Church in Smyrna

7/28/2019 Church in Smyrna

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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 tothrow 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.‘ ESV



SMYRNA - (myrrh), a city of Asia Minor, situated on the AEgean Sea, 40 miles

north of Ephesus. Allusion is made to it in Rev 2:8-11. It was founded by Alexander

the Great, and was situated twenty shades (2 1/2 miles) from the city of the same

name, which after a long series of wars with the Lydians had been finally taken

and sacked by Halyattes. The ancient city was built by some piratical Greeks 1500

years before Christ. It seems not impossible that the message to the church in

Smyrna contains allusions to the ritual of the pagan mysteries which prevailed inthat city. In the time of Strabo the ruins of the old Smyrna still existed, and were

partially inhabited, but the new city was one of the most beautiful in all Asia. The

streets were laid out as near as might be at right angles. There was a large public

library there, and also a handsome building surrounded with porticos which

served as a museum. It was consecrated as a heroum to Homer, whom theSmyrnaeans claimed as a countryman. Olympian games were celebrated here,

and excited great interest. (Smyrna is still a large city of 180,000 to 200,000

inhabitants, of which a larger proportion are Franks than in any other town in

Turkey; 20,000 are Greeks, 9000 Jews, 8000 Armenians, 1000 Europeans, and the

rest are Moslems. — ED.) (from Smith's Bible Dictionary, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc.)


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/church-in-smyrna 7/21AGORA OF SMYRNA


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/church-in-smyrna 9/21CHURCH IN SMYRNA


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/church-in-smyrna 10/21AN OLD STREET


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/church-in-smyrna 11/21RUINS



And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: v8a

The words of the first and the last, who died and came

to life. v8b

Smyrna

The words of him….

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.

I know your tribulation and your povertyPretenders in the Church. What is their objective?

Synagogue of Satan?

Again, what attribute of JESUS is shown here?



No rebuke for this Church

Compare to the Church in Ephesus



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.

What suffering to fear?

Significance of ten days tribulation

The crown of life?

Ten day = 10 anti-Christian Roman emperors.

1.Nero

2.Domitian

3.Trajan

4. Marcus Aurelius

5. Septimius Severus

6. Maximinus the Thracian

7.Decius

8. Valerian

9. Diocletian and Galerius

10.Julian the Apostate



PERSECUTIONS & MARTYRDOM



POLYCARP

The martyrdom of Polycarp occurred, according to Eusebius (I. E. 4, 15), in the persecution under the

emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus; and is recorded in a letter of the Church at Smyrna to the

churches of Philomelium and other places, which is still extant, and of which Eusebius (ibid.) has given

the chief part. The persecution began: one Germanicus, an ancient man, was thrown to the wild beasts,

and several others, including some who were brought from Philadelphia, were put to death at Smyrna.Polycarp had at first intended to remain in the city and brave the danger of martyrdom; but the

entreaties of his flock led him to withdraw to a retreat in the adjacent country, where he passed his time

in prayer. Here, three days before his apprehension, he had a remarkable dream, which his anticipation

of his fate led him to interpret as an intimation that he should be burned alive — a foreboding but too

exactly verified by the event. Messengers having been sent to apprehend him, he withdrew to another

hiding-place; but his place of retreat was discovered by the confession of a child, who had been forced

by torture to make known where he was. Polycarp might still have escaped by leaving the place on the

approach of those sent to apprehend him; but he refused, saying, "The will of God be done." His

venerable figure and calm and courteous deportment commanded the respect of his captors; and a

prayer offered by him affected some of them with remorse for their share in his apprehension. The

officer into whose custody he was delivered, with the usual laxity of paganism, would have persuaded

him, apparently through pity, to offer divine honors and sacrifice to the emperor; but his steady refusal

changed their pity into anger, and they violently threw him down from the carriage in which they wereconveying him. On entering the amphitheatre where the proconsul, Stratius Quadratus, was, a voice

which the excited feelings of the old man and his companions led them to regard as from heaven,

exclaimed, "Be strong, O Polycarp! and quit you like a man." The proconsul was, like others, moved by

his appearance, and exhorted him to consider his advanced age, and comply with the requirements of

government: "Swear by the fortune of Caesar, recant, and cry 'Away with the godless (tou\$ a)qe/ou$).'

"Looking first round upon the heathen multitude, and then up to heaven, the old man sighed and said,

"Away with the godless."



The proconsul again urged him, "Swear by Caesar's fortune, and I will release thee. Revile Christ."

"Eighty and six years have I served him," was the reply, "and he never did me wrong: how then can I

revile my King and my Savior?" Threats of being thrown to wild beasts, and of being committed to the

flames, failed to move him; and his bold avowal that he was a Christian provoked the wrath of the

assembled multitude. 'This man," they shouted, "is the teacher of impiety, the father of the Christians,the man that does away with our gods (o( tw=n h(mete/rwn qe/wn kaqaire/th$); who teaches many not

to sacrifice to nor to worship the gods." They demanded that he should be thrown to wild beasts, and

when the Asiarch, Philip of Tralles, who presided over the games which were going on, evaded the

demand, on the plea that the combats with wild beasts were ended, they demanded that he should be

burned alive. The demand was complied with; and the populace, in their rage, soon collected from the

baths and workshops logs and fagots for the pile. The old man ungirded himself, laid aside his garments,

and took his place in the midst of the fuel; and when they would have secured him with nails to thestake, said, "Let me remain as I am; for he that has enabled me to brave the fire will so strengthen me

that, without your fastening me with nails, I shall, unmoved, endure its fierceness." After he had offered

a short but beautiful prayer the fire was kindled, but a high wind drove the flames on one side, so that

he was roasted rather than burned; and the executioner was ordered to dispatch him with a sword. On

his striking him with it, so great a quantity of blood flowed from the wound as to quench the flames,

which were, however, resuscitated, in order to consume his lifeless body. His ashes were collected by the pious care of the Christians of his flock, and deposited in a suitable place of interment.

(from McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia, Electronic Database. Copyright © 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006 by

Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)



11a He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the

churches.

What does this tells us concerning the message and the recipient?



11b The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.‘

What is the first death?

What is the second death?

How would you describe the character

of the Church in Smyrna?



DESIGN TALLY

CHURCH EPHESUS SMYRNA PERGAMUM THYATIRA SARDIS PHILADELPHIA LAODECIA

CHARACTER Apostolic Persecuted Compromising Medieval Denominational Missionary Apostate

NAME

TITLE OF JESUS

COMMENDATION

CONCERNS x

EXHORTATION PROMISE TO THE

OVERCOMER

POST SCRIPT "HE THAT HATH AN EAR, HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS TO THE CHURCHES"

PROMISE TO THE

OVERCOMER

Church in Smyrna

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