Misplaced Pages

#50949

111-654: Several of the early Church Fathers mentioned this group, including Irenaeus , Tertullian , Clement of Alexandria , Hippolytus , Epiphanius , and Theodoret , stating that Nicolas the Deacon , one of the Seven Deacons , was the author of the heresy and the sect. The New Testament mentions the Nicolaites in the second chapter of the Book of Revelation . Yet this is to your credit [the church of Ephesus]: you hate

222-688: A Doctor of the Church , often referred to as the Doctor of the Assumption because of his writings on the Assumption of Mary. Those fathers who wrote in Latin are called the Latin (Church) Fathers. Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus ( c.  155  – c.  222 ), who was converted to Christianity before 197, was a prolific writer of apologetic, theological, controversial and ascetic works. He

333-486: A Christian Platonism and has been described by scholars as "the founder of what was to become the great tradition of Christian philosophical theology." Due to his teaching on salvation and divine judgement in passages such as Paedagogus 1.8 and Stromata 7.2, Clement is often regarded as one of the first Christian universalists . Like Origen, he arose from the Catechetical School of Alexandria and

444-432: A certain occasion when Nicolas had been sharply reproved by the apostles as a jealous husband, and he repelled the charge by offering to allow his wife to become the wife of any other person. Clement also writes that Nicolas was in the habit of repeating a saying which is ascribed to the apostle Matthias , that it is our duty to fight against the flesh and to abuse (παραχρῆσθαι) it . His words were perversely interpreted by

555-450: A concubine and became a Manichean . He later converted to Christianity, became a bishop, and opposed heresies, such as Pelagianism . His many works—including The Confessions , which is often called the first Western autobiography —have been read continuously since his lifetime. The Catholic religious order, the Order of Saint Augustine , adopted his name and way of life. Augustine is also

666-666: A contemporary to and opponent of John the Evangelist , who may have written the First Epistle of John and the Second Epistle of John to warn the less mature in faith and doctrine about the changes Cerinthus was making to the original gospel. According to early Christian sources, the Apostle John wrote his gospel specifically to refute the teachings of Cerinthus. All that is known about Cerinthus comes from

777-546: A distinction between the Father and the Son (a distinction that Nicea had been accused of blurring) but at the same time insisting on their essential unity. John Chrysostom ( c.  347  – c.  407 ), archbishop of Constantinople , is known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking ; his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, recorded sermons and writings making him

888-417: A doctrine of indifference concerning eating meat sacrificed to idols is put forward along with a doctrine of licentious sex, but no mention of Nicolaitanes is made nor blame assigned to Nicolas. Among later critics, Cotelerius seems to lean towards the favourable view of the character of Nicolas in a note on Constit. Apost . vi. 8, after reciting the various authorities. Edward Burton was of opinion that

999-516: A great apostle, brings before us marvelous things which he falsely claims were shown him by angels; and he says that after the resurrection the kingdom of Christ will be set up on earth, and that the flesh dwelling in Jerusalem will again be subject to desires and pleasures. And being an enemy of the Scriptures of God, he asserts, with the purpose of deceiving men, that there is to be a period of

1110-466: A hierarchical structure in the Trinity , the temporality of matter, "the fabulous preexistence of souls", and "the monstrous restoration which follows from it." These alleged "Origenist errors" were declared anathema by a council in 553, three centuries after Origen had died in the peace of the church. Athanasius of Alexandria ( c.  293  – 373) was a theologian, Pope of Alexandria , and

1221-679: A noted Egyptian leader of the 4th century. He is remembered for his role in the conflict with Arianism and for his affirmation of the Trinity. At the First Council of Nicaea (325), Athanasius argued against the Arian doctrine that Christ is of a distinct substance from the Father. The Cappadocian Fathers are Basil the Great (330–379), who was bishop of Caesarea ; Basil's younger brother Gregory of Nyssa ( c.  332  – 395), who

SECTION 10

#1732791602051

1332-543: A pagan culture where the worship of Aphrodite included hierodoule who engaged in ritual prostitution in her shrines and temples, and that the Dionysian Mysteries used intoxicants and other trance-inducing techniques to remove inhibitions and social constraints of believers to enter into an animalistic state of mind. Blunt holds that the Nicolaitans either believed that the command against ritual sex

1443-406: A peaceful shelter for their mother. Abbess Macrina fostered the education and development of her three brothers Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa and Peter of Sebaste ( c.  340 – 391) who became bishop of Sebaste. These scholars set out to demonstrate that Christians could hold their own in conversations with learned Greek-speaking intellectuals. They argued that Christian faith, while it

1554-472: A persecution. He later became a controversial figure and some of his writings were condemned as heretical. Using his knowledge of Hebrew, he produced a corrected Septuagint . He wrote commentaries on all the books of the Bible. In Peri Archon ( First Principles ), he articulated a systematic philosophical exposition of Christian doctrine. He at times employed an allegorical hermeneutic in his interpretation of

1665-581: A school in the Roman province of Asia Minor , which at its height spread into the province of Galatia . According to Galatian tradition, Paul wrote his epistle to the Galatians against Cerinthus' followers who were troubling the church. In Asia, early Christian writers identify Cerinthus as an adversary of the Apostle John. According to Irenaeus, his teacher Polycarp , himself a student of John, told

