March 15, 1994.
Revised August 31, 2005
Appendix of Thy Kingdom Comes
Appendix
4. Who are the Nicolaitans?
But this thou hast, that
thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Rev. 2:6
What was the doctrine of
the “Nicolaitans”? There was a connection between them
and Balaam. Balaam is from the Hebrew word Baal, meaning “lord” or
“master” and am references the people. It is an expression of superior rank over the people, contrary to the
directive of Christ, the King.
Nike is the Greek
word for “conqueror” with nikos meaning “victor”. Laos is a word for “people”. Nicolaitan and Baalam are two different forms of the
same idea. Both include the idea of rank, lordship, and submission to
an exercising authority who can judge the people. They are systems
that make gods, judging rulers, of men to whom other men must pay
homage , homage being fealty and allegiance.
Nicolaitans were people
“who were charged with holding the error of Balaam, casting a
stumbling block before the church of God by upholding the liberty of
eating things sacrificed to idols as well as committing fornication.”
They were snared by their own appetite for benefits at the expense of
their neighbor. The people are devoured in the civic pot of their own
flesh.
The things sacrificed to
idols were the welfare programs ministered by the civic or licensed
altars of those various governments. One could become eligible for
those benefits by an application for membership. This application
often included an agreement to serve and contribute regularly to
those incorporated altars of the state. There usually was an oath
required, under the penalty of the courts, attached to those systems.
Both God’s Kingdom
and the kingdoms of the world had ministers (clerks, bureaucrats,
clergy, ministers) who managed the institutions or altars of
contributions. The problem arises in distinguishing the Nicolaitan or
Baalam system of clergy and laity from what was established by
Christ. Some systems of faith have a top-down clergy that exercises
authority, compel service and contributions, but this is contrary to
the Kingdom of God.
It is clear by the Biblical
text that Jesus appointed men to serve the people. Those individuals
also made appointments of men chosen by the people. The clergy is simply the clerks of the kingdom, the bondservants of
the King, in service to the laity or people who live by the perfect
law of liberty with its burden of individual responsibility.
In Gibbon’s “Decline
and Fall of the Roman Empire”, he praised “the union and
discipline of the Christian republic.” This personal discipline
included the rights and responsibilities of freedom. It was a kingdom
that depended on faith, hope, and charity. He also pointed out that
“it gradually formed an independent and increasing state in the
heart of the Roman Empire.”
The reason early Christians
gathered together was to take care of the business of the kingdom of
God. There was religious freedom guaranteed by the Roman
constitution. There was no persecution because men loved one another.
The problem was the difference between these two systems of
government. Christ was turning the world right-side up. To those who
did not want to change, they accused His followers of turning the
world upside down.
The bureaucrats of
Nicolaitan or Baalam system of governance entice the people to give
their allegiance, with promises of benefits, but then exercise
authority, compel taxes, and make laws and regulations. The Clerks of
Christ’s Kingdom of God at hand offer their service in a system
that only works if we love one another in faith, hope, and charity.
Christians would not apply to the Romans nor the Jews who would not
follow Christ. They would not touch benefits paid for by the
compelled sacrifices of the people. If they did that, they would be
Nicolaitans.
When thou sittest to eat
with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: And put a
knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Be not
desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat. Proverbs
23:1-3.
Footnotes:
Table of Contents
of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
Peace be to this house,
The Prologue of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCa1-0Prologue.php
1. The Kingdom of God of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
Is Righteousness of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCa1-1IsRighteousness.php
A Man as King of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCa1-2AManasKing.php
2. Abraham Uncivilized of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The City State of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-1TheCityState.php
Two kingdoms/ The Merchants of Men of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-2MerchantsofMen.php
The Hindu Connection of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-3HinduConnection.php
Abraham and the Legend, The Prodigal Son
Our king and our god? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-4Legend.php
The Code of Abraham of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-5code.php
Abraham and the Family of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-6Family.php
3. The Altar of Abraham of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
Moses and the Altars of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCc3-1AltarsofClay.php
The Altar of Sin of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCc3-2Sin.php
Sacrifice of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCc3-3Sophistry.php
4. Moses, Moses of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The Civil State of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCd4-1CivilState.php
Gods Many of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCd4-2godsmany.php
No Kings of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCd4-3NoKings.php
Servant Priests of a Nation of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCd4-4Servants.php
5. Joshua’s Altar of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
White Altars of Joshua
King over us of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCe5-1WhiteAltars.php
Adultery of a Nation of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCe5-2Adultery.php
Fear, Faith and Foolishness of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCe5-3RearFaith.php
6. The World of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
Of Rome and Judea of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-1Rome.php
The Remarkable History of Israel of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-2Israel.php
Rome the Believer of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The Commander in chiefs
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-3RomeBeliever.php
A Father’s offer of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-4TheOffer.php
The Hasmonean Appeal of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
Socialization of Rome
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-5SocialAppeal.php
The Love of kings of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-6LovingKings.php
7. Factions at the Altar of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The Pharisees and The Sadducees of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCg7-1Factions.php
The Essenes of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The Healers of a Nation
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCg7-2Essene.php
8. A King is Born of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
A King is Born of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCh8-1KingBorn.php
What is redemption? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCh8-2Redemption.php
Kingdom in Turmoil of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCh8-3Turmoil.php
The New Deal of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCh8-4NewDeal.php
9. Temples and Churches of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The Church
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-1TemplesandChurches.php
Investing in Diana of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-2InvestinDiana.php
One Father of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-3OurFather.php
Arts of the Temples of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-4TempleArts.php
The Temple of Satan of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-5SatansTemple.php
The Royal Treasury of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-6RoyalTreasury.php
10. Two Paths of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
God’s dominion from the Beginning of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The revenue of the wicked
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-1Paths.php
Beams in our eyes of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
Removing the Beam
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-2Beams.php
These two Kingdoms of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-3TwoKingdoms.php
Faith is actions of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-4Action.php
The kingdom appointed to Liberty of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-5AppointedLiberty.php
11. Where is the kingdom of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The kingdom comes of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-1Kingdom.php
Eating in the kingdom of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-2Eating.php
Washing in the kingdom of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-3Washing.php
Where is the Church? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-4Where.php
We are all kings of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-5AllKings.php
12. Apostasy of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The Ship of State of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCl12-1Ship.php
The Allurement of Wolves of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCl12-2Wolves.php
The Church of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCl12-3Church.php
The Separate Church
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCl12-4Separate.php
13. The Kingdom of Heaven of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The State of the Nation of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCm13-1Heaven.php
Seeking the kingdom, The Law of God of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCm13-2SeekLaw.php
What does the Kingdom look like? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCm13-3looks.php
Assembling a congregation of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
Where to start seeking the kingdom of God
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCm13-4Start.php
Appendix of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
Appendix 1. Kingdom of Heaven and God of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-1Appendix.php
Appendix 2. The things He says of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-2AppenSaid.php
Appendix 3. What is Worship? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-3AppenWorship.php
Appendix 4. Who are the Nicolaitans? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-4AppenNicolaitan.php
Appendix 5. Who is a god? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-5Appengods.php
Appendix 6. Oaths and Swearing of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-6AppenOaths.php
The Cover of the book, Thy Kingdom Comes
The Elixir of Love.
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/tkczzwa.php
About the Author of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/tkczzwb.php
Other publications:
The Covenants of the gods
The Free Church Report
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