About 30 years after the ascension of Jesus, Paul warns the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:29–30 ESV: “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.” About 30 years after this Jesus warned the Ephesians about Nicolaitans and said He ’hates their works.’ Are the Nicolaitans and the wolves speaking twisted things in Paul’s warning the same? Did the Ephesians manage to get rid of the Nicolaitans, or have they spread throughout the church and are still present today under different names? Does it matter today?
Nicolaitan is a rather obscure reference in the Bible, but inside you’ll see that the seeds of Nicolaitan teachings have produced fruit well into our own time. Nicolaitans don’t use that name anymore, but it might surprise you that they are still around. In this book, the author illuminates biblical connections between Nicolaitans and other “elites” who lord their position over lay people. This includes Pharisees, Saduccees, scribes, Jezebel, Balaam, wolves in sheep’s clothing, false teachers, works that are hated by Jesus, and modern teachers you may know.
Bruce showed believers the way to increased maturity, abundant life, and fruit of the Spirit from Jesus in his book Whole Bible Christianity, Blessings Pressed Down and Overflowing. He continues his work here, identifying the false teachers who would block those blessings. A repentant Nicolaitan himself, by the time he was 40 Bruce had tired of the useless struggle to match church Nicolaitan teachings to the Bible, and departed. But like many others, he stayed with his Messiah. And since leaving Nicolaitan teachings 20 years ago, learning to just read the Word and do it, living water has gushed into his life out of the Rock.
Innehållsförteckning
1 DISCOVERY 2
2 LORDS OF THE FLOCK 8
BIRDS OF A FEATHER 9
WHAT’S IN A NAME 10
BAD SHEPHERDS 11
HATED WORKS 12
JEWISH NICOLAITANS/GENTILE PHARISEES 13
NICOLAITAN MARKETING 15
BAIT AND SWITCH 19
THE DOGMA WALL 20
3 LOGGING OUT 22
THE FANTASY 22
THE TRUTH 22
THE ANOINTED ELITE 31
WOOL SUITS 32
PLAGUE OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS 34
MORE CLUES 36
COLOSSIANS AND LAODICEA 37
EPHESIANS AND TIMOTHY 38
THE APOSTLES 40
4 GRASPING FOR POWER 42
MISUSING AUTHORITY 42
RABBINIC JUDAISM 44
THE TREATMENT OF JESUS 45
THE BOOK OF ACTS 48
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 49
THE PROTESTANT CHURCH 50
THE BELIEVER’S AUTHORITY 54
5 HOW THEY TEACH 55
INTRODUCE DOUBT 55
MANIPULATE EMOTIONS 56
CLING TO TRADITION 58
PROTECT THE TOWER 59
PLAUSIBLE ARGUMENTS 61
MISUSE WORDS 62
SPEAK FOR JESUS 65
NO QUESTIONS 66
DISCONNECT 67
CONTROL SALVATION 67
HATE ISRAEL 68
DIVIDE WRONGLY 69
6 WHAT THEY TEACH 71
THE APPEARANCE OF WISDOM 72
BLINDING FAITH 76
SANDY FOUNDATIONS 77
BLAME SHIFTING 80
IMMATURITY 82
DRAINING JESUS 84
CULTURAL APPROPRIATION 84
ALONE FAITH 86
ISRAEL ONLY 88
7 GOOD SHEPHERDS 91
SERVING 92
HUMILITY 93
ABRAHAM 94
MOSES 95
DAVID 95
YESHUA/JESUS 95
PETER 96
PAUL 97
JOHN 98
8 REPENT 99
LEAVEN 102
NAMING NAMES 107
THE END 109
APPENDIX: CONVERSATION WITH A NICOLAITAN 110
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