The Ohio Independent Baptist, October 1965

By E. Robe rt Jordan, Pastor Calvary Baptist , Lansdale, Pa. A strange word "Nicolaitanism' ', yet it has a tremendous meaning and is a Biblical word, found in the book of Revela– tion. The doctrine of the Nicolaitanes is coming back. On every hand we see evidences of the rule of the clergy over the people. This article by E. Robert Jordan supplied to us by Council of Ten Chairman Edward Morrell, Jr. explains the little understood word~ Thot1gh thi \\ rd may ound very trange to the reader . , et. it i a Bibl ical word , found in the word of .. God. and ha a tremendou meaning, a far a"' condition in the church are concerned. The word 'nicolaitan come f ron1 reek word : 1. 6 iko . \\,.hich mean : onque t, triumph, or to conquer. 2. Lao \\'hich mean : The people . o. the ~·ord mean~: Vic toriou over the people. aoe e, e find the word icolaitane mentioned in two pas– of -cr ipture in the Bible. I . Revelation _: 6 peaking to the church of Ephesu , the Lord ay : "But thi thou hast, that thou hate t the deed of the ICOLAITA ES which I al o bate. ' 2. Revelation 2: 15. peaking to the church at Per– gamo , J e u Chri"' t aid: ' So ha t thou al o them that hold the doctrine of the ICOLAITA ES, which thing I hate. ' The doctrine of the icolaitanes is the doctrine of the rule of the clergy over the people. From about the \ ear 300 until the Reformation of 1517, we had a com- ., plete picture of the doctrine of the icolaitanes, where the clergy completely ruled mind body and soul, the people. \Vith the coming of the Reformation the people came into prominence where they had a voice in what \.\ a going on in church government and in church circles, and no longer was the mini .....ter or priest held to be in– f allible or to be a little god a complete dictator over their lives. In both of the e pa ages of scr ipture there is one thi ng that we ee and that i in both pcrsages God ays that he hate icolai tani m. He hates the rule of the clergy o\·er the people. Wi th the formation now, -0£ the 1 rational Council of Churches and the World Council of Churche . v. 1 e are seeing more and more that the clergy are beginning to rule. The clergy decide what Sunday chool mater ial 1 going to be u ed. what Bible can be u·--ed. The) decide what t)'pe of government is going to be u ed. The) decide on what the church will get in– \10l\1ed in . and what the church will not get involved in. The people have nothing to a)' and the cler gy has every– thing to ay. The clergy men of the e councils are now OCTOBER, 1965 PAGE 12 making political and ocial pronouncements in the name of their churche and congregation ; and the congrega– tion and churche~ have nothing to say whether they agree or disagree with what the clergy happen to say. Yes, the doctrine of the icolaitanes is coming back with u again, and we are seeing it stick up its ugly head all over America, where the clergy have become mall god~, and complete dictators over the mind , the bodies and the oul of the peo,ple. The church dictates to the people what they can do, what they cannot do, what they can think, what they cannot think, where they can go, where they cannot go. And, no longer is the church preaching the Bible and showing people from the Bible what they should not do· showing people from the Bible where they should not go; but leaving the final decision of obedience or disobedience up to the people. No, the clergymen are taking this prerogative again, over the ,people; and whether it wa in the dark ages, whether it was in the early church or now, it's still called by the same name, and that name is an ugly name icolaitan- . 1 m. According to the word of God, a church should be a corporate body, where the pastor is the head of the church. He teaches and preaches the word of God, and councils to his people. He lead the flock in the direction that it should go, but the people should at least have ome r.:-ay in the local government and of the church. Laodiceanism is where ju t the opposite occurs, the people rule the clergymen. This is wrong also, but the people should have ome ay of what s going on in their church, how their money is spent, what they get involved in, in the community, and what they do not get involved in . The clergymen should not have the dictatorial power over the mind , body and soul of the words, thought and deeds of every member of their congregation. If the laymen of our churche don t oon wake up they will be completely conquered by icolaitani m. They are going to have less and le to ay, and more and more order to obey, unle they wake up and take their prerogative in having something to say in the running of their local congregation. God ay : " icolaitanism, that whi ch I hate." icolaitani m is the clergyman '5 victory and a conque t over the people. THE OHIO INDEPENDENT BAPTIST