1776-492: A spirit that came from heaven, undertook its divine task in the material world, and then returned, he anticipates the fully developed Christian Gnosticism in later decades. Irenaeus numbers Cerinthus among those Gnostics who denied that Jesus is the Logos (Word) . Cerinthus instructed his followers to maintain strict adherence to both Written and Oral Torah Mosaic law for the attainment of salvation. This soteriological worldview

1887-455: A synod at Constantinople on a question which concerned the see of Bostra in the patriarchate of Antioch. While there, Theodore had the opportunity to preach before the emperor Theodosius I , who was then starting for his last journey to the West. The sermon made a deep impression, and Theodosius, who had sat at the feet of Ambrose and Gregory Nazianzus , declared that he had never met with such

1998-625: A teacher (John of Antioch, ap. Facund. ii.2). Theodosius II inherited his grandfather's respect for Theodore, and often wrote to him. Another glimpse of Theodore's episcopal life is supplied by a letter of Chrysostom to him from Cucusus (AD 404–407) (Chrys. Ep. 212). The exiled patriarch "can never forget the love of Theodore, so genuine and warm, so sincere and guileless, a love maintained from early years, and manifested but now." Chrysostom (Ep. 204) thanks him profoundly for frequent though ineffectual efforts to obtain his release, and praises their friendship in such glowing terms that Theodore's enemies at

2109-514: A thousand years for marriage festivals. It is, however, improbable that this statement is true of Cerinthus' beliefs. Caius of Rome is identified with those whom Epiphanius of Salamis styles the Alogi , who, "refusing to accept an 'apocryphon' because of the deep and difficult sayings in the Revelation . . . say that they are not John's composition but Cernthus', and have no right to a place in

2220-402: A while but in the end could not bear to control his incontinence.... But because he was ashamed of his defeat and suspected that he had been found out, he ventured to say, "Unless one copulates every day, he cannot have eternal life." Hippolytus agreed with Epiphanius in his unfavourable view of Nicolas. Jerome believes the account of Nicolas succumbing to heresy, at least to some extent. This

2331-618: Is adopted only to remove a difficulty; (b) that there is every reason to suppose that the word here used refers to a class of people who bore that name, and who were well known in the two churches specified; (c) that, in Rev 2:15 , they are expressly distinguished from those who held the doctrine of Balaam, Rev 2:14—"So hast thou also (και) those that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes." Church Fathers The Church Fathers , Early Church Fathers , Christian Fathers , or Fathers of

SECTION 20

#1732791602051

2442-488: Is anachronistic due to his use of the Psogos. The Psogos, along with the encomium, were both rhetorical techniques used in the ancient world in a polemical context. With the encomium "one passes over a man's faults in order to praise him, and in a psogos, one passed over his virtues to defame him. Such principles are explicit in the handbooks of the rhetors, but an interesting passage from the church historian Socrates, writing in

2553-572: Is best known as the translator of the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into Latin. He also was a Christian apologist. Jerome's edition of the Bible, the Vulgate , is still an important text of Catholicism . He is recognised by the Catholic Church as a Doctor of the Church. Augustine (354–430), Bishop of Hippo, was a philosopher and theologian. Augustine, a Latin Father and Doctor of the Church,

2664-629: Is featured in John's Story: The Last Eyewitness , part of Christian writer Tim LaHaye 's The Jesus Chronicles . In the book Cerinthus, much to the disciple John's frustration, has begun spreading his gnostic teachings to the populace, whereupon John is moved to write his counter-argument: the Gospel of John . Cerinthus is mentioned in Robert Browning 's poem A Death in the Desert , which recounts

2775-534: Is one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity . In his early life, Augustine read widely in Greco-Roman rhetoric and philosophy, including the works of Platonists such as Plotinus . He framed the concepts of original sin and just war as they are understood in the West. When Rome fell and the faith of many Christians was shaken, Augustine wrote The City of God , in which he defended Christianity from pagan critics and developed

2886-515: Is recorded that he had been a disciple of "John". The options/possibilities for this John are John, the son of Zebedee , traditionally viewed as the author of the Gospel of John , or John the Presbyter . Traditional advocates follow Eusebius of Caesarea in insisting that the apostolic connection of Polycarp was with John the Evangelist and that he was the author of the Gospel of John, and thus

2997-590: Is so, when he brought his wife, whom he jealously loved, into the midst of the apostles, he was evidently renouncing his passion; and when he used the expression, 'to abuse the flesh,' he was inculcating self-control in the face of those pleasures that are eagerly pursued. For I suppose that, in accordance with the command of the Savior, he did not wish to serve two masters, pleasure and the Lord [Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13]. ...So much concerning those who then attempted to pervert

3108-454: Is termed legalism . This view contradicts the soteriology conveyed at the Council of Jerusalem (c. 50 AD), which gave the understanding that Christians are not required to be circumcised to attain salvation . The Book of Acts chapter 15 lists only four lifestyle requirements for Gentile converts to Christianity for the purpose of their attending synagogue, after which they would learn

3219-516: Is that in Irenæus ' refutation of Gnosticism, Adversus haereses , which was written about 170 AD. According to Irenæus, Cerinthus, a man educated in the wisdom of the Egyptians, claimed angelic inspiration. The Epistula Apostolorum , a little-known 2nd-century text discovered in 1895, which is roughly contemporary (c. 160–170) with the above work of Irenaeus, was written polemically against

