The letters to the seven churches share a similar structure. They each feature
· An address to a particular congregation
· An introduction of Jesus
· A statement regarding the condition of the church
· A verdict from Jesus regarding the condition of the church
· A command from Jesus to the church
· A general exhortation to all Christians
· A promise of reward
We can see the state of each of these seven churches - and the state of our own walk with the Jesus - by looking at what Jesus has to say to each church in each section.
A. Jesus’ letter to the church at Ephesus.
1. (1a) The character of the city of Ephesus.
“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,”
a. To the angel: As discussed under Revelation 1:20, this angel may be the pastor of the church at Ephesus, or an angelic being “looking in” on the workings of the church at Ephesus. In some way, this angel represents this church. But the letter isn’t written just to the representative, but to the whole church.
i. “I consider what is spoken to this angel as spoken to the whole Church; and that it is not his particular state that is described, but the states of the people in general under his care.” (Clarke)
b. Ephesus was a famous city in the ancient world, with an equally famous church. Ephesus was the city where Paul ministered for three years (Acts 19:1, Acts 10, Acts 20:31). It was the city where Aquilla and Priscilla, with Apollos ministered (Acts 18:24-28). It was the city where Paul’s close associate Timothy (1 Timothy 1:3) ministered. And according to strong and consistent church historical traditions, the Apostle John himself ministered there.
i. “Surely it was a place of great privilege, of great preaching.” (Robertson)
c. Ephesus was also world-famous as a religious, cultural, and economic center of the region. Ephesus had the notable temple of Diana, who was a fertility goddess worshipped with immoral sex. This tremendous temple to Diana in Ephesus was regarded as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It was supported by 127 pillars, each pillar sixty feet tall, and it was adorned with great sculptures.
i. “The Temple of Artemis was also a major treasury and bank of the ancient world, where merchants, kings, and even cities made deposits, and where their money could be kept safe under the protection of deity.” (Longenecker in his commentary on Acts)
ii. “Ephesus was a stronghold of Satan. Here many evil things both superstitious and satanic were practised. Books containing formula for sorcery and other ungodly and forbidden arts were plentiful in that city.” (Gaebelein in his commentary on Acts)
2. (1b) Jesus describes Himself to the church at Ephesus.
‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who
walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:
a. He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: These images are taken from John’s vision of Jesus in Revelation 1. They emphasize the authority of Jesus in the Church (He holds the seven stars) and His immediate presence in the Church (He walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands). This introduction stresses that Jesus is central to the church, and should be recognized as central to the church.
b. Holds (the ancient Greek word kratein) is an emphatic and complete word. Jesus has these churches, and holds them securely. The churches belong to Jesus, not the leaders of the churches or to the people of the churches. He holds them.
3. (2-3) What Jesus knows about the Christians of Ephesus.
I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.
a. I know your works: Jesus looks at His church, and He knows what is going on. It is no mystery to Him. There may be sin or corruption hidden in a congregation, but it isn’t hidden to Jesus. He would say the same thing to us today, both as individuals and as a congregation: I know your works.
i. “There are also working Christians who do not
approach to laboring; yet a lifetime of such work as theirs would not exhaust a
butterfly. Now, when a man works for
Christ he should work with all his might.” (Spurgeon)
b. Your works, your labor, your patience: Jesus knows what this church is doing right. They work hard for the Lord and they have godly endurance. Patience is the great ancient Greek word hupomone, which means “steadfast endurance.” In this sense, the church was rock-solid.
c. You cannot bear those who are evil: The Ephesian church also pursued doctrinal purity. Paul warned the Ephesians in Acts 20:29-31: For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. From this commendation of Jesus, we know that the Ephesians took Paul’s warning seriously.
i. The church today, like the Ephesian church then, must vigorously test those who claim to be messengers from God - especially those who say they are apostles, because deceivers will speak well of themselves. The greater the evil, the more deceptive its cloak.
d. You have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary: Also, the Ephesian church continued doing these things, without becoming weary. They showed a godly perseverance that we should imitate. By all outward appearances, this was a solid church that worked hard, had great outreach, and protected the integrity of the gospel.
