Dominion Over

[Jsta Babbler]

Matt.20:25
Jesus called them unto him,
and said,
Ye know that the princes (#758) of the Gentiles
exercise dominion (#2634) over them,
and they that are great exercise authority (#2715) upon them.
But it shall not be so among you:

•Princes of the Gentiles
#758
archon (758.), a ruler, is rendered chief in the KJV of Luke 14:1 (RV, ruler); chief rulers,
in John 12:42, RV, rulers (of the people), i.e., of members of the Sanhedrin; chief,
in Luke 11:15 (RV, prince), in reference to Beelzebub, the prince of demons.
See MAGISTRATE, PRINCE, RULER.
11. archisunagogos (752), a ruler of a synagogue, translated chief ruler of the synagogue,
 in Acts 18:8, 17, KJV, was the administrative officer supervising the worship.

•Dominion
#2634
2. katakurieuo (2634), kata, down (intensive), and No. 1, to exercise, or gain, dominion over, to lord it over,
is used of (a) the lordship of gentile rulers, Matt. 20:25, KJV, exercise dominion, RV, lord it,
Mark 10:42, KJV, exercise lordship, RV, lord it; (b) the power of demons over men, Acts 19:16, KJV,
overcame, RV, mastered; (c) of the evil of elders in lording it over the saints under their spiritual care,
1 Pet. 5:3. See LORDSHIP, OVERCOME.

•Exercise Authority
#2715
 kat-ex-oo-see-ad-zo; from 2596 and 1850;
to have (wield) full privilege over: exercise authority.

The words of Christ about Lordship;
Or
Special Privileges / Exercise Authority / Dominion Over
Chief Rulers of the Synagogue
Christ was Very Speciffic
•ie:
•But it shall not be so among you:

1st Day Church already "the beginnings" of the Nicolaitans
Lordship and Dominion Over

~{3John 1:9}~
I wrote unto the church:
but Diotrephes, who loveth, to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth,
#A: prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith,
#B: neither doth he himself receive the brethren,
#C: and forbiddeth them that would,
#D: and casteth them out of the church.


Rev. 2:
---- Approval ---
Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write;....
I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience,
and how thou canst not bear them which are evil:
and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles,
and are not, and hast found them liars:.......

------ Chastisement ----
Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee,
because thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen,
and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly,
and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

---- Approval ---
6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans,
which I also hate.

----- Advise ---
7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;

------ The Reward ----
Peter's Seven (7 ) Steps
2Peter 1:4
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:
that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

5 And beside this, giving all diligence,
add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge

To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life,
which is in the midst of the paradise of God.


By the time we get to Pergamos, the Church has began to adopt the Doctrines of Nicks

•"So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, (#3531) which thing I hate."
Nicolaitans, (#3531)
• nik-ol-ah-ee-tace; from 3532; a Nicolate, i.e. adherent of Nicolas: Nicolaitane.
• nik-ol-ah-os; from 3534 and 2992; victorious over the people; Nicolas, a heretic: Nicolaus.
•1. nikao (3528.), to overcome (its usual meaning) is translated conquering and to conquer in Rev. 6:2.See OVERCOME, PREVAIL, VICTORY.
•Nicolaitans = destruction of people   1) a sect mentioned in Rev. 2:6,15,who were charged with holding the error of Balaam, casting a stumbling block before the church of God by upholding the liberty of eating things sacrificed to idols as well as committing fornication

Quote:

But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. (Revelation 2:6)
So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. (Revelation 2:15)

In the book of the revelation of Jesus Christ, it is both "the deeds" and "the doctrine" of those in the two "churches" specified (Revelation 2:6, 15). The Lord demands repentance on the part of those who hold and practice these things and He threatens drastic punishment if they do not obey Him:

"Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth," (Revelation 2:16).

The name, Nicolaitanes, is a compound word which is composed of three Greek words, and which, because of being a proper noun, is transferred instead of being translated into English. As thus transferred, it is subject to the laws of Greek construction in regard to ellipsis, contraction and phonetics.

The Greek words used in its construction are first: "Nikos," of which we use the English equivalents instead of the Greek letters, as we shall also of the other two. Nikos is defined as "a conquest; victory; triumph; the conquered; and by implication, dominancy over the defeated." Another transferred name in which this term is used is "Nicopolis," i.e., Niko - conquest; polis city. Hence, the city of conquest, or city of victory. Also "Andro" -- "nikos;" a man of conquest, of victory.

The second term used in the name under consideration is "laos," -- people (as our word referring to the "laity".) another use of which is Nicolas, which is transferred and is composed of Nikoslaos and means one who is "victorious over the people," the letter "s" being, in both words, the nominative case ending, which is retained only at the end of the word to denote the case, while "a" short and "o" short are contracted into "a" long.

Also, a still further transferred use of "laos" is found in the name Lao(s)diceans, compounded with dike or dice as the Greek "k" is the equivalent English "c." Thus, in the name Laodiceans, we have laos -- "people" and dice judgment, or vengeance, i.e., the people of my judgment, or of my vengeance. Also the Greek word la(ic)os means "laymen," of which laos is the root and stem, which selfsame word, with the "o" short contracted to "i", to which root and stem the plural definite article ton is joined to form laiton -- is a Greek phrase meaning "the laity."

