This is the shortest of the seven letters to the churches. Here Christ is saying, 'Don't be afraid of the things you might suffer'. The town of Smyrna was about 40 miles from Ephesus. We do not know who founded the church there, probably Paul. The conditions in the church are found in the words, tribulations, poverty, suffer, prison, tried, death. This was the price they paid for standing for Christ. To the members of this struggling church, Christ described himself as the first-he was there before all these troubles began. He called himself the last-he will be there after all these things are past. He had been dead-he knew what it was to die. He is alive again-he has conquered death so they need have no fear. It was the living, victorious Saviour who was writing to them. Christ said, 'I know your tribulations'. The word is used for the pressure between two stones that grind wheat into flour. Christ did not say he would take them out of suffering, but that he would keep them in it. This is still true today. Christ also said he knew how poor they were. Perhaps they had lost everything for the sake of Christ. But Christ also said they were rich in the things that really matter. The true riches of a church are spiritual riches. Men had been saying things against this church. This had come from the outside and no doubt was not true. The greatest danger is when people on the inside of the church begin to talk against each other. Then their fellowship is destroyed. Christ gave two wonderful promises to the church at Smyrna-a crown of life for faithfulness, and they would never be faced with the second death; which will really be separation from God forever. Isn't that great news? And those promises are still ours today. A QUESTION: Are we concerned about what men say or about what Christ says? |
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