4. (4) What Jesus has against the church at Ephesus.
Nevertheless I have this against
you, that you have left your first love.
a. Nevertheless I have this against you: Jesus begins with a sobering word - nevertheless, which means “despite all that.” Jesus took into full account all the good in the Ephesian church, yet despite all that, He had something against them.
i. Nevertheless means that all the good in the Ephesian church did not cancel out the bad Jesus is about to describe.
b. You have left your first love: Despite all the good in the Ephesian church, there is something seriously wrong. They have left - not lost - their first love. They once had a love that they don’t have anymore. This can be described as “a definite and sad departure.” (Robertson)
i. The distinction between leaving and losing is important. Something can be lost quite by accident, but leaving is a deliberate act, though it may not happen suddenly. As well, when we lose something we don’t know where to find it, but when we leave something, we know where to find it
ii. Though they had left their first love, everything looked great on the outside. If you would have attended a service of the church at Ephesus, you might have thought, “This is a happening church. They are doing so much, and they really guard the truth.” At the same time, you might have had a vague, uneasy feeling - yet it would probably be hard to pin down. It wasn’t hard for Jesus to see the problem, even though everything probably looked wonderful on the outside.
iii. The problem was serious. Without love, all is vain. No wonder Jesus said “nevertheless I have this against you.” “A church has no reason for being a church when she has no love within her heart, or when that love grows cold. Lose love, lose all.” (Spurgeon)
c. Left your first love: What love did they leave? As Christians, we are told to love God and to love one another. Did they leave their love for God? Did they leave their love for one another? Probably both are in mind, because the two loves go together. You can’t say you love God and not love His family, and you can’t really love His family without loving Him first.
i. The Ephesian church was a working church. Sometimes a focus on working for Jesus will eclipse a love relationship with Him. We can put what we do for Jesus before of who we are in Him. We can leave Jesus in the temple, just as the parents of Jesus did (Luke 2:45-46).
ii. The Ephesians church was a doctrinally pure church. Sometimes a focus on doctrinal purity will make a congregation cold, suspicious, and intolerant of diversity. “When love dies orthodox doctrine becomes a corpse, a powerless formalism. Adhesion to the truth sours into bigotry when the sweetness and light of love to Jesus depart.” (Spurgeon)
d. First love: There is a definite, sure difference in their relationship with Jesus. Things aren’t as they used to be. It isn’t that we expect that we should have the exact same excitement we had when everything was brand new in the Christian life. But the newness should transition into a depth that makes the first love even stronger.
i. A couple that has been married for a long time doesn’t always have the same thrill of excitement they had when they first dated. That is to be expected, and is fine - if that excitement has matured into a depth of love that makes it even better than the first love.
ii. But there is nothing wrong with that initial excitement, or wanting it to remain or be restored. “When we were in our first love, what would we do for Christ; now how little will we do. Some of the actions which we performed when we were young Christians, but just converted, when we look back upon them, seem to have been wild and like idle tales.” (Spurgeon)
5. (5-6) What Jesus wants the church at Ephesus to do.
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place; unless you repent. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
a. Remember therefore from where you have fallen: The first step in restoration for the Ephesian church is for them to remember. They need to remember from where you have fallen. This means remembering where they used to be in their love for the Lord and for one another.
i. When the Prodigal Son was in the pigpen, the first step in restoration was remembering what life was like back in his father’s home (Luke 16:17-19). This is always the first step in getting back to where we should be with the Lord.
b. Repent: This is not a command to feel sorry, or really to feel anything. It means to change your direction, to go a different way. It is an “urgent appeal for instant change of attitude and conduct, before it is too late.” (Robertson)
c. Do the first works: This means that they must go back to the basics, to the very first things they did when you first fell in love with Jesus. These are the things that we never grow beyond.
i. What are the first works?
· Remember how you used to spend time in His Word?
· Remember how you used to pray?
· Remember the joy in getting together with other Christians?
