To the Church in Smyrna
“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. 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. 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.
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.”
Revelation 2:8-11
My job this week is to introduce you to Smyrna. Smyrna was just up the road from Ephesus, in Turkey. Today, Smyrna sits underneath the booming metropolis of Izmir, 4,000,000 people strong. Of the seven cities, it was the next as John’s letter moved from one city to its neighboring church up the road, from one pastoral leader (angel means messenger) to the leader of the next church. Our version would be Alex.
Smyrna was the second largest city in Turkey, right behind Ephesus, and only 40 miles away. It was large enough to have a 20,000 seat amphitheater. What is most significant for us is that Smyrna was fully committed to Emperor worship, (the city, not the church). It was required. I titled this post “not so Sooper” to emphasize just what this meant to the church. Rome required that citizens turn over their sovereignty to the Roman emperor, swearing their allegiance. You had to have your Emperor Soopers Card to shop for anything. Without that, you would not only be unable to shop, or see a doctor, but avail yourself of any of the other services that most took for granted. It was a tenuous, hand to mouth existence. But the saints in Smyrna were willing to make that sacrifice to put Jesus first.
The name Smyrna is a play on words from its primary export, myrrh. Myrrh was a gummy resin that was extracted from a prickly tree. Myrrh resin has been used throughout history in medicine, perfumery, and incense. Myrrh mixed with posca (wine) was widely used in many ancient cultures to produce pleasurable feelings and as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic. The irony here is that to use myrrh, it had to be crushed. The more it was crushed, the more fragrant it became. And this was a church that was being crushed. Satan was trying to put them under, and this was their response.
For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God. 2 Corinthians 2:15-17
The Church in Smyrna had a choice to make, and they made the right one. They were paying for it, but it was a price they were willing to pay. As Christians in a fallen world, we may be asked to pay a price as well.
Compromise or Commitment, that was the Smyrnaean Question.
by Bruce Hanson
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