6 ...thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate... also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
-Revelation 2:6,15 Bible, King James Version (KJV)
Apocalypse Revealed, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1766], tr. by John Whitehead [1912], at sacred-texts.com
86. Verse 6. ...thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate, signifies that they know this from their truths, and thence are not willing that works should be meritorious, because this is contrary to the merit and justice of the Lord... Yet all those make works meritorious who put the truths of faith in the first place, and the goods of charity in the second; but not those who put the goods of charity in the first place. The reason is, that genuine charity does not wish to merit, for it loves to do good, for it is in it and acts from it; and from good it looks to the Lord; and from truths it knows that all good is from Him; it therefore has an aversion to merit... It is said that it is contrary to the merit and justice of the Lord; for they who place merit in works, ascribe justice to themselves, for they say justice is on their side because they have merited, when yet it is the greatest injustice, because the Lord alone has merit, and alone does good in them...
"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." —Irenaeus, Adversus haereses, i. 26, §3 [Irenaeus, referred to by some as Saint Irenaeus, was Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, then a part of the Roman Empire. He was an early Church Father and apologist, and his writings were formative in the early development of Christian theology. Born: 130 AD, Smyrna, Turkey Died: 202 AD, Lugdunum, France.]
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