June 21, 2009

The Cult of the Nicolaitans

Consider the following prophecies addressed to the Churches of Ephesus and Pergamos respectively:

But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. (Rev 2:6) So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. (Rev 2:15)

Who or what is this that God hates in these days?

Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History records the only reference that I have read that gives any credible definition of this word. Eusebius says that the followers of Nicolas, Bishop of Myra, were called by this name. Nicolas accidentally caused a sinful following in his own time, over the issue of his wife. In his time, celibacy was just gaining ground as a requirement for the priesthood. Upon being provoked by those who questioned his having a wife, he is alleged to have said something like, “Here she is; you can have her for yourself.” This created a rumor that he approved of sexual immorality, which caused some of his following to fall into sin.

For a while, I interpreted this word as some kind of symbol of the tolerance of sexual immorality in the modern church. Surely, God hates these sins. I had not as yet made the real connection to the modern context, because there were many by the name Nicolas in church history. The casual discovery, that this same Nicolas is the one on whom Santa Claus is based, finally opened up my understanding to the true meaning. Certainly, this makes sense in today’s end-time context.

This abomination passes for innocence even among many Christians. Their sin consciousness may be so blunted that they cannot recognize blatant idolatry when they see it. Santa, as he is so affectionately called, is all-seeing, all-knowing, and, on Christmas Eve, in all places at once, qualities reserved for the God of the Bible alone. That this scheme is perpetrated on innocent children makes it much more grievous. Consider how special they are to God:

But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 19:14)

This scheme of satan draws in the simple wonder and faith of a little child, a quality God intended to be directed only to himself, misleads it, and then tries to destroy it on the event of the inevitable discovery of the lie.

Today’s humanist setup subsequently indoctrinates this spiritually disillusioned child into a sequence of humanist lies, most prominently the big lie of Darwinism.[1] Unwittingly, this setup makes this cult a humanist one. Consider that the Santa Claus myth blossomed in the same period in which Darwinism spread. In spite of their denial, Santa is their god, the one who disappointed them in their childhood, still haunting them in some hidden part of their hearts. The purpose of this cult is to divert children away from the True God before they even discover him. Apparently, satan has worked this scheme well considering the extent to which some have fallen from the faith of their fathers.

I also was taken in by this idolatry as a child. My disappointment when the lie was broken was no small one at the time that it occurred. If Santa betrayed you, know that Jesus would receive you and never disappoint.[2]

In America, the first amendment allows humanists to worship their gods, but Christians need to put this nonsense away. Let’s have Christmas without Santa Claus and the other associated myths that have corrupted it.