Eating food offered to idols

DWB

Well-Known Member
Recently while studying the letters to the seven churches, I came across the reference to the Nicolatians, which is mentioned twice in the seven letters. Looking up the Nicolatians, not much is out there other than maybe it was the same Nicolas in Acts 6 who was one of the seven chosen to serve the tables. Anyway, I found a reference about possibly the Nicolatians eating food offered to idols being the reason and started me thinking.

With Revelation being written by John years after Paul's ministry, and we know Paul taught since idols are nothing so eating food offered to idols is nothing, I am wondering why Our Lord felt it necessary to admonish the churches for eating food offered to idols after they were most likely instructed by Paul that it was not a sin. I'm probably missing something obvious, but things like this will bother me until I can understand.

I love how one thing leads to another and the study can never be exhausted.
 

mack_

Member
Nicolaitan Controversy:


The problem underlying the Nicolaitan controversy, though so little direct mention is made of it in Scripture, was in reality most important, and concerned the whole relation of Christianity to paganism and its usages. The Nicolaitans disobeyed the command issued to the Gentile churches, by the apostolic council held at Jerusalem in 49-50 AD, that they should refrain from the eating of “things sacrificed to idols” (Act 15:29). Such a restriction, though seemingly hard, in that it prevented the Christian communities from joining in public festivals, and so brought upon them suspicion and dislike, was yet necessary to prevent a return to a pagan laxity of morals. To this danger the Nicolaitans were themselves a glaring witness, and therefore John was justified in condemning them. In writing to the Corinthians, Paul gives warning against the same evil practices, basing his arguments on consideration for the weaker brethren (compare 1Co 8:1-13).


Literature.


Simcox, “Revelation” in the Cambridge Bible; H. Cowan in Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible (five volumes), article “Nicolaitans”; H.B. Swete, The Apocalypse of John, lxx ff, 27, 28, 37.
 

Wally

Choose Your Words Carefully...
A little leaven takes care of the whole lump.

Its a similar problem we have today. many things are not of them selves evil. But if it causes others to disregard God's cautions or outright instruction, its a serious problem.

Kinda like legalizing abortion causes many to have contempt for life and thus destroy it with out compulsion.

Sometimes life is sacrificed to preserve other lives. Its a part of our fallen world, and we need to take it very seriously.
But to degrade life to a point where we dare to justify the evil, that leads many astray even to calling evil good.

Food offered to idols. Is it much different that homosexuality today? People may have sin problems, but to promote the sin turns hearts away from God.
 

Follower

Member
FWIW, the Believer's Bible Commentary by William MacDonald (Revelation 2:14-15, page 4241) ISBN 978-0-7180-7685-6 provides a quote from C.I. Scofield regarding the Nicolaitians:

"It is the doctrine that God has instituted an order of "clergy" or priests, as distinguished from the "laity." The word is formed from two Greek words, niko, coqueror or overcomer, and laos, the people. The New Testament knows nothing of a "clergyman," still less of a priest, except all sons of God in this dispensatioin are "a royal priesthood." In the apostolic church there were offices: elders (or bishops) and deacons; and gifts: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (Eph 4:11). These might or might not be elders or deacons. But late in the apostolic period there emerged a disposition to arrogate to elders alone authority to administer ordinances, and, generally, to contitute themselves a class between God and the people; these were the Nicolaitans. You will observe that what were "deeds" in the Ephesus or late apostolic period, had become a "doctrine" two hundred years later in the Pergamos or Constantine period."
 

Everlasting Life

Through Faith in Jesus
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Revelation 2:14-16

I'm not so sure that it's the eating of meat sacrificed to idols that is the issue here (for Paul did say that one who's conscience is not bothered can do this as long as it's not causing someone to stumble) but rather the enticement to sin.

Warren Wiersby sheds a little more light on this:

Accusation (vv. 14-15). Despite their courageous stand against persecution, the believers in Pergamos were not faultless before the Lord. Satan had not been able to destroy them by coming as the roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8), but he was making inroads as the deceiving serpent. A group of compromising people had infiltrated the church fellowship, and Jesus Christ hated their doctrines and their practices.

These infiltrators are called "Nicolaitans" whom we met already at Ephesus (Rev 2:6). The names means "to rule the people." what they taught is called "the doctrine of Balaam" (Rev 2:14) The Hebrew name Balaam also means, "lord of the people" and is probably synonymous with Nicolaitans. Sadly, this group of professed believers "lorded it over" the people and led them astray.

Understanding the story of Balaam helps us interpret this insidious group more accurately (see Num. 22-25). Balaam was a true prophet who prostituted his gifts in order to earn money from King Balak, who hired him to curse the people of Israel. God prevented Balaam from actually cursing the nation -- in fact, God turned the curses into blessings! -- but Balak still got his money's worth. How? By following Balaam's advice and making friends with Israel, and then inviting the Jews to worship and feast at the pagan altars. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"

The Jewish men fell right into the trap and many of them became "good neighbors." They ate meat from idolatrous altars and committed fornication as part of heathen religious rites. Twenty-four thousand people died because of this disobedient act of compromise (Num.25:1-9).

