Clement of Rome was the bishop of the Christian church at Rome from A.D. 90 to 99. Paul mentions a Clement in his epistle to the Philippians, in Philippians 4:3 - "These women have worked together with me and with Clement and with the others in spreading the good news. Their names are now written in the book of life."
- Clement, in approximately 95 A.D., wrote in a letter - “The apostles have preached the gospel to us from the Lord Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ has done so from God. Christ therefore was sent forth by God, and the apostles by Christ.”
- The earliest church accepted only the gospel accounts or testimonies, of only those who were, as Luke wrote in Acts (1:21,22) "a witness of His resurrection” and were present "all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us.. ..from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us".
- In the Book of Revelation's letters to the seven churches from Jesus, in the letter to the church at Ephesus, and the one to the church at Pergamum, says, "But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate" and "Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate" (Rev 2:6 and 15).
- Several of the early church fathers, including Irenaeus, Epiphanius, and Theodoret mentioned this group. Irenaeus identifies the Nicolaitans as a Gnostic sect and that "they lead lives of unrestrained indulgence."
- In the New Testament, both Paul and Peter warned about "false prophets and teachers" which had come into the churches and were taching false things, some even going so far as to say "Christ had not come in the flesh".
- The thing about Gnosticism, or "gnosis"/knowledge" was they were sects ranging from extreme asceticism to "unrestrained indulgence". The reason for such difference and range is based upon the gnostic idea that matter is evil. Therefor some branches were very strict in their eating, etc, as all matter and physical actions were evil. But other sects were anything but ascetic, being very immoral in their actions and lifestyle, considering that all life and actions were evil, so it made no difference how they behaved! Fornication was no worse than eating a meal. They asserted that God was light and only light, and mankind had fallen into matter which was evil. It was impossible to them, that Christ had come to the earth and lived in the flesh, seeing as all flesh was evil! And this was the sign, 1 John 4:2 "By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit" (or teaching) "that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God."
- Clement, in approximately 95 A.D., wrote in a letter - “The apostles have preached the gospel to us from the Lord Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ has done so from God. Christ therefore was sent forth by God, and the apostles by Christ.”
- The earliest church accepted only the gospel accounts or testimonies, of only those who were, as Luke wrote in Acts (1:21,22) "a witness of His resurrection” and were present "all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us.. ..from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us".
- In the Book of Revelation's letters to the seven churches from Jesus, in the letter to the church at Ephesus, and the one to the church at Pergamum, says, "But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate" and "Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate" (Rev 2:6 and 15).
- Several of the early church fathers, including Irenaeus, Epiphanius, and Theodoret mentioned this group. Irenaeus identifies the Nicolaitans as a Gnostic sect and that "they lead lives of unrestrained indulgence."
- In the New Testament, both Paul and Peter warned about "false prophets and teachers" which had come into the churches and were taching false things, some even going so far as to say "Christ had not come in the flesh".
- The thing about Gnosticism, or "gnosis"/knowledge" was they were sects ranging from extreme asceticism to "unrestrained indulgence". The reason for such difference and range is based upon the gnostic idea that matter is evil. Therefor some branches were very strict in their eating, etc, as all matter and physical actions were evil. But other sects were anything but ascetic, being very immoral in their actions and lifestyle, considering that all life and actions were evil, so it made no difference how they behaved! Fornication was no worse than eating a meal. They asserted that God was light and only light, and mankind had fallen into matter which was evil. It was impossible to them, that Christ had come to the earth and lived in the flesh, seeing as all flesh was evil! And this was the sign, 1 John 4:2 "By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit" (or teaching) "that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God."
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