Smyrna

Biblical Text

In the Bible, Smyrna appears only in Revelation. In Revelation 1:11 it is named as one of the seven churches to which John is to send the revelation he received, and the letter addressed to this church is recorded in Revelation 2:8–11.

In the letter, Christ identifies himself as "the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive." He says that he knows the tribulation and poverty of the church in Smyrna, yet declares that it is in fact rich. He refers to the slander of those "which say they are Jews, and are not," calling them "the synagogue of Satan," and foretells that some will be cast into prison and will "have tribulation ten days." He then promises, "be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life," and declares that "he that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." Of the seven churches, only Smyrna and Philadelphia receive praise and encouragement without any rebuke.

Background

Smyrna was a port city not far north of Ephesus, and its commerce flourished in the first century. It was known for its early loyalty to Rome. According to the Roman historian Tacitus, Smyrna won the right in the early first century to build a temple to the emperor Tiberius. For this reason, many scholars believe that Christians who refused to take part in the imperial cult faced social pressure.

The city's name is identical to the Greek word for myrrh, an aromatic spice. Some preaching traditions associate this with suffering or burial, but the text itself does not state any such meaning. Another interpretation links the history of old Smyrna, which was destroyed around the sixth century BC and later refounded in the Hellenistic period, with the description of Christ as the one "which was dead, and is alive."

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

The central theme of the letter to Smyrna is faithfulness in suffering. The "crown of life" is the reward promised to those who endure trial, and the same expression appears in James 1:12. The "second death" is identified in Revelation 20:14 as the lake of fire and is connected with the final judgment.

Interpretations and Debates

• How to read the seven churches: Many commentators read the church in Smyrna both as an actual first-century church and as a lesson for the church in every age. By contrast, some, including those in the dispensationalist tradition, see the seven churches as seven eras of church history and associate Smyrna with the period of persecution under the Roman Empire (second to fourth centuries).
• "Ten days": Some hold that the phrase refers to an actual short period, while others see it as a symbol of a limited period of suffering. An interpretation linking it to the "ten persecutions" under the Roman emperors has also been handed down, but this is not what the text states.
• "Synagogue of Satan": The expression is generally interpreted as reflecting a local conflict between the Jewish community and Christians in Smyrna at the time. Some caution against extending it into a judgment on the Jewish people as a whole.
• Accounts outside the text: The account of the martyrdom of Polycarp, a second-century bishop of Smyrna, is frequently presented alongside discussions of the church in Smyrna. However, it is preserved in the literature of church history and does not appear in the biblical text. His martyrdom is generally dated to the mid-second century, though scholars differ on the exact date.

In the Korean Church

"Be thou faithful unto death" in Revelation 2:10 is one of the most widely quoted verses in the Korean church. It is often used in sermons at ordination services, in exhortations to church officers, and at gatherings commemorating the faith of martyrs. However, because the context of the passage is keeping the faith even to the point of death in the face of persecution, some point out that applying it merely to zeal in church service or in carrying out church offices departs from its original meaning. The phrase "crown of life," rendered saengmyeong-ui myeollyugwan in the Korean Revised Version, was changed to saengmyeong-ui gwan in the New Korean Revised Version.