· Remember how excited you were about telling others about Jesus?
ii. We might say that Satan has done a masterful job in creating a sense of general dissatisfaction with these first works. Christians will run after almost every new, strange “method” or “program” for growth and stability. Our shortened attention spans make us easily “bored” with the truest excitement. Sometimes we will do almost anything except the first works.
d. Or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place: Jesus gives them a stern warning. Unless they repent, He will remove their light and His presence. When their lampstand is removed, they may continue as an organization, but no longer as a true church of Jesus Christ. It will be the church of Ichabod, where the glory has departed (1 Samuel 4:21).
i. Apparently, at least in the short term, the Ephesians heeded this warning. In the early second century (not too long after John wrote), Ignatius praised the love and the doctrinal purity of the Ephesians. “You, who are of the most holy Church of the Ephesians, which is so famous and celebrated throughout the world . . . you, being full of the Holy Spirit, do nothing according to the flesh, but all things according to the Spirit. You are complete in Christ Jesus.” (Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians, Chapter 8. From the Ante Nicean Fathers Volume 1, page 52)
ii. From what Ignatius wrote, it seems that the Ephesians returned to their first love without compromising doctrinal purity. That isn’t always an easy balance to keep, but the Ephesians apparently kept it, at least for a time.
e. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate: Jesus - probably so the Ephesians would not be overly discouraged - gives this church another commendation here. They are complimented because they hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans. But who are the Nicolaitans and what were their deeds? The doctrine of the Nicolaitans is also condemned in Revelation 2:15, and in that passage is related to immorality and idolatry.
i. Irenaeus (writing in the late second century) described what he knew of the Nicolaitans: “The Nicolaitanes are the followers of that Nicolas who was one of the seven first ordained to the diaconate by the apostles. They lead lives of unrestrained indulgence. The character of these men is plainly pointed out in the Apocalypse of John, as teaching that it is a matter of indifference to practice adultery, and to eat things sacrifice to idols.” (Against Heresies, book 1, chapter 26. From the Ante Nicean Fathers Volume 1, page 352)
ii. Hippolytus, a student of Irenaeus (writing in the early third century) associated the Nicolaitans with the Gnostics: “There are, however, among the Gnostics diversities of opinion . . . But Nicolaus has been a cause of the wide-spread combination of these wicked men. [He] departed from correct doctrine, and was in the habit of inculcating indifferency of both life and food.” (Refutation of all Heresies, book 7, chapter 24; ANF volume 5, page 115)
iii. Others have emphasized the root meanings of the words that make up the name Nicolaitans. Nikao-laos means literally “to conquer the people.” Based on this, some point to presumptuous claims of apostolic authority and to the heart that sets up hierarchies and separates the “clergy” from the “laity.” Perhaps the Nicolaitans fulfilled all these aspects, being both an idolatrous immorality and a presumptuous, hierarchical, “hidden mysteries” system typical of Gnosticism.
iv. The Nicolaitans, like all deceivers which come from the body of Christ, claimed “not that they were destroying Christianity, but that they were presenting an improved and modernized version of it.” (Barclay)
f. Which I also hate: These are powerful words, in that they come from our Savior who is so rich in love. Whoever exactly the Nicolaitans were, and whatever exactly they did and taught, we learn something from Jesus’ opinion of the. We learn that the God of love hates sin, and wants His people to also hate sin.
6. (7a) A general exhortation to all whom will hear.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
a. He who has an ear: This qualifies everyone - or at least everyone who will listen. This letter was not only written to the church at Ephesus in the Apostle John’s day. It is written to us, and to all Christians throughout the centuries.
b. Let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: Each one of these seven letters apply to all churches. We must hear what the Spirit says to the churches - not just to one church. These letters - each of them - were meant to speak to you, if you will only have an ear to hear what the Spirit says.
i. “There were not seven books written, but one book in which these seven epistles were, out of which each church, or the church in it several periods, might learn what concerned it.” (Poole)
ii. “The churches of the land are sprinkled all over with bald-headed old sinners whose hair has been worn off by the constant friction of countless sermons that have been aimed at them and glanced off and hit the man in the pew behind.” (H.W. Beecher)
7. (7b) The promise of a reward.