The third and last word entering into the construction of the proper name Nicolaitanes is ton, in which omega, the long "o", is contracted into long "a", thus making the word "tan" which is the genitive case plural in all the genders of the definite article the. Therefore, we have, without the legal Greek construction, the English hyphenated word Nickos-laoston, but which, with its lawful elisions and contractions, becomes the English name: Nicolaitanes, the full meaning of which, in its native tongue and in its ecclesiastical setting, is that the bishops and prelates of the Church have gained a triumphal victory or conquest over the laiton -- the laity -- until they have been compelled to submit to the arbitrary dominion of men who have become that thing which God hates: "Lords over God's heritage."

Hierarchy has ranks

The evidence of this is found in all our common school dictionaries, among which we find the following definition of the term "hierarchy: the power of dominion, government by ecclesiastical rulers," to which the following is introduced in evidence:

"If anyone shall say that there is not in the Catholic Church a hierarchy established by the divine ordination, consisting of bishops, presbyters and ministers, let him be anathema, Council of Trent (trans) XXIII 6." (Century Dictionary.)

In other words, let anyone who will have the temerity to say there is not a hierarchy, not a collection of human beings, who have been given the power, by other men of dominion, as ecclesiastical rulers over churchmen, who are declaredly God's heritage, let that man be accursed; i.e., let death and hell and the devil get him. Surely, the thing in which that ecclesiastical company is glorying is their shame!

Furthermore, Webster defines the word "episcopal" as

"the power of government, belonging to, or invested in, bishops or prelates. Government of the church by bishops." Also "In episcopacy, the order of bishops is superior to the other clergy, and has exclusive power to confer orders."

In this definition it is affirmed that a certain portion of presbyters (elders) were even "in apostolic times superior in authority to ordinary presbyters," and also mentions the fact that episcopacy recognizes "episcopal rank" which is created by the institution thus governed; all of which affirms that any church in which episcopal government obtains is practicing the very carnal and fleshly iniquity of creating "Superiors" in what should be a holy brotherhood. The use of this appellation makes "inferiors" out of "brethren" who are in the selfsame clergy.

Rank Creates Divisions

The approbation of "ordinary elders" demands a "set" of elders who are superordinary, thus creating "rank" (caste) in the otherwise Divine brotherhood, all of which destroys holy fellowship, creates division and strife, and fosters envy. No marvel that our Lord should hate a thing like that, condemn it, and demand that those who are guilty shall repent.

But will they? Yes, some will when the tribulation is on. Others, however, will stick to their ecclesiastical crowd, vainly imagining that their boasted "superiority" will carry them through that time of the greatest trouble the world has ever known, or will know. They must go down with the rest of the hosts of anti-Christ.

And yet, one of the most unfortunate features of all this is that there are those in the Christian Church who do not hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, but who practice "their deeds" of dominating the laity by lording it over the Church of Jesus Christ, which should be subject only to one Divine Master. It is often true that these have assumed this lordship because they are esteemed very highly in love for their work's sake, but have become vainly puffed up in their fleshly mind. Beloved, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees."


Quote:

3. His rise is mentioned, 2Th_2:6, 2Th_2:7. Concerning this we are to observe two things: - (1.) There was something that hindered or withheld, or let, until it was taken away. This is supposed to be the power of the Roman empire, which the apostle did not think fit to mention more plainly at that time; and it is notorious that, while this power continued, it prevented the advances of the bishops of Rome to that height of tyranny to which soon afterwards they arrived. (2.) This mystery of iniquity was gradually to arrive at its height; and so it was in effect that the universal corruption of doctrine and worship in the Romish church came in by degrees, and the usurpation of the bishops of Rome was gradual, not all at once; and thus the mystery of iniquity did the more easily, and almost insensibly, prevail. The apostle justly calls it a mystery of iniquity, because wicked designs and actions were concealed under false shows and pretences, at least they were concealed from the common view and observation. By pretended devotion, superstition and idolatry were advanced; and, by a pretended zeal for God and his glory, bigotry and persecution were promoted. And he tells us that this mystery of iniquity did even then begin, or did already work. While the apostles were yet living, the enemy came, and sowed tares; there were then the deeds of the Nicolaitans, persons who pretended zeal for Christ, but really opposed him. Pride, ambition, and worldly interest of church-pastors and church-rulers, as in Diotrephes and others, were the early working of the mystery of iniquity, which, by degrees, came to that prodigious height which has been visible in the church of Rome



Matthew Henrys Commentary on the Whole Bible

In the words of Christ
Matt.20:25
Jesus called them unto him,
and said,
Ye know that the princes (#758) of the Gentiles
exercise dominion (#2634) over them,
and they that are great exercise authority (#2715) upon them.
But it shall not be so among you:

in other words
Nicolaitanes, the full meaning of which, in its native tongue and in its ecclesiastical setting, is that the bishops and prelates of the Church have gained a triumphal victory or conquest over the laiton -- the laity -- until they have been compelled to submit to the arbitrary dominion of men who have become that thing which God hates: "Lords over God's heritage."

But it shall not be so among you:


Solomon's -- The Wise Man --- Advises

Proverbs 6:6
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
 
Provideth her meat in the summer,
and gathereth her food in the harvest.
____________________________________________ ____________________

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling,
and to present you faultless
before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
To the only wise God our Saviour,
be glory and majesty, dominion and power,
both now and ever. Amen.
 

[LexKnight]

+1, +1, +1! I always say this (even here a few times), but in the house of God there is no clergy (pulpit) and laity(pews). It is the biggest foundational error of the modern assemblies, and it has done more damage than anything else I'm aware of.