When I was still a member of the Roman Catholic Church I recognized two distinct categories of people and these were the priests and the laymen. The priest was a custodian of the Word of God and even absolved the Papists of their sins. When I was still among the Papists I did not question the hierarchical religious priesthood since I never knew much about the Bible in the first place. Later on when I started studying the Word of God I discovered that a special class of priests was not mentioned in the New Testament. The priests are mentioned as a special category separate from the rest of the congregation only in the Old Testament. The Priests were chosen from the tribe of Levi and were the direct descendants of Aaron (Exodus 29:29). The Priests of the Old Testament had various duties including offering sacrifices, keeping the light burning in the temple, blowing the war trumpets, mediating cases and instructing the people in the law. The one scripture that summarizes their main duty states that, “For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins” (Hebrews 5:1). This shows us that since men could not reach God directly in the Old Testament they had to pass through the priest who would offer a sacrifice that would cover the sins of the transgressors.
Throughout the New Testament, in the early church no mention is made of a special order of priests distinguished from the rest of the body of Christ. The root of this priestly fiasco is mentioned in Revelation where Jesus spoke about one of the doctrines that he hated most, “So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate” (Revelation 2:15). The doctrines of the Nicolaitans can be derived from the meaning of the Greek word “Nikolaiton” which means victory over the common people or victory over the laity. The word also means destruction of the people. This was a dangerous doctrine that resulted into the abominable deeds of the Nicolaitans which Jesus firmly said He also hates (Revelation 2:6).

“John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible” states that the doctrine of the Nicolaitans seems to design the doctrines of the church of Rome, which in this period took place; which forbid marriage to the priests, and recommended celibacy and virginity to others also; which were the source of all uncleanness and abominable lusts; for which pardons and indulgences were given, and, in process of time, brothel houses were set up, and licensed and encouraged by authority. The doctrines of the Nicolaitans included the destruction of the laity through denying them an opportunity to study the Bible for themselves and limiting their Biblical knowledge to what they heard from the seclusive and mysterious Priestly order. The Nicolaitans also mixed several pagan rites with the Christian ceremonies.