Smyrna
“Myrrh”
Summary
An ancient and prosperous city of Asia Minor, seat of one of the seven churches addressed in Revelation, commended for faithfulness amid poverty and persecution with no rebuke recorded.
☩Historical Background
Smyrna was a prosperous seaport on the western coast of Asia Minor, at the head of a gulf reaching thirty miles inland. Originally settled by Asiatic peoples, it passed through Aeolian and Ionian Greek hands before being rebuilt by Lysimachus around 290 BC on a new site. The city became one of the most brilliant in Asia Minor, successfully rivaling Pergamum and Ephesus, with wide paved streets and impressive buildings including a theater seating 20,000. It claimed to be the birthplace of Homer and was renowned for its schools of science and medicine.
☩The Church at Smyrna
Christ addressed the Smyrnaean church as the one who 'was dead and came to life'—particularly meaningful for a city that had itself been destroyed and rebuilt. Despite material poverty, they were pronounced spiritually rich. They faced slander from those claiming to be Jews but constituting 'a synagogue of Satan,' indicating severe opposition from the local Jewish community. The church received encouragement rather than rebuke, unique among the seven churches alongside Philadelphia.
☩Persecution and Promise
Christ warned of impending persecution: some would be imprisoned and face tribulation for 'ten days,' a limited but intense period of testing. The exhortation to be 'faithful unto death' acknowledged that some would face martyrdom, but promised the 'crown of life' to overcomers. Those who conquered would not be hurt by the 'second death'—eternal judgment—regardless of what earthly powers might do to their bodies. This proved prophetic as Smyrna produced notable martyrs including Bishop Polycarp.
☩Later History
Polycarp, disciple of the Apostle John, served as bishop of Smyrna and was martyred around AD 155, burned at the stake when he refused to renounce Christ. His martyrdom account became a model for early Christian martyrologies. The church at Smyrna continued through centuries of change, and unlike most of the seven cities, Smyrna (modern Izmir) remains a significant city today—perhaps reflecting the promise of life given to this faithful congregation.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Smyrna," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Smyrna," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.James Hastings (ed.), "Smyrna," in Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, vol. II (T. & T. Clark, 1906–1908).