There is no perfect church. But the church in Smyrna was close. Jesus had nothing negative to say about it.
And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. (Revelation 2:8-11)
City: Smyrna
Smyrna was ‘the most beautiful city in Asia’, famous for its ‘Street of Gold,’ which began with the Temple of Zeus (supreme deity of ancient Greeks) and ended with the Temple of Cybele (goddess of nature). Between were temples of Apollo, Asklepios, and Ahrodite. The name of the city means ‘myrrh,’ an aromatic spice that gives its fragrance when crushed, used in embalming dead bodies. The city was destroyed in battle in 600 BC. It was restored a Greek city, then leveled by an earthquake. Again, it revived. It ‘was dead, and is alive.’
Christ: Was Dead and is Alive
Jesus introduces Himself to this persecuted church as the One who has already conquered death. Like Christ, the church at Smyrna should anticipate ultimate victory.
Commendation: Tribulation and Poverty
– Persecution. Under the emperor Domitian, emperor worship was required for all Roman citizens. Those who refused could receive the death penalty. Once a year, all citizens were required to burn incense on an altar to Caesar, after which they would receive a certificate proving that they had done their civil duty. While this was more an act of political loyalty than a religious act, the citizen had to say, while burning the incense, ‘Caesar is lord.’ Many Christians considered this act blasphemous and refused to do it.
A large Jewish community thrived in Smyrna. The Jews, of course, did not have to patronize the imperial cult since their religion was accepted by Rome; but they certainly would not cooperate with the Christian faint. So, from both Jews and Gentiles, the Christians in Smyrna received slander and suffering.
– Poverty. The word used for ‘poverty’ (Greek ptocheian) is the word for abject poverty, possessing absolutely nothing. They were not just poor (Greek penia) It may be that they were drawn from a poor class of people, but it is more probable that their extreme poverty is explained by the fact that they had been robbed of their goods in the process of their persecution and affliction. They were actually rich. This contrasts sharply with Jesus’ assessment of the Laodicean believers, who think themselves rich, but are poor by His reckoning (3:17).
– Blasphemy. As Ephesus was plagued with men who said they were apostles and were not, so Smyrna had men who said they were Jews and were not. Some of their persecution was from these ‘false’ Jews. These were probably ‘Judaizers’ who tried to bring Christians back into their Jewish customs. This led to a works-salvation system. The basic error at the core of such a trend is the error of failing to distinguish between Israel and the church. The ‘synagogue of Satan’ means that these Jews were serving Satan’s purposes not God’s, when they gathered to worship, because they hated and persecuted the true people of God, the Christians. The shocking statement affirmed that those Jews who hated and rejected Jesus Christ were just as much Satan’s followers as idol worshipers.
Condemnation: None
No word of rebuke. Their trials prevented any lack of fervency and kept them from immorality or compromise with evil. A church or individual suffering persecution for his faith is usually more devout and fateful than a comfortable, untested believer.
Correction: Be Faithful
Jesus gave them two helps under persecution: (1) Don’t be afraid (nothing can rob you of your true treasure); (2) Be Faithful (affliction always has a time limit).
Challenge: Crown of Life
Here the word for ‘crown’ is not diadema, which refers to the crown worn by a king. But it is stephanos, which is the victor’s crown. This crown of leaves was awarded to a champion in the games or to a Roman commander who had won a triumph. Life is received through believing; the crown of life is obtained by being faithful.
The crown follows the persecution. Jesus does not promise to protect His people from trouble but, that if they remain faithful, they will receive the crown of life.
Church Age: The Persecuted Church – AD 100-312
This church period saw much persecution from the pagan government. The ‘ten days’ of persecution may refer to the ten persecutions of ten of the Roman emperors.
One of John’s converts, Polycarp, served as pastor in Smyrna until his martyrdom in 155 AD. When told to turn from Christ or die, Polycarp responded, “For 86 years I have served Him and He has done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King who saved me? I am a Christian!”