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the Aegean Coast 35 miles north of Ephesus,
Smyrna had no competition for splendour. Ancient
coins described it as “first of Asia in beauty and
size.” Tribulation. Christ first comments on the
pressure applied to the church. It came from all
sides, but probably the most prominent source was
the government.
Smyrna epitomized sophistication. It boasted
of its stadium, library and the largest public
theatre in Asia. It even claimed to be the birthplace
of the epic poet Homer. Smyrna served as a centre for emperor
worship. In A.D.23, the city built the first temple in
honour of Tiberius. Later, mandatory emperor
worship was imposed, with the threat of death for
disobedience. Annually, every person was required
to burn incenses on the altar of Caesar.
Pagan religion dominated Smyrna's skyline.
Mount Pagus, topped by an acropolis known as “the
crown of Smyrna,” rose 500 feet above the harbour.
Around it curved a “Street of Gold.” Pagan shrines
rested at both ends. One was devoted to Cybele or
Sibylene Mother an Asian nature goddess; the other
to Zeus, the chief god of the chief pantheon.
Smyrna existed as a self-sufficient city whose
deities were thought to be the source of its success.
Much as Christianity upset the economic balance
in Ephesus (Acts 19:23-41), so the message of
Christ's lordship in Smyrna fostered violence
against the church.
That is why Christ introduces himself as “the
First and the Last, who died and came to life again.”
He reminds them of his deity by pointing to his self-
existent, eternal nature (see Isa 41:4; 44:6; 48:12-
16). Their plan was not for a fraudulent cause; they
were suffering for the only true living God.
Then Christ turns to His humanity. He
reminds them that He, too, suffered, even to death
by crucifixion. But He won over death and rose
again on the third day.
As Christ now writes to encourage, he writes
in the strength of his deity, the apparent weakness
of His death and the power of His resurrection.
Christ had made a way for saints at Smyrna to be
victorious, just as He had already been.
Commendation (2:9)
Only two churches received commendation
without condemnation: Smyrna and Philadelphia
(3:7-13). Suffering produced pure and pleasing
church to Christ. He commends them for enduring
tribulation, experiencing poverty and being subject
to blasphemy. How reassuring it must have been
when the church read “I know.”
But for the church, Christ was Lord, not
Caesar (Rom 10:9). While the government was
looking chiefly for political loyalty, not religious
devotion, to yield would compromise a Christian's
complete devotion to Christ. So the believers in
Smyrna refused and were persecuted.
Poverty. Christianity had its economic
implications. Undoubtedly it affected employment.
Many were disinherited by their families and
ostracised by the community. This poverty
contrasts with the church at Laodicea, which said,
“I am rich” (3:17), yet was condemned by Christ.
It's better to be poor and commended than
rich and condemned. Yet Christ told those in
Smyrna they were rich-not in the things of the world
system, like the Laodiceans, but in the things of
God (Js 2:5).
Paul told Timothy to instruct the Ephesians to
be rich in good deeds (1 Tim 6:18). And he reminded
the Corinthians that although Christ was rich, yet
for their sake, He became poor, so that through His
poverty they could become rich (2 Cor 8:9).
So Christ, who had less in this life than even
the animals and birds (Mt 8:20; Lk 9:58), refocuses
their attention on the eternal and spiritual. This
reminder must have brought to memory Christ's
teaching to “Store up for yourselves treasure in
heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and
where thieves do not break in and steal” (Mt 6:20).
Blasphemy. Next, Christ points to verbal
attacks from the religious establishment. The
accusers of Christians in Smyrna claimed to be
Jews, but Christ said they were not.
Though descended from Abraham, they were
not his heirs spiritually. As Paul wrote, “For not all
February 2020 | www.bymonline.org | Page 11