Revelation 2-Who would you declare lord?

To the Church in Smyrna

8To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

These are the words of the First and the Last, who died and returned to life.

9I know your affliction and your poverty—though you are rich! And I am aware of the slander of those who falsely claim to be Jews, but are in fact a synagogue of Satan.

10Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.

Smyrna was a beautiful, proud and rich city. Claimed to be the glory of Asia. Known for idolatry and the worship of the Roman Emperor. 

“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)

“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)

The Christians were persecuted because they wouldn’t declare Cesar lord. They couldn’t buy, sell or trade without a certificate. They couldn’t hold a job. They were objectively poor even destitute. But Jesus saw through their circumstances and saw they were really rich.

“Sweet smelling Smyrna, the poorest but purest of the seven.” (Trapp)

Jesus was warning them they were about to be persecuted by Satan. 

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. (Guzik)

The Christians were martyred in the arena, usually eaten by lions. One martyr named Polycarp was burned at the stake. 

They received the crown of life!

Jesus used these martyr’s to bring others to Christ.

Recently in Colorado a Christian couple owned a bakery and refused to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple stating if would be against their Christian faith. The government found them guilty, seized their bank accounts and shut down their business.

Is this similar as to not declaring Cesar Lord and receiving the government’s certificate?

Who would you declare lord?

Blessings, David