Why did this bit of ancient history apply to the believers at Pergamos? Because a group in that church said, "There is nothing wrong with being friendly to Rome. What harm is there in putting a pinch of incense on the altar and affirming your loyalty to Caesar?" Antipas refused to compromise and was martyred, but other took the "easy way" and cooperated with Rome.

It is unlikely that "things sacrificed to idols" is the same problems Paul dealt with in 1 Corinthians 8 and 10. The accusation here left no room for personal choice as did Paul. The Lord accused the Christians in Pergamos of sinning, of committing "spiritual fornication" by saying, "Caesar is Lord." Of course, this compromise made them welcome in the Roman guilds and protected them from Roman persecution, but it cost them their testimony and their crown.

Believer today also face the temptation to achieve personal advancement by ungodly compromise. The name Pergamos means "married," reminding us that each local church is "engaged to Christ" and must be kept pure (2 Cor. 11:1-4) We shall see later in Revelation that this present world system is pictured as a defiled harlot, while the church is presented as a pure bride. The congregation or the individual Christian that compromises with the world just to avid suffering or achieve success is committing "spiritual adultery" and being unfaithful to the Lord.
 

Spartan Sprinter 1

Formerly known as Shaun
The saying about learning something new when re reading the bible always rings true.

I never knew that the Levite priests etc couls eat the food that was being sacrificed to the Lord after they finished their animal sacrifices.

I weirdly or had some preconceived assumption that God would always use fire to consume the sacrifice or they just left the animal after the dedication had been done LOL.
 

Purchased With Blood

Well-Known Member
FWIW, the Believer's Bible Commentary by William MacDonald (Revelation 2:14-15, page 4241) ISBN 978-0-7180-7685-6 provides a quote from C.I. Scofield regarding the Nicolaitians:

"It is the doctrine that God has instituted an order of "clergy" or priests, as distinguished from the "laity." The word is formed from two Greek words, niko, coqueror or overcomer, and laos, the people. The New Testament knows nothing of a "clergyman," still less of a priest, except all sons of God in this dispensatioin are "a royal priesthood." In the apostolic church there were offices: elders (or bishops) and deacons; and gifts: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (Eph 4:11). These might or might not be elders or deacons. But late in the apostolic period there emerged a disposition to arrogate to elders alone authority to administer ordinances, and, generally, to contitute themselves a class between God and the people; these were the Nicolaitans. You will observe that what were "deeds" in the Ephesus or late apostolic period, had become a "doctrine" two hundred years later in the Pergamos or Constantine period."
This matches the explanation of the Nicolaitans I heard and agree with. Basically, Nicolaitans claim there must be a hierarchy that acts as middleman between the Christian and God. The deeds of the Nicolaitans revolve around clergy lording themselves over the Church in an abusive way. In reality, we have Jesus our great high priest, who is at the right hand of God making intercession for us. Pergamos is derived from the Greek word “gamos” which means marriage. For those like myself who believe the seven letters represent historical eras of the Church, this represents a period of time beginning around Constantine’s Edict of Milan in 313 AD. In this era, the Church was “married” to the Roman Empire. Constantine favored Christians in court and exempted ministers from taxes, so many became nominal Christians for the benefits and power rather than because of a genuine belief in Jesus. Pagan priests slipped into office as Christian priests. This established the power structure for the later medieval era of Thyatira and for its Nicolaitan doctrines such as the selling of indulgences. In modern times a number of abusive, cultish denominations are guilty of the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.
 

Purchased With Blood

Well-Known Member
Although I think what I wrote above is correct, I am not 100% sure and it’s possible that the doctrine of the Nicolaitans refers to idolatry. Many have accused Constantine and the Roman Catholic Church of marrying Christianity with paganism. I do believe that the doctrine of Balaam refers to pagan idolatry in general and not only eating things sacrificed to idols. The eating is just one example of the idolatry which the children of Israel committed in Shittim.

The opening chapters of Revelation are among the most cryptically worded parts of the Bible and every word really matters. Revelation 2:14 says Jesus has a few things against the Church at Pergamos. If what I wrote in my previous post is correct, these things include the doctrine of Balaam and also the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. In both cases “doctrine” is singular. A distinction is made by the “also” in Revelation 2:15 which says, “So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.” This refers to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans as a singular thing, but Jesus says in verse 2:14 that He has a few things, plural, against thee. Therefore, this would imply that the doctrine of Balaam is one thing and that the doctrine of the Nicolaitans is a different thing. Many commentators combine the two doctrines into one thing but I am not so sure they should be. They were two different problems affecting the same church. The “So” at the beginning of verse 2:15 can also mean “Likewise” which the NIV uses. My interpretation of that sentence is, “Likewise you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.”
 
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