Jesus’ Letter To The Church In Smyrna: Persevere! Rev. 2:8-11

Jesus’ Letter To The Church In Smyrna: Persevere!

Revelation 2:8-11

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Main Idea: The Lord attends His church in Smyrna and sees their suffering and persecution and encourages them to persevere to the end and they will receive eternal life.

8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’

What was The city of Smyrna like?

Smyrna was situated some thirty-five miles north of Ephesus, and like that city was also a prosperous seaport town.

Its wealth and prosperity led it to contend with Ephesus for the honor of being the foremost city of Asia.

This naturally made Smyrna a seat of emperor worship, and in 26 b.c., when several cities of Asia were competing for the honor of building a temple to the Emperor Tiberius, Smyrna alone secured this privilege.

The second letter is addressed to the church in Smyrna (modern Izmir), the only one of the seven cities still in existence, although the small town of Bergama still stands on the plain below the acropolis of Pergamum.

In exports, Smyrna was second only to Ephesus

It claimed to be the birthplace of the great epic poet Homer.

But in Smyrna was a poverty-stricken church. Why?

The Suffering Church and the sovereign Lord - v.8

8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

The established church - From Ignatius’s letter to Smyrna (early second century a.d.) we learn that the church was already well organized, with a bishop (Polycarp), elders, and deacons.3

The church in peril: Caesar worship & Jewish slander was bringing physical poverty

The church at Smyrna was a persecuted church, so the letter comes from the sovereign One (“the First and the Last”; cf. discussion on 1:17), who died and came to life again.4

As he was victorious over death, so they, too, can face martyrdom knowing that faithfulness is rewarded with eternal life.

John Stott - The first mark of a true and living church is love and the second is suffering

The one is the natural consequence of the other because the willingness to suffer proves the genuineness of love.

The Reality of suffering - The nature of that suffering and then the promise to the faithful

Main Idea: The Lord attends His church in Smyrna and sees their suffering and persecution and encourages them to persevere to the end and they will receive eternal life.

The Reality of Suffering - v.9

9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

Affliction

There was tribulation: Thlipsis = pressure - always literal in classical Greek

There is pressure from work, worry, circumstances, opposition, antagonism & persecution

Under such pressure many collapse of both physical and mental strain

Those who don’t align with the beast are not permitted to buy and sell (Rev. 13:16-17), while those who side with Babylon enjoy the dazzling riches and luxuries of this world

16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.

Poverty

Though the city was wealthy many believers were poor to the point destitution

They were on the low end of the social scale

Yet their poverty was part of their affliction. Why?

Business dealing - Christian had a high ethic

Jews and Romans wouldn’t trade with them

Hard to find employment with those who hate you

Had home pillaged - Heb 10:34

34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.

Physical Poverty has often been part of the cost of Christian discipleship. (31)

Application: What has following Christ cost you physically?

Slander

9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

Not blasphemy but slander

The very thing Jews experienced before the holocaust they were doing to believers

In the 2nd Century After Polycarp refused to renounce his Christian faith and swear to Caesar, a mob consisting of both pagans and Jews “cried out with uncontrollable wrath and a loud shout, ‘This is the teacher of Asia, the father of the Christians, the destroyer of our gods, who teaches many neither to offer sacrifice nor to worship’ ” (12:2).

John 8:44 - lies and deception originate from the father of lies

44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Believers response - 1 Peter 2:23

23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

Why would John, who is a Jew say such things?

Why are these ethnic Jews not Jews?

Rom. 2:28–29

28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Phil. 3:3

3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—

We must conclude, then, that John makes a real distinction between literal Israel—the Jews—and spiritual Israel—the church.

The church does not replace Isreal.

The church is the fulfilment of what was promised to Abraham, Isaac & Jacob.

A synagogue of Satan.

As Christ was in the midst of the church gatherings, the devil was in the midst of the Jewish gathering

The Nature of Suffering

10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

It’s personally costly - v.10a

Prison, poverty & death

Affliction led to personal poverty

Family members were being imprisoned

Death was in their immediate future (Next week)

It’s often demonic - v.10b

The question: Is your faith genuine? Will they trust you (Job 1:6-12)

1 Peter 1:6-7 - The Devil seeks to destroy but God seeks to refine

6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

No matter the plans of the devil the Lord is the first & the Last.