3330-891: Is the earliest extant epistle from a Church Father. In the epistle, Clement calls on the Christians of Corinth to maintain harmony and order. Copied and widely read in the Early Church , First Clement had been considered by some as part of the New Testament canon , e.g., listed as canonical in Canon 85 of the Canons of the Apostles , among other early canons of the New Testament, showing that it had canonical rank in at least some regions of early Christendom. As late as

3441-433: The Alogi ) headed by Caius of Rome alleged Cerinthus was the true author of the Gospel of John and Book of Revelation . According to Catholic Encyclopedia: Caius : "Additional light has been thrown on the character of Caius's dialogue against Proclus by Gwynne's publication of some fragments from the work of Hippolytus "Contra Caium" (Hermathena, VI, p. 397 sq.); from these it seems clear that Caius maintained that

Nicolaism - Misplaced Pages Continue

3552-593: The Apocalypse of John was a work of the Gnostic Cerinthus." The Book of Revelation (Apocalypse) is attributed to John by Christians before that time; third century theologian Tertullian indicates that all John's foster churches (i.e., the churches of Asia Minor) when traced back to the beginning all rested on the Apostle John as its author, and that it receives the same recognition in all the other churches. Irenaeus makes consistent remarks. Cerinthus

3663-439: The Gospel of John was written to counter the teachings of Cerinthus , which he holds was influenced by the Nicolaitans. Later, Augustine of Hippo ascribed to them Cerinthian doctrines concerning the creation of the world (in his De haeresibus ad Quodvultdeum , v). Victorinus of Pettau held that the error of the Nicolaitans was that they considered it necessary to exorcise things offered to idols before eating, and that there

3774-529: The canon of the New Testament once it reached its final form. Many of the writings derive from the same time period and geographical location as other works of early Christian literature that did come to be part of the New Testament, and some of the writings found among the Apostolic Fathers' seem to have been just as highly regarded as some of the writings that became the New Testament. The first three, Clement, Ignatius, and Polycarp, are considered

3885-507: The sacraments , the role of bishops , and the incarnation of Christ . Specifically, concerning ecclesiology, his letter to the Romans is often cited as a testament to the universal bounds of the Roman church. He is the second after Clement to mention Paul's epistles. Polycarp of Smyrna ( c.  69  – c.  155 ) was a Christian bishop of Smyrna (now İzmir in Turkey). It

3996-691: The state church of the Roman Empire . For many denominations of Christianity, the writings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers , Nicene Fathers and Post-Nicene Fathers are included in Sacred Tradition . As such, in traditional dogmatic theology, authors considered Church Fathers are treated as authoritative for the establishment of doctrine. The academic field of patristics , the study of the Church Fathers, has extended

4107-709: The "Father of the Latin Church". He was evidently a lawyer in Rome. He is said to have introduced the Latin term trinitas with regard to the Divine ( Trinity ) to the Christian vocabulary (but Theophilus of Antioch had already written of "the Trinity, of God, and His Word, and His Wisdom", which is similar but not identical to the Trinitarian wording), and also probably the formula "three Persons, one Substance" as

4218-417: The 14th century Ibn Khaldun mentions it as part of the New Testament. Ignatius of Antioch (also known as Theophorus) ( c.  35  – c.  110 ) was the third bishop of Antioch , and was said to be a student of the Apostle John . En route to his martyrdom in Rome, Ignatius wrote a series of letters which have been preserved. Important topics addressed in these letters include ecclesiology ,

4329-560: The Apostle John. Polycarp tried and failed to persuade Pope Anicetus to have the West celebrate Passover on the 14th of Nisan , as in the Eastern calendar. Around AD 155, the Smyrnans of his town demanded Polycarp's execution as a Christian, and he died a martyr . The story of his martyrdom describes how the fire built around him would not burn him, and that when he was stabbed to death, so much blood issued from his body that it quenched

4440-606: The Catholic Church. Chrysostom is also noted for eight of his sermons that played a considerable part in the history of Christian antisemitism , diatribes against Judaizers composed while a presbyter in Antioch, which were extensively exploited and misused by the Nazis in their ideological campaign against the Jews. Patristic scholars such as Robert L Wilken point out that applying modern understandings of antisemitism back to Chrysostom

4551-548: The Chalcedonian position that Jesus had both a human and a divine will. Maximus is venerated in both Eastern Christianity and Western Christianity. His Christological positions eventually resulted in his torture and exile, soon after which he died; however, his theology was vindicated by the Third Council of Constantinople , and he was venerated as a saint soon after his death. His feast day is celebrated twice during

Nicolaism - Misplaced Pages Continue

4662-644: The Christ descended upon him in the form of a dove from the Supreme Ruler at baptism (see also Adoptionism ) and left him again at his crucifixion—never to embody the flesh. Cerinthus is also said to have taught that Jesus will be raised from the dead at the Last Day , when all men will rise with him. In describing Jesus as a natural-born man, Cerinthus agreed with the Ebionites . In portraying Christ as

4773-483: The Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity . The historical period in which they worked became known as the Patristic Era and spans approximately from the late 1st to mid-8th centuries, flourishing in particular during the 4th and 5th centuries, when Christianity was in the process of establishing itself as

4884-536: The Church Fathers, he used the Gospel of Cerinthus , and denied that the Supreme God made the physical world. In Cerinthus' interpretation, the Christ descended upon Jesus at baptism and guided him in ministry and the performing of miracles, but left him at the crucifixion . Similarly to the Ebionites , he maintained that Jesus was not born of a virgin, but was a mere man, the biological son of Mary and Joseph. Early Christian tradition describes Cerinthus as

4995-638: The God of the Hebrews, though Cerinthus denied that he made the world. Cerinthus taught that the visible world and heavens were not made by the supreme being, but by a lesser power ( Demiurge ) distinct from him. He taught that this power was ignorant of the existence of the Supreme God . His use of the term demiurge (literally, craftsman) for the creator fits Platonic , Neopythagorean , Middle Platonic , and Neoplatonic schools of philosophy, which dominated

5106-634: The Gospels of Matthew , Mark , Luke and John all be accepted as canonical . Clement of Alexandria (c. 150–215) was the first member of the church of Alexandria whose writings have survived, and was one of its most distinguished teachers. He saw wisdom in Greek philosophy and sought to harmonize it with Christian doctrine. Clement opposed Gnosticism , and yet used some of its terminology; for instance, he valued gnosis that with communion for all people could be held by common Christians. He developed

5217-631: The Greek (Church) Fathers. In addition to the Apostolic Fathers, famous Greek Fathers include: Justin Martyr , Irenaeus of Lyons , Clement of Alexandria , Athanasius of Alexandria , the Cappadocian Fathers ( Basil of Caesarea , Gregory Nazianzus , Gregory of Nyssa ), Peter of Sebaste , Diodorus of Tarsus , Theodore of Mopsuestia , John Chrysostom , Cyril of Alexandria , Maximus the Confessor , and John of Damascus . Justin Martyr

5328-509: The Latin " tres Personae , una Substantia " (itself from the Koine Greek "τρεῖς ὑποστάσεις, ὁμοούσιος; treís hypostasis , Homoousios "), and also the terms vetus testamentum ( Old Testament ) and novum testamentum ( New Testament ). In his Apologeticus , he was the first Latin author who qualified Christianity as the vera religio , and systematically relegated the classical Roman imperial religion and other accepted cults to

5439-624: The Nicolaitans and Nicolas (in his Church History iii, 29), saying "At this time the so-called sect of the Nicolaitans made its appearance and lasted for a very short time. Mention is made of it in the Apocalypse of John. They boasted that the author of their sect was Nicolaus, one of the deacons who, with Stephen, were appointed by the apostles for the purpose of ministering to the poor." Eusebius repeats Clement's story about Nicolas and his wife and holds that those he decries as heretics are claiming his name for their sect because they misunderstand

5550-479: The Nicolaitans as authority for their immoral practices. Theodoret repeats the foregoing statement of Clement in his account of the sect, and charges the Nicolaitans with false dealing in borrowing the name of the deacon. Clement (in Stromata 3, 2) does condemn heretics whose views on sex he sees as licentious, but he does not associate them with Nicolas: Clement asks: Eusebius of Caesarea speaks directly about

5661-464: The Old Testament, and was partly influenced by Stoic , Neo-Pythagorean , and Platonist thought. Like Plotinus , he has been thought to believe that the soul passes through successive stages before incarnation as a human and after death, eventually reaching God. However, more recent scholarship has concluded that Origen actually denied the preexistence of disembodied souls, and simply taught

SECTION 50

#1732791602051

5772-531: The Son is of like substance with the Father ( homoiousios ), as against the outright Arians who taught that the Son was unlike the Father ( heterousian ). So the Son was held to be like the Father but not of the same essence as the Father. The Cappadocians worked to bring these semi-Arians back to the Orthodox cause. In their writings they made extensive use of the formula "three substances ( hypostases ) in one essence ( homoousia )", and thus explicitly acknowledged

5883-749: The Thirty-two Heresies . Irenaeus writes that Cerinthus was educated in the Gnosis of the Egyptians. According to Epiphanius, Cerinthus was the instigator of trouble against the Apostles Paul and Peter at Jerusalem, and had sent out men to Antioch commanding that gentile converts must be circumcised and keep the Law , prompting the convention of the Jerusalem Council (c. 50). After these things, Epiphanius says that Cerinthus founded

5994-422: The chief ones. Clement of Rome (also known as Pope Clement I) was a late 1st-century bishop of Rome who, according to Tertullian , was ordained by St. Peter . According to Irenaeus , Clement was the fourth bishop of Rome after Anacletus . Eusebius described him as the "co-laborer" of Paul and identified him with the Clement mentioned in Philippians 4:3 . The First Epistle of Clement ( c.  96 )

6105-455: The church." Caius' view was refuted by his contemporary, Hippolytus of Rome , in a lost work entitled Capita Adversus Caium (Heads Against Caius), of which only fragments preserved in a commentary of Dionysius Bar-Salibi survive. Cerinthus may be the alleged recipient of the Apocryphon of James (codex I, text 2 of the Nag Hammadi library ), although the name written is largely illegible. A late second century Christian sect (later dubbed

6216-423: The concept of the Church as a spiritual City of God , distinct from the material City of Man. Augustine's work defined the start of the medieval worldview , an outlook that would later be firmly established by Pope Gregory the Great . Augustine was born in present-day Algeria to a Christian mother, Monica of Hippo . He was educated in North Africa and resisted his mother's pleas to become Christian. He took

6327-423: The context of his presentation of his wife to the apostles and are "imitating blindly and foolishly that which was done and said, [in order to] commit fornication without shame. But I understand that Nicolaus had to do with no other woman than her to whom he was married, and that, so far as his children are concerned, his daughters continued in a state of virginity until old age, and his son remained uncorrupt. If this

6438-409: The debates of the Council of Chalcedon , the fourth ecumenical council . Gregory I the Great ( c.  540  – 604) was pope from 3 September 590 until his death. He is also known as Gregorius Dialogus ( Gregory the Dialogist ) in Eastern Orthodoxy because of the Dialogues he wrote. He was the first of the popes from a monastic background. Gregory is a Doctor of the Church and one of

6549-435: The doctrine." The letters which Jesus dictates for the churches in Revelation 2 "show that these heretics had neither formally separated themselves from the church nor had been excommunicated." A common view holds that the Nicolaitans held the antinomian heresy of 1 Corinthians 6 . One scholar who espouses this interpretation, John Henry Blunt , maintains that the comparison between the Nicolaitans and Balaam "proves that

6660-475: The early development of Christian theology, and he is recognized as a saint by both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. He was a notable early Christian apologist . He was also a disciple of Polycarp. In his best-known book, Against Heresies (c. 180) he enumerated heresies and attacked them. Irenaeus wrote that the only way for Christians to retain unity was to humbly accept one doctrinal authority—episcopal councils. Irenaeus proposed that

6771-404: The eating of meat offered to idols and the unguarded renunciation of the faith in times of persecution were matters of indifference; and that he enjoined upon his followers, like Pythagoras, a silence of five years. ...Thus it came to pass that the malignant demon, making use of these ministers, on the one hand enslaved those that were so pitiably led astray by them to their own destruction, while on

SECTION 60

#1732791602051

6882-438: The fifth Ecumenical Council made unsuccessful efforts to deny the identity of Chrysostom's correspondent with the bishop of Mopsuestia. Cyril of Alexandria ( c.  378  – 444) was the Bishop of Alexandria when the city was at its height of influence and power within the Roman Empire . Cyril wrote extensively and was a leading protagonist in the Christological controversies of the late 4th and early 5th centuries. He

6993-442: The flames around him. Very little is known of Papias apart from what can be inferred from his own writings. He is described as "an ancient man who was a hearer of John and a companion of Polycarp" by Polycarp's disciple Irenaeus ( c.  180 ). Eusebius adds that Papias was Bishop of Hierapolis around the time of Ignatius of Antioch . In this office, Papias was presumably succeeded by Abercius of Hierapolis . The name Papias

7104-402: The fornication spoken of is not that crime under ordinary circumstances, but fornication connected with religious rites". Blunt points out that the Hebrews had a long history of preaching against or alternatively using cult prostitutes (Genesis 38:21–22; Deuteronomy 23:17–18; 1 Kings 14:24, 15:12, 22:46; 2 Kings 23:7; Ezekiel 16:16; Hosea 4:14). He also points out that the early Christians lived in

7215-400: The four great Latin Fathers of the Church (the others being Ambrose, Augustine, and Jerome). Of all popes, Gregory I had the most influence on the early medieval church. Cerinthus Cerinthus ( Greek : Κήρινθος , romanized :  Kērinthos ; fl. c. 50-100 CE) was an early Gnostic , who was prominent as a heresiarch in the view of the early Church Fathers . Contrary to

7326-425: The heresies of Apollinarianism and Macedonianism, and sent legates (papal representatives) to the First Council of Constantinople that was convoked in 381 to address these heresies. He also wrote in defense of the Roman See's authority, and inaugurated use of Latin in the Mass , instead of the Koine Greek that was still being used throughout the Church in the west in the liturgy. Jerome ( c.  347  – 420)

7437-444: The holding of wives in common. Eusebius claimed that the sect was short-lived. Several Church Fathers derive the term Nicolaitans from Nicolaus (Νικόλαος) a native of Antioch and one of the first Seven Deacons mentioned in Acts 6:5 . The nature of the link between Nicolaus and Nicolaitans was questionable. Some scholars believe that it was another Nicolas, rather than Nicolas the Deacon himself becoming an apostate. Irenaeus

7548-473: The law of Moses as it was preached every Shabbat (Acts 15:21). Many scholars see these four requirements set out by the Jerusalem Council as a parallel to Noahide Law . Conversely, certain Jewish Christian sects, including the Cerinthians , recognized Mosaic law as both practicable and necessary. Eusebius of Caesarea , in his Ecclesiastical History , relates how, according to Caius of Rome, Cerinthus, ...by means of revelations which he pretends were written by

7659-446: The learned environment of the eastern Mediterranean, see also Hellenistic Judaism . Unlike true Gnostics that followed him, Cerinthus taught that the demiurge was not evil, more like Philo's logos than the egotistical demiurge taught by Valentinus . Cerinthus distinguished between the man Jesus and the Christ . He denied the supernatural virgin birth of Jesus , making him the biological son of Joseph and Mary , and taught that

7770-500: The mid-fifth century, shows that the rules for invective were simply taken for granted by men and women of the late Roman world." Chrysostom's sermons along with Basil the Great's have greatly influenced the Christian Church's understanding of economic and distributive justice for the poor, being cited extensively by the Catechism of the Catholic Church as well as Pope Francis in his own sermons critiquing modern-day forms of capitalism. Theodore of Mopsuestia ( c.  350 – 428 )

