Smyrna: The Persecuted Church

SMYRNA: THE PERSECUTED CHURCH Spring Valley Mennonite; September 30, 2018; Revelation 2:8-11 From a Radio Bible Class publication comes the following story. “After the shock of being told he had leukemia and then undergoing a week of treatments, 15-year-old Douglas Maurer sank into a deep depression. When one of his aunts ordered flowers for him, she asked the young florist to make the display especially nice. ‘It’s for my teenage nephew who has leukemia,’ she told the clerk over the phone. When the flowers arrived in Douglas’ hospital room, he found a handwritten card in the basket: Douglas, I took your order. I work at Brix Florist. I had leukemia when I was 7 years old. I’m 22 years old now. Good luck. My heart goes out to you. Sincerely, Laura Bradley. Writing about this incident, columnist Bob Greene said, ‘Douglas Maurer was in a hospital filled with millions of dollars of the most sophisticated equipment. He was being treated by expert doctors and nurses with medical training totaling in the hundreds of years. But it was a salesclerk in a flower shop, a woman making (a small wage per week), who—by taking the time to care—gave Douglas hope and the will to carry on.’ Why? Because she had faced the same situation he was facing and had overcome.”1 The second church addressed by the Lord Jesus in Revelation 2 was in Smyrna. The Church at Smyrna was facing an uncertain future because of increasing persecution. Into this situation, the Lord Jesus sends an encouraging word. When He tells the church to “not be afraid of what you are about to suffer”, He speaks as One who had been there. Hebrews 12:2-3 describes Jesus’ attitude as He faced the cross: “…Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” I. SMYRNA AND ITS HISTORY Smyrna is the modern-day Turkish city of Izmir, the third largest city in Turkey, with a present day population of over 3 million people. It is a seaport at the mouth of the Hermes river, about 35 miles north of Ephesus. Although not mentioned in the book of Acts, the church there is thought to have planted by Paul during his 2-year ministry at Ephesus. Smyrna was the site of a temple to Roma, the patron goddess of Rome. In 26 A.D. Smyrna received the exalted privilege of being the site of an imposing temple in honor of Emperor Tiberias, thus solidifying its position as a center for Emperor worship. When John received the Revelation, the Emperor Domitian had made Emperor worship compulsory for every Roman citizen upon penalty of death, and although sporadically enforced across the Empire, in Smyrna it was an everyday reality. The church at Smyrna was experiencing persecution with the promise that it was only going to get worse. History records that this is exactly what happened. The most well-known example of this was the burning at the stake of Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna about 55 years later. Polycarp was a disciple of John, arrested for refusing to sacrifice to Caesar when he was far advanced in years. Because he was well-respected for good works in Smyrna, the authorities begged him to renounce Christ and escape execution. Polycarp’s famous reply was, “For 86 years I have served Christ, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my king and my Savior?” With that bit of background, we shall turn our attention to the encouraging words of the Lord Jesus to the church at Smyrna. Read v. 8. II. THE SENDER OF THE MESSAGE “The First and the Last, who died and came to life again”: How better to identify with a church which was suffering, and which was facing death because of the law regarding Emperor worship? The resurrected Lord, who suffered and died and came back to life, by His example promises strength and comfort to those who suffer. Believers in Jesus Christ need never fear death, whatever its source. We are blessed to live in a time and place where persecution for our faith is limited. A professor of New Testament studies once said that if we live in a time of peace and protection with free exercise of our Christian beliefs, we should do three things: (1) Thank God for it; (2) Accept it as being abnormal for followers of Christ; (3) Make the most of our present opportunities, using each day to memorize Scripture and spiritually prepare for the time when we may face persecution for our Christian faith.2 Look at verse 9 (read). III. THE ALL-KNOWING LORD “I know your tribulation”. What reassuring words to those who are suffering! Nothing escapes the notice of our omnipotent, omnipresent Lord. When going through severe trials and suffering, isn’t the question we ask, “Where is the Lord? Why is this happening? Could not the Lord have prevented this?” Here is a partial answer: The Lord knows. He knows our trials, our suffering, our challenges in life, and nothing escapes His notice. And we can be assured that He is right there to give us strength, perseverance and perspective. We so often forget that we are in a cosmic battle that cannot be avoided. Jesus prepares us with the words, “Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of me. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great…” (Matthew 5:11-12). “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘a slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you…” (John 15:18, 20). These words are as applicable today as they were when Jesus spoke them. The church in Smyrna was beginning to experience this. But they were comforted by the reassurance that Jesus knew their trials. He who knows when a sparrow falls certainly knows what is happening to us. The Lord Jesus also knew of their poverty. This church was likely made up of slaves and former slaves who had few resources. Have you ever heard of this take on the golden rule: “He who has the gold makes the rules?” So it is almost everywhere: wealth means power. This church had no financial clout, little prestige in the eyes of men. They were an easy target for those who were in power in the city. They may have been impoverished through the confiscation of their possessions by their persecutors. This has happened often in the history of the church. Even in our country, there are those who seek to close down Christian businesses that refuse to participate in homosexual weddings. And liberal courts support such lawsuits. Yet, look at God’s perspective: they were rich in the things which really matter! If you have had the opportunity to travel in other countries among believers, so often these churches and believers are of very humble means. I remember visiting a family in Northeastern Brazil. Their humble home had two rooms, little furniture, and the cooking area was a raised platform on which a fire could be built. The windows were openings in the adobe walls. We were welcomed warmly and offered coffee, and no doubt they would have made a meal for us if it was mealtime. But they loved the Lord and were excited about talking about Him. They were poor in goods, but