The Nicolaitanes

The Nicolaitanes are mentioned in Revelation 2:6 & 15. Though little is known about them, we need to have some understanding of who they were if we are comprehend these verses. To garner the information we need, let us look at two ancient authorities.

Ignatious and Polycarp were disciples of the Apostle John and Irenaeus was a disciple of Polycarp. These ancients were historically among the closest men to Christ other than the Apostles themselves. Their ideas of the Nicolaitanes were probably correct or close to being correct. We may consider them authorities on the subject and we may reasonably believe what they said to be true.

Apostle John
  Ignatius & Polycarp (disciples of John)
  Irenaeus (disciple of Polycarp)

Ignatius wrote (in the epistle to the Trallians):

"Flee also the Nicolaitanes, falsely so-called, who are lovers of pleasure and given to calumnious speeches"

Ignatius also mentions them in his epistle to the Philadelphians:

"If any one confesses the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and praises the creation, but calls the incarnation merely an appearance, and is ashamed of the passion, such an one has denied the faith, not less than the Jews who killed Christ. If any one confesses these things, and that God the Word did dwell in a human body, being within it as the Word, even as the soul also is in the body, because it was God that inhabited it, and not a human soul, but affirms that unlawful unions are a good thing, and places the highest happiness, in pleasure, as does the man who is falsely called a Nicolaitan, this person can neither be a lover of God, nor a lover of Christ, but is a corrupter of his own flesh, and therefore void of the Holy Spirit, and a stranger to Christ."

In his treatise, Against Heresies, Irenaeus wrote:

"The Nicolaitanes are the followers of that Nicolas who was one of the seven first ordained to the diaconate by the apostles*. They lead lives of unrestrained indulgence. The character of these men is very plainly pointed out in the Apocalypse of John, as teaching that it is a matter of indifference to practice adultery, and to eat things sacrificed to idols." (* that Nicolas was their leader is disputed by other ancient authorities)

Ireanaeus relates them to the followers of Balaam in the previous verse (Rev 2.14), "to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication."

(Above emphases mine.)

What we know about the Nicolaitanes from these ancient fathers:

Ireanaeus relates them to the followers of Balaam in the previous verse (Rev 2.14), "to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication."

They were falsely so-called; in other words, they were known by another name.

They were lovers of pleasure (implied: to the rejection of God)

They were given to calumnious speeches; in other words they spoke things that were harmful and often untrue and were meant to discredit or malign others.

They lead lives of unrestrained indulgence (like the Epicureans?) They indulged themselves with whatever they wanted. Solomon did this; see Ecclesiastes.

They, like the followers of Balaam, were indifferent to the practice of adultery and fornication-they did not consider such things sinful. Adultery and fornication are also indicative of idolatry, hence, they were idolatrous.

They ate things sacrificed to idols, thereby harming their witness as Christians.