7881-410: The most prolific of the eastern fathers, and his ascetic sensibilities. After his death (or according to some sources, during his life) he was given the Greek epithet chrysostomos , meaning "golden mouthed", rendered in English as Chrysostom. Chrysostom is known within Christianity chiefly as a preacher and theologian, particularly in the Eastern Orthodox Church; he is the patron saint of orators in

7992-400: The name Balaam, as meaning either lord of the people , or he destroyed the people ; and that, as the same effect was produced by their doctrines as by those of Balaam, that the people were led to commit fornication and to join in idolatrous worship, they might be called Balaamites or Nicolaitanes—that is, corrupters of the people. But to this it may be replied, (a) that it is far-fetched, and

8103-474: The name of our religion, brought to the depth of ruin such of the believers as they could win over, and at the same time, by means of the deeds which they practiced, turned away from the path which leads to the word of salvation those who were ignorant of the faith." He traces heresy from the biblical figure of Simon Magus (Acts 8:9-29) through Menander to both Saturnius of Antioch and Basilides of Alexandria. Following Irenaeus, Eusebius says "Basilides, under

8214-619: The opinion that Nicolas became a heresiarch (in Refutation of All Heresies vii. 24). In other writings of the early church this connection is disputed and the Nicolaitans are said to be "falsely so called" (ψευδώνυμοι). Clement of Alexandria put forward a defense of Nicolas (in Stromata ii. 20, iii. 4) which Eusebius accepts and repeats (in Historia Ecclesiastica iii. 29). The description of Nicolas as celibate

8325-494: The origin of the term Nicolaitans is uncertain, and that, "though Nicolas the deacon has been mentioned as their founder, the evidence is extremely slight which would convict that person himself of any immoralities." Tillemont was possibly influenced by the fact that no honour is paid to the memory of Nicolas by any branch of the church. He allows more weight to the testimony against him, and peremptorily rejects Cassian's statement (to which Neander adheres) that some other Nicolas

8436-454: The other hand he furnished to the unbelieving heathen abundant opportunities for slandering the divine word, inasmuch as the reputation of these men brought infamy upon the whole race of Christians. In this way, therefore, it came to pass that there was spread abroad in regard to us among the unbelievers of that age, the infamous and most absurd suspicion that we practiced unlawful commerce with mothers and sisters, and enjoyed impious feasts." Here

8547-456: The patron saint of many institutions and a number have been named after him. Pope Leo I ( c. 400 – 461) was pope from 29 September 440 until his death. He was active in defending the Latin Church against the threat of schism associated with Monophysitism , Miaphysitism and Dyophysitism , most remembered theologically for issuing the Tome of Leo , a document which was a major foundation to

8658-438: The position of mere "superstitions". He used the early church's symbol for fish—the Greek word for "fish" being ΙΧΘΥΣ , which is an acronym for Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, Θεοῦ Υἱός, Σωτήρ (Jesus Christ, God's Son, Saviour)—to explain the meaning of baptism, since fish are born in water. He wrote that human beings are like little fish. Cyprian ( c.  200  – 258) was bishop of Carthage and an important early Christian writer. He

8769-408: The practice turned into debauchery, with partners being exchanged in turn. Jesus condemns them in the book of Revelation, saying (2:6): "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaites." John Henry Blunt points out that the Bible (if taken at face value) condemns the false teachings, and the use of a name to describe a group "shows that there was a distinct heretical party which held

8880-496: The preexistence of individuals' logoi in the mind of God. Yet Origen did suggest, based on 1 Corinthians 15:22–28, that all creatures, possibly including even the fallen angels, will eventually be restored and reunited to God when evil is finally eradicated. For Origen, God was the First Principle , and Christ , the Logos through whom salvation is accomplished. Origen's various writings were interpreted by some to imply

8991-496: The pretext of unspeakable mysteries, invented monstrous fables, and carried the fictions of his impious heresy quite beyond bounds." He reports that Christian author Agrippa Castor "While exposing his mysteries he says that Basilides wrote twenty-four books upon the Gospel, and that he invented prophets for himself named Barcabbas and Barcoph, and others that had no existence, and that he gave them barbarous names in order to amaze those who marvel at such things; that he taught also that

9102-677: The scope of the term, and there is no definitive list. Some, such as Origen and Tertullian , made major contributions to the development of later Christian theology, but certain elements of their teaching were later condemned. The Apostolic Fathers were Christian theologians who lived in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, who are believed to have personally known some of the Twelve Apostles , or to have been significantly influenced by them. Their writings, though popular in Early Christianity , were ultimately not included in

9213-495: The story that John rushed out of a bathhouse at Ephesus without bathing when he found out Cerinthus was inside, exclaiming, "Let us fly, lest even the bath-house fall down, because Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth, is inside!" Irenaeus also relates that John sought by proclamation of his gospel "to remove that error which by Cerinthus had been disseminated among men". We do not have a fully developed understanding of Cerinthus' teachings. The earliest surviving account of Cerinthus

9324-551: The sword of my mouth. The last Western Church Father was Isidore of Seville , who finished the Etymologies , in AD 636. In Book VIII titled "The Church and sects (De ecclesia et secta)" he wrote, "The Nicolaites (Nicolaita) are so called from Nicolaus, deacon of the church of Jerusalem, who, along with Stephen and the others, was ordained by Peter. He abandoned his wife because of her beauty, so that whoever wanted to might enjoy her;