rich in faith. We all know that having possessions does not bring happiness. Much of the opposition in Smyrna came from the Jewish residents of the city. There should have been sympathy from Jews for they would have been targets of those who enforced the requirement to worship the Emperor—unless they had compromised their beliefs and conformed to the culture. It is reported that when Polycarp was being burned at the stake, the Jews were gleefully participating in providing the wood for the fire. Years back there was an editor of the Biblical Archeology Review that was subjected to great ridicule and dismissed from his position, if memory serves me right. His offense? He dared to say that the Jews needed to believe in Jesus in order to go to heaven! In a publication dedicated to proving that the Bible is true because of archeological findings, one could not hold a personal belief that Jesus is the Messiah of Jew and Gentile alike and keep his job. Jesus’ prophesy that those who opposed Him would oppose His followers continues to be fulfilled to this day. Jesus even declares that they are a “synagogue of Satan”! This recalls the Lord’s words to the Pharisees when He said, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is not truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” There were many lies spread about the Christians: they were called “atheists” for they did not believe in the pantheon of Roman gods. They were accused of cannibalism, not understanding the communion ritual of partaking of the body and blood of Christ in a symbolic way. Presumably many of these lies were spread by the Jews. A word of explanation of the phrase “they say they are Jews but are not”: The Jews claimed to be physical descendants of Abraham, but Jesus pointed out that they were not doing the deeds of Abraham, for they opposed Him. Paul clarifies that point in Romans 2:28: “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is circumcism that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.” By opposing Christ, the individual Jew forfeited the right to be counted among the righteous. Although the Jews as a people have been sidelined during the present Church Age, we will find that God will again begin to work with and through the Jews during the Tribulation Period. IV. THE BLESSING OF “HANGING IN THERE” When faced with the threat of persecution, we have some choices: we can live in fear and dread and try to keep a low profile to avoid attention; we can compromise and renounce Christ; or we can take advantage of the opportunity to be a strong witness for Christ through our perseverance in the trials. The Christians in Smyrna chose the latter opportunity. When Pagans faced execution they came cringing, begging, pleading and crying for mercy. But history records that when Christians came to the place of martyrdom, they came singing and praising God! They came as the victor, not a victim. As the world observed their willingness to die for their faith, many turned to Christ. Thus, the more Christians were persecuted, the more Christianity spread. One early church father said, “The blood of the martyr is the seed of the church.” It is instructive that the word “Smyrna” comes from an ancient Greek word for Myrrh. Myrrh is a sap-like resin that comes out of cuts in the bark of the small bush-like myrrh shrub. The sap is allowed to dry and resembles tears along the trunk of the tree. It is then crushed into powder and burned or mixed with oil, its sweet fragrance released. Traditionally, myrrh has been used in embalming, and the fragrance of myrrh has traditionally been regarded as a symbol of suffering, often burned at funerals. The gift of myrrh by the Maji, while precious in itself, suggests the death of Christ. The Lord Jesus warned the church that the persecutions would continue, with the words of verse 10 (READ). It has been observed that in the two centuries of Roman opposition to the church there were 10 separate edicts demanding that the governors of the provinces seek out Christians to put them to death. The last edict was issued by Emperor Diocletian, the 10th persecutor. The early Christians believed he would be the last, and he was. Harry Ironside remarks, “When God’s people were being crushed like myrrh, what a sweet odor of devotion, what fragrance of Christian love was wafted up to the very throne of God!”3 The encouraging word to the church is that though Satanically backed persecution will come, it will come to an end. It will be allowed for a while, but not forever. There continues to be persecution and martyrdom today in various countries, and widespread and severe opposition exists. But Christians can anticipate a day when Christ will rule and opposition to the truth will end. In all ages, Christians are to endure and persevere, realizing there is a great reward for those who suffer. It is very important to see that in this letter the Lord Jesus gives no words of criticism. This is because persecution and suffering have a purifying effect on the church. Those who are not true believers do not stick around when persecution begins. The church actually prospers under opposition and persecution! The church in China is a prime example of this principle. It is in times of prosperity and peace that the church grows complacent and self-satisfied. This purifying effect, both personally and corporately, is one beneficial benefit of persecution. There is also a crown of life which will be given to those faithful unto death. What a paradox! Those who sacrifice their life and die will be given life! In a sense, all believers who are faithful will be given eternal life. But I think there is something more here for those who have yielded their life to Christ, who are willing to die for Him if required: When I give myself wholly in love to Christ, willing to die for Him, then comes that abundant life Jesus promised: “I come that they might have life, and that life more abundantly.” The overflowing life comes when we give everything to Christ—including the right to physically live. What peace and freedom come from fully being that living sacrifice, that acceptable service offered freely to Christ! The last verse in our study is verse 11 (Read). There is a death we all face, as we were reminded of this week with the homegoing of Leroy Bitikofer. Physical death to our bodies is inevitable. But there is also a second death, an eternal death which is the fate of everyone who chooses to eternally pay for their own sins in hell. This second death is never to be feared by those who have given their lives to Jesus. As believers in Jesus Christ, we need not fear death. God gives grace when the time comes, especially when death comes through martyrdom. May we remain faithful. May we hear these words and from them draw confidence: what can man do to us? The most they can take from us is our life, and to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord; and that is very much better.