Nicolation And Paganism

The Nicolations, according to some, taught a faith only theory which allowed the intermixing of Christians with Pagan worship by saying what one practices in the flesh is not really important, and it will be forgiven on the grounds of faith, this of course violates the idea that faith is a mirror of life and practice. The body is part of life.

1Co 6:15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

1Co 6:16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.

According to most, Nicolaitans taught a doctrine that joined Christians to Paganism, but Catholics take a different approach saying they denied all pleasures of the flesh including marriage and eating meat. I will deal with this from both perspectives.

Just bear in mind the notes to the council of Nicea embraced a group called Nicolations. Whether the same group as mentioned in Revelation or not I don't know. Catholics are derogatory but embrace them in Nicea.

Since Catholics are derogatory towards Nicolaitans on the grounds they abstained from all fleshly pleasures, it would mean Catholics are proponents of some fleshly pleasures. What these are they don't always clarify. Yet, the idea of over asceticism is common in Catholicism also. They often take the same road they accuse the Nicolaitans of. Just consider the lives in Monastaries. Pagans also practiced a similar lifestyle, opposing marriage but allowing for religious orgies during holidays and such.

Much like Mardi Gra, catholics led pious lives only to be granted periods of indulgences for specific holidays.

If you take the approach Nicolaitans and others intermixed with paganism in some practices, it will be sufficient to make the following statements.

as Jesus said in Revelations,

"they seduced his church to eat things offered to idols".

It was a doctrine of freedom, but misapplied Peter and Paul's teaching, they were using liberty to fulfill the flesh.

1Pe 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

. They ignored Paul's command to avoid things known to be offered to idols when it could lead weaker Christians into idolatry. They also ignored Peter's command to abstain from pollutions of idols in Acts 15:20.

Act 15:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.

Of course some would say pollutions did not mean food, and Paul gave them liberty to eat foods, but Paul commanded them not to eat within an idol temple.

1Co 8:10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;

1Co 8:11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?

What we see are the effects of mis-applied freedom bringing paganism into the church.

It also allowed for going beyond eating of meats into sin in other areas. Paganism often committed fornication and drunkenness in their ritual. Paul led the church away from such corruptions.

Paul was addressing pagan worship and not Judaism when he spoke the following:

Eph 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (Riot); but be filled with the Spirit;

Eph 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Eph 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Notice the command isn't to avoid Judaistic worship only, it was to avoid the practices of idolatry by not mixing drunkenness which was excess, the same word translated riot, Titus 1:6, concerning Elders.,

Tit 1:6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

Some Christians may have participated in such acts, but no one who practiced such could be a Bishop/Elder or deacon. Thus many Catholic priests would be disqualified because they participated in drunkenness while in worship at weddings and such.

Simple evidence that Catholic Priests were not ordained according to New Testament guidelines and practice.

It also addresses the type of music, Accapella was used in the early Church to avoid mixing into the Gentile religions.It wasn't just avoiding the law of Moses, which was fulfilled as it was a flesh centered worship, but the avoidance of the flesh centered Paganism.

Vespasian tried to undermine this teaching by Josephus his servant teaching Psallo in Ephesians 5:19 meant to play an instrument, but this was the internal instrument of the heart, not the external music associated with Pagan dancing and pervesions.

Psallo in New Testament times meant to sing. In some debates people quoted different Lexicons, but often left out the fine print about its usage in New Testament times.

ψάλλω

psallō

Thayer Definition:

1) to pluck off, pull out

2) to cause to vibrate by touching, to twang

2a) to touch or strike the chord, to twang the strings of a musical instrument so that they gently vibrate

2b) to play on a stringed instrument, to play, the harp, etc.

2c) to sing to the music of the harp

2d) in the NT to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song

We often see such external worship in modern denominations, mixing modern music and dance into worship.

One point that must be noticed is that Pagans used instruments in magic in 3 differing ways. Avoiding instruments allowed the Church to separate from Paganism.

(1) euphemia–a magical use of flutes and drums to produce good omens;

(2) apotropaic-where the banging of gongs and drums were used to ward off the evil spirits; and

(3) epiclesis-the summoning of the gods.80 As one pagan writer put it, "Music is pleasing to the gods, for if it were not pleasing to the gods… the triumph in honor of Mars would not be celebrated to the accompaniment of flute music or the trumpet’s blast."

Stapert, New Song, p.133-134

Censorinus, De Die Natali XII

Freedom to eat foods was expanded into freedom for drunkenness or freedom for fornication, or freedom to copy Pagan music, or to use things associated with magical arts.. It was an over expansion of policy. It was also a doctrine of faith only where they believed faith allowed them to fulfill the desires of the flesh.

Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

They believed with faith came forgiveness so they were saved from all sin, including idolatry.

On the other hand they rejected marriage as a form of ascetism according to Catholic writers, perhaps linking celibacy to the Nicolaitans. sex was only allowed as a religious practice. Eating meats was allowed at festivals but not in daily life.

This would reconcile the view they gave up pleasures of the flesh, while allowing participation in Pagan festivals. They could indulge on religious occasions.

This is the Catholic view:

"Early Christian writers, such as Clement of Alexandria and Eusebius of Caesarea, inform us that the Nicolaitans were a Gnostic sect which started out teaching extreme asceticism and denied all earthly pleasures.  Marriage was absolutely forbidden to all its members and they were all required to be strict vegetarians as well (this is the actual group which St. Paul condemns in 1 Timothy 4:1-5).  They later degenerated into an immoral bunch who, paradoxically, still rejected marriage but committed fornication freely".

Catholics distance themselves by saying Nicolaitans forbade marriage of any kind, while Catholics only forbade marriage among priests. This may not clear them completely, since the word translated forbade may also mean oppose or withstand.

compare

Act 11:17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?

It can mean to withstand, oppose, or forbid; forbid being a more extreme usage that isn't a required translation in many cases.

Since the Church of Pergamos had members who held the Nicolaitan doctrine, it is obvious they could not completely forbid marriage for all in Pergamos, they were a lesser party residing among the church;they could oppose the sanctity of marriage as a lesser state than celibacy, or  promote being un-married as a higher state, being free to give more time to religion, as Catholics teach today.

Since Pergamos had both parties plus some faithful, it is impossible they could completely forbid, but they could oppose marriage as a lesser state.

Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

Rev 2:15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.