Who are they? Why did Jesus hate their deeds? Are they still around Christians today?

1. THE NICOLAITANS
Who were they?
What did they teach?
What was so wrong with them?
Why did Jesus hate their teachings?
Revelation 2:6
Revelation 2:15

2. THE NICOLAITANS
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What Revelation says
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Who is Nicolas – Acts 6:5
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Connection to Baalam – Numbers 22 – 24
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Connection to Jezebel – 2 Kings 9 – 10
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Epicureans of Greece – Acts 17:18
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Are they still around today?

3. Revelation 2:6, 14-15
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To Ephesus 6 But this you have, that you hate
the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
To Pergamos 14 But I have a few things against
you, because you have there those who hold the
doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a
stumbling block before the children of Israel, to
eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit
sexual immorality. 15 Thus you also have those
who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which
thing I hate.

4. Revelation 2:20-22
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To Thyatira 20 Nevertheless I have a few
things against you, because you allow that
woman Jezebel, who calls herself a
prophetess, to teach and seduce My
servants to commit sexual immorality and
eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave
her time to repent of her sexual immorality,
and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast
her into a sickbed, and those who commit
adultery with her into great tribulation,
unless they repent of their deeds.

5. Who is Nicolas?
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Acts 6:5 And the saying pleased the whole
multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full
of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip,
Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and
Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,
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A Gentile converted to Judiasm
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Then converted to Christianity
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Then converted to this false doctrine
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Nicolas was a deacon – gone bad

6. Connection to Baalam
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Baalam – prophet of God – gone bad
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Wanted to curse Israel – was not allowed
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Led Israel into adultery
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Numbers 25:1 Now Israel remained in Acacia
Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry
with the women of Moab.
Numbers 31:16 Look, these women caused
the children of Israel, through the counsel of
Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the
incident of Peor, and there was a plague
among the congregation of the Lord.

7. Connection to Baalam
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2 Peter 2:15 They have forsaken the right way
and gone astray, following the way of Balaam
the son of Beor, who loved the wages of
unrighteousness
Jude 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in
the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error
of Balaam for profit, and perished in the
rebellion of Korah.

8. Connection to Baalam
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Fornication
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Honor pagan gods
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Eat meat offered to idols
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Violates the order of the apostles
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Acts 15:29 that you abstain from things offered
to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and
from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves
from these, you will do well.

9. Connection to Jezebel
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Actual woman or similar to Jezebel in OT?
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Claimed to be a prophetess of God
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Taught that fornication was OK
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Led many into adultery / fornication
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Only difference – This was a woman.

10. Connection to Epicureans
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Acts 17:18a Then certain Epicurean and Stoic
philosophers encountered him.
Stoics – Pleasure is evil. It is is enjoyed it is
sin.
Epicureans – All pleasure is good. “Eat, drink
and be merry.” See rich farmer – Luke 12:29

11. Nicolaitans around today?
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Is there a desire to please false gods
(false religions)?
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Islam
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Judaism
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Humanism
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Atheism

12. Nicolaitans around today?
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Is there an encouragement to
fornication?
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TV, Movies, Magazines
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Internet pornography
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Ads at the Super Bowl
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Homosexuality, Bestiality (man marries dog)
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Adultery, Fornication
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Live together w/o marriage

13. Nicolaitans around today?
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The Nicolaitans were an example of
unrestrained indulgence.
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Ignore the clear will of God in the Bible.
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If it feels good, do it.
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Anything goes.
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Nothing is immoral.
If any of this sounds like today –
then the Nicolaitans are still around.
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14. Jesus hated their deeds
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Jesus hated their deeds
Baalam – Jezebel – Nicolas
– Claimed to be with God – opposed
God
– Today
Revelation 2:15-16 15 Thus you also
have those who hold the doctrine of the
Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 16 Repent,
or else I will come to you quickly and will
fight against them with the sword of My
–
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