Part 6: To the Church in Smyrna

Covenant Presbyterian Church

Smyrna was a port city lying to the north of Ephesus on the Aegean Sea. Nothing is known of the founding of the church in Smyrna. Later, in the mid first century, her celebrated bishop, Polycarp was martyred for his faith. The letter to the Smyrna church follows the pattern of the other letters but with this exception: there is no criticism, no rebuke, and no call to repentance. For this church the Lord has unqualified praise. Verse 9 indicates that the Christians in Smyrna had suffered for their faith, experiencing financial deprivation for their commitment to Christ. This could have been the result of theft, extortion, or through the confiscation of property by the local government. It is likely that they were shut out of the commercial life of the city for refusing to give allegiance to the gods and Caesar. Faithful Christians couldn’t work in any trade associated with the temples and idolatry of the city, a substantial part of the economy. Many of the trade guilds required oaths a Christian could not swear. The Jewish members of the community were also hostile toward the Christians. So the Church of Smyrna suffered from social and economic marginalization at the very least. This sort of mistreatment and persecution would spread further throughout the empire into the second and third centuries. Like the others, the message to the church in Smyrna begins with an address to the angel of the church and an identification of the Lord drawn from the vision in chapter one. Specifically, Jesus reminds them that he is the one who “died and came to life.” As the resurrected Lord of life, Jesus has the resources to comfort and give courage to a church under persecution. Until Jesus returns, the church will live in times of tribulation. Ultimately, we in the comparatively peaceful West must reckon with this tribulation when it comes our way. For that we will need the same hope of those Christians in Smyrna and Pergamum. The movement from fearful to faithful only comes about when the heart is anchored to the One who died but was raised up and is alive forevermore.