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Bible Dictionaries
Nicolas
Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament
or Nicolas, one of the Seven appointed to look after the ministration of alms to the Hellenist widows, is described in the Acts as a proselyte of Antioch (Acts 6:5). He comes last in the list. This description of him is inserted because his admission to office in the Christian Church marks a step taken towards the extension of the Church to the Gentiles. As far as we know, no proselyte, i.e. convert to Judaism from the heathen world, had been given office in the Church, up to this point. A. Harnack (The Acts of the Apostles, Eng. translation , 1909, p. 172) quotes the description of him as a proselyte of Antioch as a proof that this section of the Acts was probably derived from an Antiochene source-surely a very uncertain inference. On his supposed connexion with the Nicolaitans of Revelation 2:6; Revelation 2:15 see article Nicolaitans.
W. A. Spooner.
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Hastings, James. Entry for 'Nicolas'. Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hdn/n/nicolas.html. 1906-1918.
