The Church of Smyrna (100-312 AD) was a much persecuted church located in a wealthy city that had little time for Christians. Located 25 miles north of Ephesus, Smyrna was nicknamed the “Port of Asia” because it had an excellent harbor on the Aegean Sea. This church struggled against two hostile forces: a Jewish population strongly opposed to Christianity and a non-Jewish population that was loyal to Rome and supported emperor worship. The commercial center of Asia Minor, it was on the direct trade route from India and Persia to Rome. In the midst of adversity and great persecution, this church was a most faithful church.
Commendation: “I know your afflictions and your poverty, yet you are rich!
Condemnation: Not a Word!
Counsel: “do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days”
Challenge: “He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.”
They Smyrna period was probably the greatest time of persecution the Church of Christ ever known. Satan unleashed a violent attack on the church in effort to to obliterate it, for it became evident to him that the apostolic church, because of its faithful preaching of the gospel, had become a serious threat to his worldwide godless empire. The more he persecuted the church during this period, the more the church overcame the one condemning characteristic of the apostolic age, that of having left its first love. Not one word of condemnation was hurled by Christ at this church. From this Satan learned a great secret: Persecution will not stamp out the Church of Christ!
As predicted by the Lord, Himself in verse 10, “you will suffer persecution for ten days”. The church age saw eight of the ten periods of persecution under the Roman emperors.
Nero (54-68 AD) beheaded Paul and crucified Peter; Domitian (81-96 AD) exiled John; Trajan (98-117 AD) burned Ignatius at the stake; Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AD) killed Justin Martyr; Severus (193-211AD); Maximinius (235-238 AD); Decius (249-251 AD); Valerian (253-260 AD); Aurelian (270-275 AD); Diocletian (284-305AD) led a violent attempt to destroy the Bible from the face of the earth. During the second and third centuries this persecution age saw hundreds of Christians bought into the amphitheater of Rome to be fed to hungry lions while thousands of spectators cheered. Many were crucified; others were covered with animal skins and tortured to death by wild dogs. They covered with tar and set on fire to serve as torches. They were boiled in oil and burned at the stake. One church historian has estmated that during this period, five million Christians were martyred for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
The Church of Smyrna was a thriving church as it reached its greatest numbers during this period. This church distinguished itself by its production of many hand-copied manuscripts of the sacred scriptures and the translation of many scriptures into many languages.
The message of Christ to Smyrna is, “These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again”. It’s interesting to note that Christ introduces each message to the churches by reaching back to the vision of Himself in chapter one and picking out one of the characteristics of His nature. To Smyrna He emphasizes His eternal nature, “the First and the Last”; His death for their sins – “I was dead”; His resurrection – “and behold I am alive forever and ever”.
The commendation of Christ is that He does not condemn it. Christ’s commendation highlights three characteristics of the church: tribulation, poverty and affliction.
1) The Church of Smyrna was a Persecuted church. “I know your afflictions “.
2) The Church of Smyrna was a poor church. “and your poverty,” It appears that this church went through a severe period of financial persecution. Smyrna was not only a trade city but also a city of guilds that closely regulated the craftsmen of the day, much as the unions do today. Because of the intense hatred for Christians, when a man took a stand for Christ, his shop was boycotted or his employment was severed or some other means was used to limit his economic opportunity. Those Christians who were rich in this world’s goods went bankrupt. Consequently, the church enjoyed few monetary assets. “ yet you are rich!” highlights a divine principle that, regardless of one’s economic state, knowing Jesus Christ brings wealth in this life and in the life to come! Many who are poor as a proverbial “church mouse” are rich in this life in the things money cannot buy: joy, peace, happiness, contentment, and eternal accomplishments.
3) The Church of Smyrna was an afflicted church. “I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan”. This church was afflicted by false teachers who had claimed to be Jews but really were not.
Satan has his own religious faith. He also has his churches called “synagogues of Satan”. Any church that preaches a gospel other than the gospel of Christ is a synagogue of Satan regardless to what it is called. Two basic heresies emanate from the synagogue of satan. These heresies are a false doctrine of Christ and a mixing of law and grace. Either people are confused about the personal diety of our Lord Jesus Christ, suggesting that though He was a good man, He was not the virgin born Son of God who lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death, rose bodily from the grave, ascended physically into heaven and promised to return physically to this earth some day. Or they add to salvation “by grace through faith”, saying that in addition to believing on Jesus, we should also keep the Sabbath, observe certain rites and ceremonies, eat or not eat certain kinds of foods, etc. The church of Smyrna withstood these two teaching that are decieving many today.
Jesus counsels the church of Smyrna saying, “Do not be afraid” and “be faithful, even to the point of death”. Jesus predicted that they would suffer, telling them that the devil will put some in prison to test them, telling them some would suffer persecution for ten days. This is the same counsel given to every believer today. When grace is needed, grace will be supplied. When courage is needed, courage is supplied for we have the divine promise that our God is able to meet all our needs according to his glorious riches in Jesus Christ.
The Church of Smyrna is challenged to hear what the Spirit has to say and to overcome. “He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death”. God’s people have His personal promise that they will never be hurt. The second death is that state when people who have died in unbelief are resurrected and cast alive into an eternal state of separation from God in the place called the lake of fire. The second death need never to cause the child of God to fear, for it will have no power over them.
Tags: Affliction, afraid, APostolic Church, Asia Minor, child of God, Christianity, Church of Christ, Church of Smyrna, Condemnation, contentment, courage, crucified, Faith, Faithful, Fear, First LOve, Grace, guilds, Happiness, Hatred, John, Joy, overcome, Paul, Peace, Persecution, Peter, Poverty, resurrection, Satan, Scriptures, second death, Smyrna, synagogue of Satan, Testimony of Jesus Christ, Tribulation
