Book of Revelation: the Suffering Church at Smyrna

The Apostle Paul wrote, “all who live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). Such was the case at Smyrna, where a Christian congregation loved and obeyed Jesus to the point where it suffered dearly for its devotion. Jesus, through the Apostle John, informed them, though, that despite its tribulation and poverty, that it was rich; rich in the sense of spiritual expectation that eternal life was theirs. That said, they were to remain faithful unto death, because the devil was going to put them through trial and testing, probably the likes they had not seen before. The church at Smyrna is one of the seven congregations that John addresses that did not come with a warning from Jesus due to immorality, lack of love, or apathy. Nevertheless, the suffering was worth paying attention to, since to live a godly life entailed being hated by the world, some of whom even claimed to be God’s people, the Jews.