Revelation 2 verses 6 and 15.
Does anyone know what the Watchtower angle on the Nicolatians is and if it differs from the mainstream?
Thank you in advance,
C
The Nicolaitans
by Clam 7 Replies latest watchtower bible
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greendawn
Just to make sure what is the mainstream understanding? As far as I know the Nicolaitans are believed to have been antinomian that is anti law, perhaps followers of a gnostic ideology, the gnostics believed that the physical body was so totally worthless whatever one did with it including fornication and adultery was irrelevent.
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Narkissos
Afaik they are not independently attested -- the Church Fathers mentions / explanations are tributary of Revelation.
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moggy lover
Freddy Franz decided to "translate" the Greek word "Nikolaiton" with the expression "sect of Nicolaus" Seizing on the word "sect" the Revelation/Grand Climax book offers the following information, which I understand is still current:
Pg 35: Rev 2:6: "Christian copyists who removed the word Jehovah from the NT, teachers in such "Babylonish" doctrines as The trinity, hellfire, and purgatory. The clergy class. In the '20s the 'Sect of Nicolaus' were teaching various God-dishonouring doctrines [as above] while the "John class" received a "well done" from their Lord for teaching , in 1919, the invisible return of Christ. [significantly no date is provided for which the "John class" were proclaiming the invisible return - 1874]"
Pg 44 Rev 2:16:" Proud apostates, who through smooth speech, cause divisions and occasions for stumbling contrary to the teaching provided through jehovah's channel''
Betcha you did'nt know you were a Nicolaitan did yah?
And please no jokes like: Santa Clause and Niko Lause both against the Empire
Cheers
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Clam
Cheers Moggy that was just what I was looking for.
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Narkissos
Interestingly the reference to the "clergy" parallels, to an extent, the claims of some anti-hierarchical fundamentalists (e.g. Darbysts) who interpret the name Nicolaus etymologically as "victorious over the people (= laity)".
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A Paduan
Pg 35: Rev 2:6: "Christian copyists who removed the word Jehovah from the NT, teachers in such "Babylonish" doctrines as The trinity, hellfire, and purgatory. The clergy class. In the '20s the 'Sect of Nicolaus' were teaching various God-dishonouring doctrines [as above] while the "John class" received a "well done" from their Lord for teaching , in 1919, the invisible return of Christ. [significantly no date is provided for which the "John class" were proclaiming the invisible return - 1874]"
I don't even know what to sayHas anyone on this earth engaged in a more meaningless pursuit than this society ? -
Leolaia
The language used in Revelation to refer to the Nicolaitans and especially the female prophetess Jezebel (who like the Nicolaitans was derided for "committing adultery for eating food sacrificed to idols", compare 2:14-15 with 2:20-24) is strongly suggestive of a form of proto-gnosticism. See my discussion of this in the following thread:
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/92014/1.ashx
The gnostic-esque teaching (suggested by the phrase "deep things of Satan") is attributed to the same group involved in consuming sacrifices, and there are some interesting studies on the likely social milieu of the Asia Minor churches....particularly in light of the anti-Emperor cult rhetoric in ch. 13-14, and the parody of the goddess Roma in ch. 17-18. Temples to Roma were especially well established in Asia Minor, in some of the very cities addressed by John of Patmos (such as Smyrna). Still, the amount of facts on the matter is still very slight since not much is known about the Nicolaitans outside of Revelation.