Evidence for God from Science

B. W. wrote:
Reminds me of the Church doctrines held at Pergamos at the end time Church era...

RickD wrote:

B. W. wrote:
Reminds me of the Church doctrines held at Pergamos at the end time Church era...

You remember that? Gosh, I didn't think you were that old.

Rob wrote:A friend of mine went to see Mr. Bell when he was in town.

A section of his email to me:

I went to see Rob Bell speak at the Sherman Theatre a couple of years ago (sort of as recon). People were totally mesmerized with him. He is very good at manipulating people's emotions with the way he presents his message (style of speech, the way he dresses, etc.) and the use of music. After it was over, I saw people lining up outside his "tour bus" hoping to meet him.

I posted another thread in this sub-forum a couple months ago with a link to a documentary called "The Real Roots of the Emergent Church" featuring our best buddy Mr. Bell and others like him including Brian Mclaren.

It's a long video, but it really opened my eyes to the emergent movement.

Fausset’s Bible Dictionary

Nicolaitans

Rev 2:6; Rev 2:14-15. Irenaeus (Haer. 1:26, section 3) and Tertullian (Praescr. Haeret. 46) explain, followers of Nicolas one of the seven (Acts 6:3; Acts 6:5) as there was a Judas among the twelve; confounding the later Gnostic Nicolaitans with those of Michaelis explains Nicolas (conqueror of the people) is the Greek for the Hebrew Balsam ("destroyer of the people," bela' 'am); as we find both the Hebrew and Greek names, Abaddon, Apollyon; Satan, devil. A symbolical name. Lightfoot suggests a Hebrew interpretation, nikola, "let us eat"; compare 1Co15:32. Not a sect, but professing Christians who, Balsam like, introduce a false freedom, i.e. licentiousness. A reaction from Judaism, the first danger of the church.

The Jerusalem council (Acts 15:20; Acts 15:29), while releasing Gentile converts from legalism, required their abstinence from idol meats and concomitant fornication. The Nicolaitans abused Paul's doctrine of the grace of God into lasciviousness; such seducers are described as followers of Balsam, also in 2Pe2:12-13; 2Pe2:15-19; Jude1:4; Jude1:7-8; Jude1:11 ("the son of Bosor" for Beor, to characterize him as "son of carnality": bosor "flesh"). They persuaded many to escape obloquy by yielding as to "eating idol meats," which was then a test of faithfulness (compare 1 Corinthians 8 and 1Co10:25-33); they even joined in the "fornication" of the idol feasts, as though permitted by Christ's "law of liberty." The "lovefeasts" (Jude1:12) thus became pagan orgies. The Nicolaitans combined evil "deeds" which Jesus "hates" with evil "doctrine."

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Nicolaitans

nik-ṓ-lā´i-tanz Νικολαΐταί, Nikolaitaı́):

1. The Sect:
A sect or party of evil influence in early Christianity, especially in the 7 churches of Asia. Their doctrine was similar to that of Balaam, “who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication” (Rev2:14, Rev2:15). Their practices were strongly condemned by John, who praised the church in Ephesus for “hating their works” (Rev2:6), and blamed the church in Pergamum for accepting in some measure their teaching (Rev2:15). Except that reference is probably made to their influence in the church at Thyatira also, where their leader was “the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess” (Rev2:20; compare Rev2:14), no further direct information regarding them is given in Scripture.

2. References:
Reference to them is frequent in post-apostolic literature. According to Irenaeus (Adv. Haer., i. 26, 3; iii. 10, 7), followed by Hippolytus (Philos., vii. 36), they were founded by Nicolaus, the proselyte of Antioch, who was one of the seven chosen to serve at the tables (Acts 6:5). Irenaeus, as also Clement of Alexandria (Strom., ii. 20), Tertullian and others, unite in condemning their practices in terms similar to those of John; and reference is also made to their Gnostic tendencies. In explanation of the apparent incongruity of such an immoral sect being founded by one of “good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (compare Acts 6:3), Simcox argues that their lapse may have been due to reaction from original principles of a too rigid asceticism. A theory, started in comparatively modern times, and based in part on the similarity of meaning of the Greek “Nikolaus,” and the Hebrew “Balaam,” puts forward the view that the two sects referred to under these names were in reality identical. Yet if this were so, it would not have been necessary for John to designate them separately.

3. Nicolaitan Controversy:
The problem underlying the Nicolaitan controversy, though so little direct mention is made of it in Scripture, was in reality most important, and concerned the whole relation of Christianity to paganism and its usages. The Nicolaitans disobeyed the command issued to the Gentilechurches, by the apostolic council held at Jerusalem in 49-50 AD, that they should refrain from the eating of “things sacrificed to idols” (Act15:29). Such a restriction, though seemingly hard, in that it prevented the Christian communities from joining in public festivals, and so brought upon them suspicion and dislike, was yet necessary to prevent a return to a pagan laxity of morals. To this danger the Nicolaitans were themselves a glaring witness, and therefore John was justified in condemning them. In writing to the Corinthians, Paul gives warning against the same evil practices, basing his arguments on consideration for the weaker brethren (compare 1Co8:1-13).

Literature.
Simcox, “Revelation” in the Cambridge Bible; H. Cowan in Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible (five volumes), article “Nicolaitans”; H.B. Swete, The Apocalypse of John, lxx ff, 27, 28, 37.

AMG Complete Word Study

3531 Stongs

Νικολαιτης

Nikolaḯtēs, gen. Nikolaḯtou, masc. proper noun. An adherent of Nikolaos, or a Nicolaitan. An ancient sect whose deeds were expressly and strongly reprobate (Rev2:6, Rev2:15). Some have supposed that they were the followers of Nicolas (Act6:5), one of the first deacons of the church, whom they regard as having apostatized from the true faith. For this view, however, there is no authority. Others regard the term "Nicolaitans" as a symbolic expression. Since Nicolaos means victor of the people and Balaam means devourer of the people, the two in symbolic unity signify religious seducers of the people. It is more probable that the Nicolaitans were identical with those who held the doctrine of Balaam, mentioned in Rev2:14 (cf. 2Pe2:15), so that likely the Nicolaitans practiced fornication and the eating of things sacrificed to idols while outwardly professing Christianity.