Nicolaitanes
“Followers of Nicolas, or possibly 'conquerors of the people'”
Summary
The Nicolaitanes were an early heretical sect whose deeds and doctrine are condemned in the letters to the churches in Revelation, though the precise nature of their error remains uncertain.
☩In Revelation
The Nicolaitanes appear only in the letters to the churches at Ephesus and Pergamos in Revelation. The church at Ephesus is commended because it 'hates the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.' The church at Pergamos, however, is rebuked because some there 'hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes.' Both their 'doctrine' and their 'deeds' are condemned by Christ, suggesting they promoted both false teaching and immoral practice.
☩Possible Identification
Various explanations have been proposed for the identity and errors of this sect. Some scholars have suggested the name 'Nicolaitanes' may be a Greek translation of 'Balaam' (both names can mean 'conqueror of the people'), connecting them with those who taught Balaam's doctrine—encouraging God's people to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication. Later church fathers identified them with Gnostics, but this identification may reflect confusion with later heretical groups.