The Lord Jesus hates the practices and teaching of the Nicolaitans. Who the Nicolaitans were remains a subject of scholarly inquiry. But there is evidence linking them to early Gnosticism.
Since the term Nicolaitan may be linked linguistically to the Hebrew word for Balaam, it is likely that the reference is to eating food sacrificed to idols, and to immorality: in other words, to the works of the flesh.
The current practices and teaching of the Nicolaitans are found in the Christian doctrine of salvation by a perpetual forgiveness that is independent of a change in our behavior.
