nicolas Summary and Overview

the victory of the people, a proselyte of Antioch, one of the seven deacons (Acts 6:5).

(victor of the people), #Ac 6:5| a native of Antioch and a proselyte to the Jewish faith. When the church was still confined to Jerusalem, he became a convert and being a man of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and of wisdom, he was chosen by the whole multitude of the disciples to be one of the first seven deacons, and was ordained by the apostles. There is no reason except the simplicity of name for identifying Nicolas with the sect of Nicolaitans which our Lord denounces, for the traditions on the subject are of no value.

NICOLAS (victor of the people), one of the deacons of the church at Jerusalem in the days of the apostles. Acts 6:5. He was a native of Antioch, converted to Judaism, and thence to Christianity.

Of the seven. Probably having no connection with the Nicolaitans, though Epiphanius (adv. Haer. i. 2, section 25) represents him as sinking into corrupt doctrine and practice. Clemens Alex. (Strom. iii. 4) says that Nicolas, when reproached by the apostles with jealousy, offered his wife to any to marry, but that Nicolas lived a pure life and used to quote Matthias' saying, "we ought to abuse (i.e. mortify) the flesh." No church honours Nicolas, but neither do they honor four others of the seven men. Confounders of Nicolas with the Nicolaitans probably originated these legends.