He is Sov over the churches suffering

Putting God Sov & our suffering together

It’s divinely controlled - vv. 9-10

Our Lord is the risen Lord - Lord of the beginning of it -the end of it and all the middles of life

Spiritually rich - v. 9 (Faith & hope)

9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich)

Yet, even though the Smyrnan believers are impoverished physically, they are spiritually rich. Ps. 4:7

7 You have put more joy in my heart

than they have when their grain and wine abound.

8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep;

for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

James 2:5

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?

Known but not stopped

10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested

No promise of escape but a call to endure

Painful yet limited - v.10c

and for ten days you will have tribulation.

10 days is symbolic for a short period of time

Refer to Job

The suffering of the church is a present reality but our sov lord is in control working faith and biblical hope as he gives:

The Promise to the Faithful - vv. 10-11

10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer.

The two-fold command - v.10a

Do not fear

he encourages them, do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer, thus making clear that their suffering was both an inevitable and a natural result of their being followers of the Crucified One.

john 15:20-21 - The joy of being connected/identfied with Christ

20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

This doesn't remove the pain but it does provide the purpose

Do not be afraid to be marked as a Christ-follower and treated like they treated our Lord.

Be faithful unto death - v.10c

Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Polycarp was in all likelihood a member at Smyrna when this letter was written and may have been encouraged by its words. (32)

As we know from the letters of both Ignatius and Polycarp, these were not idle warnings for the Smyrnan believers.

Feb, 2 Ad 156 - Polycarp Bishop at the time

Didn't attempt to flee but fed his captors and asked for permission to pray for 2 hours

As they traveled to the city he was urged to recant; just sacrifice to the emperor who cares….!

He refused

On arrival, he was again encouraged due to his age to recant and swear allegiance to Caesar.

Polycarp's response: “ For 86 years I have served him, and he has never done me wrong; how can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” (33)

The proconsul threatened to throw him to the wild beast.

Polycarp, call them

Polycarp was taken to the stake to be burned but asked to not be tied to it. He would stand willingly

As both Romans and Jews piled the wood around him, He prayed, “ O Lord Almighty, the Father of your Beloved Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have come to know you… I thank you for counting me worthy this day and this hour of sharing the cup of Christ among the number of your martyrs.”

The fire was lit, but the wind blew the fire away from him prolonging his suffering. A soldier eventually ended his suffering with his sword

Do not fear, but be faithful - Polycarp understood that whatever following Christ cost you is worth it.

The eternal promise - v.10d-11

Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Eternal life - the cross of Christ provided for us life forever with Him

For eternal life is to know God thru knowing his Son.

The promise is there is a greater reality to knowing Christ. Greater than we can imagine.

The figure of the crown is not borrowed from royalty but from the festivity of athletic games.

Such contestants strove “to receive a perishable wreath [the same Greek word is used], but we an imperishable” (1 Cor. 9:25).

25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

So the Lord urges faithfulness on them, because the ultimate result of such faithfulness comes from him: I will give you life as your victor’s crown—thus reflecting the warfare imagery that permeates the whole of the Revelation.

And since Christ had identified himself as the one “who died and came to life again,” their “victor’s crown” was his to give!

The second death. The first death is the death of the body which all men, believers and unbelievers alike, must suffer. The second death is the eternal death.

Jesus himself had taught, “and do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28).

1 cor 15:50 - The promise is not merely no second death but the promise is a second resurrection

50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

55 “O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

So What?

Am I willing to live by faith not fear no matter the cost?

2 Peter 1:5-11 Because the living Lord has given you all you need

5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Make every effort - urgency - bring everything you have to bear

“Supplement” your faith = add to - Active imperative - How

Spiritual discipline & the ordinary means of grace

Gathering for weekly worship and biblical community is means of God’s grace you neglect at your own peril.

Neglecting communion, prayer and the spirutal disciplines are means of God’s grace whereby we persevere and even grow in times of suffering.

Faith and fear are opposites (some say Fear & courage are opposites but better is to know that faith banishes fear by bringing courage)

Faith banishes fear - Psalm 56:3-4

3 When I am afraid,

I put my trust in you.

4 In God, whose word I praise,

in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.

What can flesh do to me?

Faith brings faithfulness

Heb 11:24-26 - By Faith Moses said Jesus is better than comfort, better than playing it safe, better than living the Amercian dream and so he stepped into His calling by faith.

24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward