The Rise of the Church
The Nicolaitan Heresy
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The Nicolaitans were an early Christian sect sharply condemned by the Apostle John, speaking in Yeshua's name, in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 2:6, 15). They merged the biblically Jewish reform movement of Yeshua with the Paganism of Rome. While the Way sect was biblically Jewish, these usurpers, "say they are Jews, but they are not. They are liars..." (Revelation 3:9). Their sect began in the cities of Ephesus and Pergamum where they promoted spiritual compromise, allowing believers to participate in pagan idolatry and sexual immorality. This eventually led to denial of biblical monotheism and the abandonment of the Torah under the so-called Church Fathers.
On February 27, 272 CE, Constantine was born in Naissus (today Niš, Serbia), part of the Dardania province of Moesia. He received his formal education at Diocletian's court, where he learned Latin literature, Greek, and philosophy. His military career flourished, and he eventually became Rome's leader. To assist in this, he sought the aid of the Way Sect. His mother was a Way following Gentile. Eventually he became their leader.
As evidence, circa October 28, 312, Constantine adopted the Greek letters Chi Rho as Yeshua's initials and monogram and claimed himself Yeshua's true messenger to the world. Gradually all traces of Yeshua's Jewishness was erased, including his Hebrew name. Through the Nicolaitan philosophy (Revelation 2:6, 14–15), by 320 CE, Constantine had recreated the Way sect in his own image and renamed it Catholicism (Universalism). All other forms of worship were eventually outlawed.
Bishop Arius (250 or 256 – 336) was the final leader of the struggling Way sect. Arius died suddenly in 336 CE in Constantinople from catastrophic gastrointestinal failure, which his Catholic opponents framed as divine judgment and his followers, like many modern scholars, speculate may have been poisoning.
Emperor Constantine "the Great" died May 22, 337. By the time of his death, the religion he founded ruled most of the known world until the coming of Muhammad Mustafa (Born: 17th Rabi' al-Awwal, Year of the Elephant/570 CE in Makkah, Hejaz region of the Arabian Peninsula, Died: 28th Safar, 11 AH/632 CE). Even then, the Catholic Church controlled much of the world. Rather than bringing in the foretold thousand years of restored paradise, the Vatican brought in the Dark Ages and religious abuse.
Later, King Henry the Eighth (1509 – 1547) rebelled against the Roman Papacy and led the Anglican revolt. Realizing the Church was not invisible, Martin Luther became the first Protestant (i.e., "Protestor") Reformer, sharing his demanded reforms publicly in 1517. Soon followed Andreas Karlstadt and Philip Melanchthon at Wittenberg, Germany, who promptly joined the new Protestant movement. In 1519, Huldrych Zwingli became the first Protestant to establish a formal Reformed tradition (the Swiss Reformed Church) and launched the greater Reformed movement.
Today, Nicene Christianity continues as a very diverse assortment of beliefs while holding to Constantine's essential beliefs as recorded in the Nicene Creed. Despite attempts to restore the Way Sect, none have succeeded. The Christian denominations, with very few exceptions, remain committed to Constantine's Nicene and Apostle's Creed.