Seven churches

90
M. M. NINAN
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Fornication is the sex involvement of two persons in which at least one is married to a
different partner. It is the symbol of unfaithfulness to life partners and is therefore the
symbol of man’s unfaithfulness to God. Thus fornication is a visible form of idol worship
and has always been associated with it. The punishment for this social sin in the Old
Testament was death by stoning. The punishment of body fornication is the realization of
the existing separation of the life partner to eternal separation by killing the fornicator. In
the same way the punishment for spiritual fornication is the realization of the separation to
be eternal i.e. eternal separation from Christ.
In today’s social context, living among an unchristian if not anti-Christian surroundings we
live in the same condition as that of the Pergamos. Are we going along with the rest of the
community tolerating what is evil and immoral?
Nicolaitans
Mystery shrouds the cult of Nicolaitans. Three possible explanations can be found.
1.These may be the followers of Nicolaus of Antioch who is said to have apostatized due
to his false doctrine of Gnosticism and Antinomianism; or
2. These were a group who followed Balaam in teaching that it was permissible for God's
people to engage in idolatry and immorality; or
3. It is a direct reference to the of the clerical system, or the development of a class of
Priests within the church.
1. Nicolaus of Antioch.
Nicolaus of Antioch was one of the seven original deacons, appointed by the Apostles to
serve at the tables. He was a Jewish proselyte (Acts 6:5). This Nicolas deviated from the
doctrine mixing Gnosticism and Antinomianism with the Historic Christian doctrines. This
story is told by Irenaeus , Tertullian, Hippolytus, Dorotheus of Tyre, Jerome, Augustine
and Eusebius. They all say this was a sect of licentious antinomian Gnostics who lapsed
into their antinomian license because of an over-strained asceticism. Hippolytus adds that
Nicolaus was the forerunner of Hymenaeus and Philetus who was condemned in 2