To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is
in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’
a. To him who overcomes: Jesus makes this promise to him who overcomes - but what does this overcomer overcome? We usually think of overcoming in dramatic terms of overcoming sin and in spiritual warfare, but here Jesus seems to be speaking of the overcoming of the coldness of their hearts and lack of love marked by the leaving of their first love.
b. I will give to eat from the tree of life: The promise for these overcomers is a return to Eden, a restoration, and eternal life. This is meant first in the eternal sense of making it to heaven, which was no small promise to a church that was threatened with the removal of Jesus’ presence. It is also meant in the sense of seeing the effects of the curse rolled back in our own lives though walking in Jesus’ redeeming love.
c. In the midst of the Paradise of God: Originally, the word Paradise meant “a garden of delight.” Eventually, it came to mean “the place where God lives.” Where God is, that is Paradise!
B. Jesus’ letter to the church at Smyrna.
1. (8a) The character of the city of Smyrna.
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write,”
a. Smyrna was a large, beautiful, and proud city. It was a center of learning and culture, and was proud of its standing as a city. “Smyrna was an outstandingly beautiful city. It claimed to be the ‘Glory of Asia.’” (Barclay)
b. Smyrna was a rich city. “Smyrna was a great trade city . . . Smyrna stood at the end of the road which served the valley of the river Hermus, and all the trade of that valley flowed into its markets and found an outlet through its harbor. It had a specially rich trade in wines. Smyrna, like Ephesus, was a city of wealth and commercial greatness.” (Barclay)
c. We also know from history that it was a city deeply committed to idolatry and the worship of the Roman Emperor. On one famous street in Smyrna, called the “Golden Street,” stood magnificent temples to Cybele, Apollo, Asklepios, Aphrodite, and a great temple to Zeus. But the worship of those pagan gods was dying out. The real focus was on the worship of the Roman Emperor.
i. In 196 b.c. Smyrna built the first temple to Dea Roma - the goddess of Rome, the spiritual symbol of the Roman Empire. Once the “spirit” of Rome was worshipped, it wasn’t much of a step to worship the dead Emperors of Rome. Then it was only another small step to worship the living Emperors, and then to demand such worship as a evidence of political allegiance and civic pride.
ii. In 23 a.d. Smyrna won the privilege (over 11 other cities) to build the first temple to worship the Emperor Tiberius Caesar. Smyrna was a leading city in the Roman cult of Emperor worship.
iii. The Roman Emperor Domitian (81-96 a.d.) was the first to demand worship under the title “Lord” from the people of the Roman Empire as a test of political loyalty. According to ancient church history, under the reign of Domitian that John was banished to the Island of Patmos where he received this vision.
iv. “Emperor worship had begin as spontaneous demonstration of gratitude to Rome; but toward the end of the first century, in the days of Domitian, the final step was taken and Caesar worship became compulsory. Once a year the Roman citizen must burn a pinch of incense on the altar to the godhead of Caesar; and having done so, he was given a certificate to guarantee that he had performed his religious duty.” (Barclay)
v. “All that the Christians had to do was to burn that pinch of incense, say, ‘Caesar is Lord,’ receive their certificate, and go away and worship as they pleased. But that is precisely what the Christians would not do. They would give no man the name of Lord; that name they would keep for Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone. They would not even formally conform.” (Barclay)
2. (8b) Jesus describes Himself to the church at Smyrna.
These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:
a. The First and the Last: Jesus chose this title from His initial appearance to John (Revelation 1:11, 1:17) to speak of His eternal character. The First and the Last are titles that belong only to the Lord, Yahweh, according to Isaiah 41:4, 44:6, and 48:12.
b. Who was dead, and came to life: Jesus chose this title from His initial appearance to John (Revelation 1:18) to remind the Christians in Smyrna that they serve the risen Lord, victorious over death. Death could not hold Jesus, and it cannot hold His people.
i. The association with death - and the ultimate victory of resurrection - is throughout this letter. The name Smyrna comes from the word myrrh, a sweet-smelling perfume used in embalming dead bodies.
