Letters to the Churches: Smyrna

Today I would like to discuss the letter John wrote to the second church at Smyrna.

⁸ “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
   These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. ⁹ I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰ 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. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
   ¹¹ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.


First let me give you a background on Smyrna. It was a prosperous city, known for its great beauty, located about forty miles from Ephesus. The city had a large marketplace, which made it an important center of trade. There were many temples to the Roman gods located in the city, the main deity was Dionysus god of the harvest and later god of wine. Politically, Smyrna was very important to Rome, and were given many honors. Caesar worship was mandatory, citizens had to burn incense to Caesar and declare him lord every year. Many Christians in Smyrna refused to do so, like Polycarp who was burned at the stake. Smyrna also had a large Jewish population that would inform on the Christians.


Once more, John opens the letter with a greeting from Jesus. He commends the church for standing firm in their faith, even through persecution. Jesus tells the church that He knows that they are poor, their belongings could have been taken from them through their persecution; but they are rich in the things that matter, spiritually. He then encourages them to continue to stand firm in their faith, even if they die for it. They will be the ultimate victors, and will have a crown of eternal life.