Who are the Nicolaitans?

What is the "doctrine of the Nicolaitans"? Why do Jesus hate it?

Revelation 2:6 "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate."

Revelation 2:15 "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate."

The context of Revelation 2 was Jesus speaking to the seven churches which were in Asia through John the apostle. Notice that both the "deeds" of the Nicolaitans and the "doctrine" of the Nicolaitans were present in the seven churches which were in Asia.

While deeds refer to an act of works performed, as in:

1 Chronicles 16:8 "Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people."

What about doctrine? Consider this passage:

Deuteronomy 32:1-3 "Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. 2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: 3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God."

This passage has the first-mention of the word "doctrine", and it compares "doctrine" to raindrops that fall from heaven to water the tender herb and the grass. The herbs and grass in turn are food for the various lifeforms on the earth, as well as the substance for "bread", and the various lifeforms in turn becomes "milk" and "meat" for our consumption. These are the laws of nature that sustains us.

Proverbs 4:2 "For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law."

King Solomon equates good doctrine to God's law in this verse. Embedded in the law of God is good doctrine. The law tells us what we can do and what we cannot do i.e. it directs our actions (deeds). There is peace and safety in keeping the law, and there are consequences when we break the law.

Psalms 19:7 "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple."

When it comes to salvation, it is the perfect law of the LORD that converts our soul. It is the doctrine that we received in hearing the law of the LORD that converts our soul. In fact, Apostle John tells us the importance of doctrine in this passage:

2 John 1:9-11 "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds."

Is doctrine important? John tells us that whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the "doctrine of Christ" hath not God. Not only that, but if any to come to us (church, house of God), and bring not the doctrine of Christ, we are not to welcome them, neither bid them God speed. This certainly include those who attempt to bring in the "doctrine of the Nicolaitans" (Revelation 2:15).

Revelation 2:2-6 "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: ... 6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate."

This passage has the words of the Lord to the church of Ephesus by John the Apostle. That was the Lord comparing the deeds of them which are evil and say that they are apostles and are not (liars), to the "deeds of the Nicolaitans" (verse 6). So, we have a clear statement from the Bible telling us who the Nicolaitans were. What is an "apostle"?

Luke 6:13 "¶ And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;"

Apostles were men whom the Lord Jesus Christ has chosen for a special purpose. Paul made it very clear in:

Galatians 1:1 "Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)"

Men could not make themselves apostles. No man can make himself or another man an apostle. Only the Lord Jesus Christ by the will of God the Father can choose certain men and make them apostles. Hence, we only have apostles in the New Testament, after the Son of God was born the Son of man and he chose certain men for a special purpose. What special purpose? Paul tells us in this passage:

Ephesians 3:1-7 "For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power."

The ministry of an apostle is for the dispensation of the grace of God to the church. The meaning of "dispensation" is given to us in verse 3 to 5, that is, how the mystery of God was made known (revealed) unto the apostles by Jesus Christ, and how this knowledge was to be dispensed to the church (in few words). Today, we have the 66 books of the Holy Bible in written form. The mystery of God in the 39 books of the Old Testament is revealed to the church in the 27 books of the New Testament. With the above clearly established, it is now clear to us who the "Nicolaitans" (false apostles) are.

2 Corinthians 11:10-15 "As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia. 11 Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth. 12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."

First and foremost, false apostles (Nicolaitans) are evil men who make themselves apostles. They were not chosen by the Lord Jesus Christ to be apostles, but they gave themselves the title of apostles and they also make other men apostles. Jesus calls them "liars" in Revelation 2:2. Paul further tells us in the above passage that they "desire occasion" against him, just like how the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel because they hated him, as in:

Daniel 6:4 "¶ Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him."

These Nicolaitans are agents of Satan who transformed themselves into "ministers of righteousness" whose end shall be according to their work. Today, these deceitful workers are found in churches all over the world, teaching and preaching the "doctrine of the Nicolaitans" (Revelation 2:15).

Apostles were men chosen by God for a special purpose, that is, to reveal the mystery of God to the church. This very definition tells us who the false apostles are. They are evil men who attempt to reveal the mystery of God not by the revelation of Jesus Christ, but by their own revelation. Who are some of these people? Ever heard of the book "Dispensational Truth"? What about the false bibles? Aren't these also an attempt by men to reveal the mystery of God? Maybe they should be exposed for what they really are i.e. Nicolaitan bibles.