3. (9) What Jesus knows about the Christians in Smyrna.
“I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say
they are Jews and are not, but are a
synagogue of Satan.”
a. I know your works: Jesus knew the works of the church in Ephesus also (Revelation 2:2). In Smyrna, Jesus also knew their works, tribulation, and poverty. He knows these hardships both in the sense that He saw what happened to them, and in the sense that He knew their hardships by His personal experience.
i. Poverty: According to history, Smyrna was a prosperous city. Yet the Christians there were poor. “The word used for ‘poverty’ is the word for abject poverty. They were not just poor.” (Walvoord)
ii. The Christians of Smyrna knew poverty because they were robbed and fired from jobs in persecution for the gospel. Early Christians joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven (Hebrews 10:34). This kind of economic persecution was one important reason why Christians were poor in Smyrna. Even today, this is a common form of persecution against Christians.
b. I know the blasphemy: Jesus knew the abuse these Christians endured at the hands of “religious” men, those who say they are Jews and are not.
i. Historically, we are told there was a large and hostile community of Jews in Smyrna. But this tells us that a true Jew is one who trusts God and believes in Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:3). Others may be Jews ethnically - which still has its place before God - but they are not Jews spiritually before God.
c. I know . . . I know: In midst of this kind of affliction, it is easy to think God has forgotten. But Jesus knows.
4. (9) What Jesus thinks about the church in Smyrna.
But you are rich.
a. Rich: Every outward circumstance said that the Christians in Smyrna were poor, even destitute. But Jesus saw through the circumstances to see that they are really rich. “Sweet smelling Smyrna, the poorest but purest of the seven.” (Trapp)
b. Rich is what Jesus thought of them, and if Jesus considered them rich, then they were rich. Our estimation of ourselves is far less important than God’s estimation of us.
i. In contrast, the Christians at Laodicea thought they were rich, but they were really poor (Revelation 3:17). Laodicea was a poor rich church. Smyrna was a rich poor church. Better to be a rich poor church than a poor rich church.
c. And poverty (but you are rich): The contrast between material poverty and spiritual riches of the Christians in Smyrna reminds us that there is nothing inherently spiritual in being rich. Although, there is also nothing inherently spiritual in poverty.
i. Material riches are an obstacle to the Kingdom of God, an obstacle that some do not overcome (Mark 10:23-25). There is nothing wrong with having money; the trouble is that money so easily “has” us.
ii. Often, material riches are acquired and maintained at the expense of true spiritual riches. In the glory days of the Renaissance Papacy, a man walked with the Pope and marveled at the splendors and riches of the Vatican. The Pope told him, “We no longer have to say what Peter told the lame man: ‘Silver and gold have I none.’” His companion replied, “But neither can you say, ‘rise up and walk.’”
c. The church at Smyrna was also rich in leadership. One of the pastors of that church was named Polycarp. He was one of the Apostle John’s disciples, and served at Smyrna until 155 a.d. when he died heroically as a martyr.
5. (10) What Jesus wants the Christians in Smyrna to do.
“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed,
the devil is about to throw some of
you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten
days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
a. Do not fear: Literally, this is better translated “stop being afraid.” The Christians in Smyrna suffered under persecution, and they were afraid. Sometimes we think that Christians who endure persecution are almost super-human, and we sometimes don’t appreciate the depths of fear they struggle with. There were things which they were about to suffer, and Jesus wanted them ready to stand against those things.
b. The devil is about to throw some of you into prison: Here, Jesus describes the nature of the persecution that would come against the Christians in Smyrna. Apparently, they would be imprisoned, and for a specific period of time (you will have tribulation ten days).
i. According to Jesus, the persecution about to come against the Christians of Smyrna was from the devil. At the same time, it was measure and limited by God. Surely, the devil wanted to imprison them for a longer time, but God limited the tribulation to ten days.
ii. Being thrown into prison was severe persecution. In that day, prison was never used to rehabilitate someone, and rarely used to punish someone. Normally, you were thrown into prison as you awaited trial and execution.