9435-581: The teachings of Cerinthus, beginning with an admonition to those who might follow the teachings of Simon and Cerinthus. Cerinthus utilized a gospel identical to that of the Ebionites , which the early church fathers identify as an unorthodox version of the Gospel of Matthew . Unlike Marcion of Sinope , a 2nd-century Gnostic who was hostile to the God of the Hebrews proclaimed in the Law and prophets, Cerinthus recognized Jewish scripture and professed to follow

9546-602: The term "Nicolaitans" to describe other antinomian groups with no attachment to the historical Nicolaitans. Tertullian in his Prescription Against Heretics , 33, is such an example: "John, however, in the Apocalypse is charged to chastise those 'who eat things sacrificed to idols,' and 'who commit sexual immorality.' There are even now another sort of Nicolaitans. Theirs is called the Gaian heresy ." Irenaeus in Adversus Haereses III. xi. 1; I. xxvi. 3 holds that

9657-448: The truth, but in less time than it has taken to tell it became entirely extinct." Eusebius (in his Church History , iv, 7) held that as Satan was shut off from using persecution against Christians "he devised all sorts of plans, and employed other methods in his conflict with the church, using base and deceitful men as instruments for the ruin of souls and as ministers of destruction. Instigated by him, impostors and deceivers, assuming

9768-516: The word to mean "lay conquerors" or "conquerors of the lay people". The name Balaam is perhaps capable of being interpreted as a Hebrew equivalent of the Greek Nicolas. Some commentators think that John alludes to this in Revelation 2:14; and C. Vitringa argues forcibly in support of this opinion. However, Albert Barnes notes: Vitringa supposes that the word is derived from νικος, victory, and λαος, people, and that thus it corresponds with

9879-465: The works of the Nicolaitans, which I [Jesus] also hate. But I have a few things against you [the church of Pergamos]: you have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel, so that they would eat food sacrificed to idols and practice fornication. So you also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent then. If not, I will come to you soon and make war against them with

9990-656: The writing of his theological opponents. Cerinthus flourished during the second half of the first century, though the date of his birth and his death are unknown. None of Cerinthus' actual writings seem to have survived. Our most detailed understanding of the man Cerinthus' teachings are from the 4th century Bishop Epiphanius of Salamis , a few centuries after his death, though Irenaeus of Lyon (c. 135–202) briefly outlines Cerinthus' beliefs in his five books against Gnosticism. Publication of surviving fragments of Hippolytus of Rome's (c. 170–235) Capita Adversus Caium demonstrate Epiphanius drew heavily from Hippolytus' Refutation of

10101-694: The year: on 21 January and on 13 August. His title of Confessor means that he suffered for the faith, but not to the point of death, and thus is distinguished from a martyr. His Life of the Virgin is thought to be the earliest complete biography of Mary, the mother of Jesus. John of Damascus ( c.  676  – 749) was a Syrian Christian monk, priest, hymnographer and apologist. Born and raised in Damascus , he died at his monastery, Mar Saba , near Jerusalem. A polymath whose fields of interest and contribution included law, theology, philosophy, and music, he

10212-706: Was Bishop of Poitiers and is a Doctor of the Church. He was sometimes referred to as the "Hammer of the Arians" ( Latin : Malleus Arianorum ) and the "Athanasius of the West." His name comes from the Graeco-Latin word for happy or cheerful. His optional memorial in the General Roman Calendar is 13 January. In the past, when this date was occupied by the Octave Day of the Epiphany, his feast day

10323-442: Was a Christian theologian, and Bishop of Mopsuestia (as Theodore II) from 392 to 428 AD. He is also known as Theodore of Antioch, from the place of his birth and presbyterate. He is the best known representative of the middle Antioch School of hermeneutics . He is known to be a prolific writer and exegete with strong emphases on the literal, historical and rational interpretation of Christian scriptures. Throughout his lifetime, he

10434-570: Was a central figure in the First Council of Ephesus in 431, which led to the deposition of Nestorius as Archbishop of Constantinople . Cyril's reputation within the Christian world has resulted in his titles "Pillar of Faith" and "Seal of all the Fathers". Maximus the Confessor (also known as Maximus the Theologian and Maximus of Constantinople) ( c.  580  – 662) was a Christian monk, theologian, and scholar. In his early life, he

10545-566: Was a civil servant and an aide to the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius ; however, he gave up this life in the political sphere to enter into the monastic life. After moving to Carthage , Maximus studied several Neo-Platonist writers and became a prominent author. When one of his friends began espousing the Christological position known as Monothelitism , Maximus was drawn into the controversy, in which he supported

10656-606: Was against many of the ideas of Plato and Aristotle (and other Greek philosophers), was an almost scientific and distinctive movement with the healing of the soul of man and his union with God at its center. They made major contributions to the definition of the Trinity finalized at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 and the final version of the Nicene Creed . Subsequent to the First Council of Nicea, Arianism did not simply disappear. The semi-Arians taught that

10767-400: Was also the opinion of the unknown Christian author (writing around 435) of Praedestinatus (in i. 4.), as well as other writers in the 4th century. This view of Nicolas is irreconcilable with the traditional account of his character given by Clement of Alexandria, an earlier writer than Epiphanius. He states that Nicolas led a chaste life and brought up his children in purity. He describes

