prostitutes (Genesis 38:21–22; Deuteronomy 23:17–18; 1 Kings 14:24, 15:12, 22:46; 2 Kings 23:7; Ezekiel 16:16; Hosea 4:14). He also points out that the early Christians lived in a pagan culture where the worship of [[Aphrodite#Cult of Aphrodite|Aphrodite]] included ''hierodoule'' who engaged in [[ritual prostitution]] in her shrines and temples, and that the [[Dionysian Mysteries]] used intoxicants and other trance-inducing techniques to remove inhibitions and social constraints of believers to enter into an animalistic state of mind.

Blunt holds that the Nicolaitans either believed that the command against ritual sex was part of the [[Law of Moses|Mosaic law]] and it was licit for them, or that they went too far during Christian "[[Agape feast|love-feasts]]". Blunt sees echoes of this behavior in the admonitions which Paul gives the Corinthians, though he does not name them as such. Blunt also believes that similar echoes can be found in the admonitions of Jude 4-16 (which invokes both "Balaam's error" and "love feasts") and 2 Peter 2:2-21 (which repeats much of Jude's statements, including invoking Balaam).<ref name=Blunt/>

The trend began early in Christianity of applying the term "Nicolaitans" to describe other antinomian groups with no attachment to the historical Nicolaitans. [[Tertullian]] in his ''Prescription Against Heretics'', 33, is such an example: "John, however, in the Apocalypse is charged to chastise those 'who eat things sacrificed to idols,' and 'who commit sexual immorality.' There are even now another sort of Nicolaitans. Theirs is called the [[Cainites|Gaian heresy]]."

[[John Henry Blunt|Blunt]] pointed out that the Bible condemns the false teachings, and the use of a name to describe a group "shows that there was a distinct heretical party which held the doctrine." The letters which Jesus dictates for the churches in Revelation 2 "show that these heretics had neither formally separated themselves from the church nor had been excommunicated."<ref name="Blunt" />

=== Food for Idols from Victorinus of Pettau ===
[[Victorinus of Pettau]] held that the error of the Nicolaitans was that they considered it necessary to exorcise things offered to idols before eating, and that there was no sin of fornication after seven days had passed.

<blockquote>"But the works of the Nicolaitanes in that time were false and troublesome men, who, as ministers under the name of Nicolas, had made for themselves an heresy, to the effect that whatever had been offered to idols might be exorcised and eaten, and that whoever had committed fornication might receive peace on the eighth day."<ref>St. Victorinus of Pettau, ''Commentary on the Apocalypse'', 2.1</ref></blockquote>

=== Polygamy ===
[[Bede]] states that Nicolas allowed other men to marry his wife.<ref>Bede, ''Explanation of the Apocalypse'', 2.16</ref>  [[Thomas Aquinas]] believed that Nicolas supported either polygamy or the holding of wives in common.<ref>''[[Summa contra Gentiles|S. C. G.]]'' iii. 124.</ref>  [[Eusebius]] claimed that the sect was short-lived.<ref>''H. E''. iii. 29.</ref>

The description of Nicolas the Deacon as celibate was used by 16th century Protestant apologists to argue against the practice of mandatory clerical celibacy by suggesting it originated within Nicolaism first before spreading into Christianity.<ref>For example, see [[Martin Chemnitz]]'s [https://books.google.com/books?id=UtRTAAAAcAAJ&q=editions:WavRe78tBJ8C Examen, Volumes III-IV]: Volume III, which gives this argument begins on page 13 of the Latin edition on Google books</ref>

=== Ecclesiastical Hierarchy ===
[[C. I. Scofield]] writes in [[Scofield Reference Bible|his reference Bible]]:
<blockquote>
<b>Nicolaitanes</b>

From <i>nikao</i>, "to conquer," and <i>laos</i>, "the people," or "laity." There is no ancient authority for a <i>sect</i> of the Nicolaitanes. If the word is symbolic it refers to the earliest form of the notion of a priestly order, or "clergy," which later divided an equal brotherhood (Matt. 23:8) into "priests" and "laity." What in Ephesus was "deeds" (Rev. 2:6) had become in Pergamos a "doctrine" (Rev. 2:15).<ref>''The Scofield Reference Bible'', page 1332</ref>
</blockquote>