iii. “For a man to become a Christian anywhere was to become an outlaw. In Smyrna above all places, for a man to enter the Christian Church was literally to take his life in his hands. In Smyrna the church was a place for heroes.” (Barclay)
iv. “This ‘tribulation’ does not mean the common trials to which all flesh is heir. Some dear souls thing they are bearing their cross every time they have a headache. The tribulation mentioned here is trouble they would not have had if they had not been Christians.” (Havner)
c. You will have tribulation ten days: Commentators on the Book of Revelation have long debated the meaning of these ten days.
i. Some think that John really means ten years of persecution. “As the days in this book are what is commonly called prophetic days, each answering to a year, the ten years of tribulation may denote ten years of persecution; and this was precisely the duration of the persecution under Diocletian, during which all the Asiatic Churches were grievously afflicted.” (Clarke)
ii. Others think that John really means persecution over the reign of ten Roman Emperors. “The first under Nero, a.d. 54; the second under Domitian, a.d. 81; the third under Trajan, a.d. 98; the fourth under Adrian [Hadrian], a.d. 117; the fifth under Septimus Severus, a.d. 193; the sixth under Maximin, a.d. 235; the seventh under Decius, a.d. 249; the eighth under Valerian, a.d. 254; the ninth under Aurelian, a.d. 270; the tenth under Diocletian, a.d. 284.” (White, cited in Walvoord)
iii. Still others have taken stranger approaches: “Others observe, that in ten days are two hundred and forty hours, which make up the number of years from 85, when the second persecution began, (under which John at this time was) to 325, when all the persecutions ceased.” (Poole)
iv. Others say that ten days is simply an expression of speech: “The expression ten days is not to be taken literally; it is the normal Greek expression for a short time.” (Barclay)
v. However, there is no compelling reason to believe it means anything other than ten days of severe persecution, with an emphasis on the idea that it is a limited time.
d. That you may be tested: If this attack came from the devil, then why couldn’t these Christians in Smyrna just rebuke Satan, and stop the attack? Because God had a purpose in their suffering, and so He allowed it. God uses suffering to purify (1 Peter 1:6-7), to make us like Jesus (Romans 8:17), and to makes us truly witnesses of Him. In all ages, the blood of the martyrs has been seed for the church.
i. “The saints at Smyrna had not been given a pep-talk on ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People.’ They had no testimony on ‘How Faith Made Me Mayor of Smyrna.’ They were not promised deliverance from tribulation, poverty and reviling. In fact, the worst was yet to come.” (Havner)
ii. Most specifically in this case, God allowed this attack so that they may be tested, in the sense of being proven. Through their suffering, God would display the true riches of the church in Smyrna to everyone, including themselves - even though He knew they were rich already.
iii. The Christians in Smyrna would be tested, but they passed the test. This church, compared to the other six, has no evil spoken against it. Only this church among the seven survives today, and it has survived through centuries of Roman and Muslim persecution.
iv. That you may be tested: God is interested in testing us also. We may not have the same opportunity to suffer for Jesus that the Christians in Smyrna had, but we can have their same heart. We may never be in a place to die a martyr’s death, but we can all live a martyr’s life. But many Christians avoid persecution of any kind by conforming so much to the world that they are no longer distinctively Christians. This wasn’t the case with the Christians in Smyrna. They were tested and they passed the test.
e. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life: What Jesus says to this church is important, but what He doesn’t say is also important. Jesus doesn’t have a single word of rebuke or correction for the Christians in Smyrna. All He has is the promise of a crown - and the encouragement to be faithful until death, which is literally “become faithful until death.” (Walvoord)
i. There are two different words for crown in the ancient Greek language. One described the kind of crown a king would wear, a crown of royalty. The other kind of crown - the stephanos, used here - is given as a trophy to a winning athlete. Jesus looks at the Christians of Smyrna, and says to them: “You are My winners. You deserve a trophy.”
ii. The stephanos was also the crown worn at marriages and special celebrations. The picture is of Jesus and His bride, each wearing their crowns.
iii. The promise of a crown would be especially meaningful for the Christians of Smyrna.