10878-700: Was an early Christian apologist , and is regarded as the foremost interpreter of the theory of the Logos in the 2nd century. He was martyred , alongside some of his students, and is considered a saint by the Catholic Church , Anglicanism , the Eastern Orthodox Church , and the Oriental Orthodox Churches . Irenaeus was bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul , which is now Lyon (s), France. His writings were formative in

10989-467: Was bishop of Nyssa ; and a close friend, Gregory of Nazianzus (329–389), who became Patriarch of Constantinople . The Cappadocians promoted early Christian theology and are highly respected in both Western and Eastern churches as saints. They were a 4th-century monastic family, led by Macrina the Younger (324–379) to provide a central place for her brothers to study and meditate, and also to provide

11100-602: Was born in North Africa , probably at the beginning of the 3rd century, perhaps at Carthage, where he received an excellent classical ( pagan ) education. After converting to Christianity, he became a bishop and eventually died a martyr at Carthage. He emphasized the necessity of the unity of Christians with their bishops, and also the authority of the Roman See, which he claimed was the source of "priestly unity"'. Hilary of Poitiers ( c.  300  – c.  368 )

11211-552: Was born in Carthage, the son of a Roman centurion. Tertullian denounced Christian doctrines he considered heretical, such as allowing widows to remarry and permitting Christians to flee from persecution, but later in life adopted Montanism , regarded as heretical by the mainstream Church, which prevented his canonization. He wrote three books in Greek and was the first great writer of Latin Christianity, thus sometimes known as

11322-482: Was given the by-name of Chrysorrhoas (Χρυσορρόας, literally "streaming with gold", i.e. "the golden speaker"). He wrote numerous works expounding the Christian faith, and composed hymns which are still used both liturgically in Eastern Christian practice throughout the world as well as in western Lutheranism at Easter. He was particularly known for his defense of icons . The Catholic Church regards him as

11433-657: Was hailed as one of the outstanding, prolific biblical theologians and staunch defender of Christ's humanity. More than a century after his death, he was condemned in person in the Chalcedonian Church at the Second Council of Constantinople . However he continues to be recognised as a Greek Doctor in the Church of the East, which honours him with the title 'Theodore the Interpreter'. In 394, he attended

11544-464: Was moved to 14 January. Ambrose was an archbishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century. He was a governor before becoming bishop. He is counted as one of the four original doctors of the Church. He offered a new perspective on the theory of atonement . Pope Damasus I (305–384) was active in defending the Catholic Church against the threat of schisms. In two Roman synods (368 and 369) he condemned

11655-517: Was no sin of fornication after seven days had passed. "But the works of the Nicolaitanes in that time were false and troublesome men, who, as ministers under the name of Nicolas, had made for themselves an heresy, to the effect that whatever had been offered to idols might be exorcised and eaten, and that whoever had committed fornication might receive peace on the eighth day." Bede states that Nicolas allowed other men to marry his wife. Thomas Aquinas believed that Nicolas supported either polygamy or

11766-469: Was of the opinion that Nicolas was their founder. 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, [when they are represented] as teaching that it is a matter of indifference to practice adultery, and to eat things sacrificed to idols. Hippolytus of Rome shared

11877-635: Was part of the Mosaic law and it was licit for them, or that they went too far during Christian " love-feasts ". Blunt sees echoes of this behavior in the admonitions which Paul gives the Corinthians, though he does not name them as such. Blunt also believes that similar echoes can be found in the admonitions of Jude 4-16 (which invokes both "Balaam's error" and "love feasts") and 2 Peter 2:2-21 (which repeats much of Jude's statements, including invoking Balaam). The trend began early in Christianity of applying

11988-519: Was the founder of the sect. Tillemont concludes that, if not the actual founder, he was so unfortunate as to give occasion to the formation of the sect by his indiscreet speaking. Grotius ' view is given in a note on Revelation 2:6 and is substantially the same as that of Tillemont. Other scholars think that the group's name was not based upon an individual's name, but as a compound descriptive word. Nico- means "victory" in Greek, and laos means "people" or, more specifically, "the laity". Hence they take

12099-628: Was used by 16th century Protestant apologists to argue against the practice of mandatory clerical celibacy by suggesting it originated within Nicolaism first before spreading into Christianity. Epiphanius relates some details of the life of Nicolas the deacon, and describes him as gradually sinking into the grossest impurity, and becoming the originator of the Nicolaitans and other libertine Gnostic sects: [Nicolas] had an attractive wife, and had refrained from intercourse as though in imitation of those whom he saw to be devoted to God. He endured this for

12210-773: Was very common in the region, suggesting that he was probably a native of the area. The work of Papias is dated by most modern scholars to about AD 95–120. Despite indications that the work of Papias was still extant in the Late Middle Ages , the full text is now lost; however, extracts appear in a number of other writings, some of which cite a book number. Autocephaly recognized by some autocephalous Churches de jure : Autocephaly and canonicity recognized by Constantinople and 3 other autocephalous Churches: Spiritual independence recognized by Georgian Orthodox Church: Semi-Autonomous: Those who wrote in Greek are called

12321-627: Was well-versed in pagan and biblical literature. Origen, or Origen Adamantius ( c.  185  – c.  254 ) was a scholar and theologian. According to tradition, he was an Egyptian who taught in Alexandria, reviving the Catechetical School where Clement had taught. The patriarch of Alexandria at first supported Origen but later expelled him for being ordained without the patriarch's permission. He relocated to Caesarea Maritima and died there after being tortured during

#50949