Nicolations
In Revelation 2:25, the apostle John condemns those who follow the teachings of Balaam and the Nicolaitians. Balaam is known for his role in encouraging the Israelites to participate in the feasts and sexual immorality of the Canaanite idols, which led them away from God. Scholars disagree about who the Nicolaitans were. According to church tradition, they comprised a group of people who believed that since they were redeemed by Jesus and, therefore, free in him, they could participate in immoral ceremonies since idols were not gods anyway. Interestingly, both words mean the same thing, prince of the people. Biblical writers strongly condemned participation in such behavior (1 Cor. 10:20?22) for many reasons, including the fact that Christians were not to eat meat or drink wine that had been used in sacrifices to pagan gods.