· The city of Smyrna had a “crown” of beautiful buildings at the top of Mt. Pagos
· In Smyrna, worshippers of pagan gods wore crowns
· In that culture, good citizens and victorious athletes received crowns
iv. Jesus promises a special crown - the crown of life. A champion athlete received a crown of leaves, which would soon get brown and die. But Jesus’ champions receive the crown of life.
v. “A crown without cares, corivals, envy, end. Kings’ crowns are so weighty with cares, that oft they make their heads ache. Not so with this crown; the joys whereof are without measure or mixture.” (Trapp)
6. (11a) A general exhortation to all whom will hear.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
a. He who has an ear: Though the Spirit has something to say to us through every one of the churches, this letter to the Christians in Smyrna may apply least of all to modern, western Christians. To this point, we simply don’t face the kind of persecution the Christians in Smyrna experienced. Polycarp was a remarkable example of both the persecution and the courage of early Christians.
i. The year after Polycarp returned from Rome, a great persecution came upon the Christians of Smyrna. His congregation urged him to leave the city until the threat blew over. So, believing that God wanted him to be around a few more years, Polycarp left the city and hid out on a farm belonging to some Christian friends. One day on the farm, as he prayed in his room, Polycarp had a vision of his pillow engulfed in flames. He knew what God said to him, and calmly told his companions “I see that I must be burnt at the stake.”
ii. Meanwhile, the chief of police issued a warrant for his arrest. They seized one of Polycarp’s servants and tortured him until he told them where his master was. Towards evening, the police chief and a band of soldiers came to the old farmhouse. When the soldiers found him, they were embarrassed to see that they had come to arrest such an old, frail man. But they reluctantly put him on a donkey and walked him back to the city of Smyrna.
iii. On the way to the city, the police chief and other government officials tried to persuade Polycarp to offer a pinch of incense before a statue of Caesar and simply say “Caesar is Lord.” That’s all he had to do, and he would be off the hook. They pleaded with him to do it, and escape the dreadful penalties. At first Polycarp was silent, but then he calmly gave them his firm answer: no. The police chief was now angry. Annoyed with the old man, he pushed him out of his carriage and onto the hard ground. Polycarp, bruised but resolute, got up and walked the rest of the way to the arena.
iv. The horrid games at the arena had already begun in earnest. A large, bloodthirsty mob had gathered to see Christians tortured and killed. One Christian named Quintis had boldly proclaimed himself a follower of Jesus and said he was willing to be martyred. But when he saw the vicious animals in the arena, he lost courage and agreed to burn that pinch of incense to Caesar as Lord. But another young man named Germanicus didn’t back down. He marched out and faced the lions, and died an agonizing death for his Lord Jesus Christ. Ten other Christians gave their lives that day, but the mob was unsatisfied. They cried out, “Away with the atheists who do not worship our gods!” To them, Christians were atheists because they did not recognize the traditional gods of Rome and Greece. Finally, the crowd started chanting “Bring out Polycarp.”
v. When Polycarp brought his tired body into the arena, he and the other Christians heard a voice from heaven. It said, “Be strong, Polycarp, play the man.” As he stood before the proconsul, they tried one more time to get him to renounce Jesus. The proconsul told Polycarp to agree with the crowd and shout out “Away with the atheists!” Polycarp looked sternly at the bloodthirsty mob, waved his hand towards them and said, “Away with those atheists!” The proconsul persisted. “Take the oath and revile Christ and I’ll set you free!” Polycarp answered, “For eighty-six years I’ve served Jesus; how dare I now revile my King?” The proconsul finally gave up, and announced to the crowd the crime of the accused: “Polycarp has confessed that he is a Christian.”
vi. The crowd shouted, “let the lions loose.” But the animals had already been put away. The crowd then demanded that Polycarp be burnt. The old man remembered the dream about the burning pillow, and took courage in God. He said to his executioners, “It is well. I fear not the fire that burns for a season and after a while is quenched. Why do you delay? Come, do your will.”
v. They arranged a great pile of wood, and set up a pole in the middle. As they tied Polycarp to the pole, he prayed: “I thank You that You have graciously thought me worthy of this day and of this hour, that I may receive a portion in the number of the martyrs, in the cup of Your Christ.” After he prayed and gave thanks to God, they set the wood ablaze. A great wall of flame shot up to the sky, but it never touched Polycarp. God had set a hedge of protection between him and the fire. Seeing that he would not burn, the executioner, in a furious rage, stabbed the old man with a long spear. Immediately, streams of blood gushed from his body and seemed to extinguish the fire. When this happened, witnesses say they saw a dove fly up from the smoke into heaven. At the very same moment, a church leader in Rome named Iraenus, said he heard God say to him, “Polycarp is dead.” God called his servant home.
b. But the day of martyrs is definitely not past. All over the world, Christians face persecution, especially in Asia, Eastern Europe, and in the Muslim world. Some people estimate that more Christians have suffered for their faith and have been martyred in the 20th Century than in all previous centuries combined.
i. A May 1994 news item illustrates this: The gruesome martyrdom of a pastor in central India led to several hundred conversions to Christianity. A former Hindu who had changed his name to Paul James was murdered by a crowd of extremists as he spoke in a field prior to a Feb. 20 church service in the Phulabani district.
“Jesus, forgive them,” eyewitnesses said James called out as his assailants cut off his hands and legs, and severed his torso. The attackers also decapitated James, an outspoken believer who had planted 27 churches. The murder has drawn heavy media attention in the area, which is charged with Hindu-Muslim tensions. Some, but not all, of James’ assailants reportedly have been caught.
The attackers’ hatred and violence have left many Indians wanting to emulate the love shown by the victim, said K. Anand Paul, head of Gospel to the Unreached Millions. “The gospel is spreading because of persecution,” said Paul, who has been beaten seven times and kidnapped once by fanatical religious groups. “We are risking our lives to do this. People need to pray for us.” (National and International Religion Report, May 2, 1994)
7. (11b) The promise of a reward.
He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.
a. He who overcomes: This is a promise for overcomers. This promises is for those who overcome the threat of persecution, and the presence of persecution.
i. We might say that we overcome by our close association with Jesus, who is the ultimate overcomer. As Jesus said, In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)
b. Shall not be hurt by the second death: Those who overcome in Jesus will never be hurt by the second death. The second death is hell, the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14 and 21:8). Though Satan has threatened and attacked their life, Jesus promises His overcomers that death is conquered for them.
i. “The second death was a Jewish rabbinic expression for the total extinction of the utterly wicked.” (Barclay)
ii. “All men died, but all are not killed with death . . . Oh, it is a woeful thing to be killed with death.” (Trapp)
C. Jesus’ letter to the church at Pergamos.
1. (12a) The character of the city of Pergamos.
And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,
a. Pergamos was the political capital of the Roman Province of Asia the Less. When John wrote, Pergamos had been the capital city of the region for more than three hundred years. The city was a noted center for culture and education, having one of the great libraries of the ancient world, with more than 200,000 volumes.
b. Pergamos was also an extremely religious city. It had temples to the Greek and Roman gods Dionysus, Athena, Demeter, and Zeus. It also had three temples dedicated to the worship of the Roman Emperor.
i. Some 50 years before Smyrna won the honor of building the first temple to Tiberius, the city of Pergamos won the right to build the first temple to worship Caesar Augustus in the Roman province of Asia.
c. Pergamos was especially known as a center for the worship of the deity known as Asclepios. Represented by a serpent, Asclepios was the god of healing and knowledge. There was a medical school at his temple in Pergamos. Because of the famous temple to the Roman god of healing, sick and diseased people from all over the Roman Empire flocked to Pergamos for relief.
i. “Sufferers were allowed to spend the night in the darkness of the temple. In the temple there were tame snakes. In the night the sufferer might be touched by one of these tame and harmless snakes as it glided over the ground on which he lay. The touch of the snake was held to be the touch of the god himself, and the touch was held to bring health and healing.” (Barclay)
2. (12b) Jesus describes Himself to the church at Pergamos.
These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: