Digging Deep Into Smyrna Church

Church of Smyrna (100-325 A. D.)

"This church received as a whole a commenda­tion for their works and tribulation; and they were told that persecution, prison, and

tribula­tion were awaiting them, but if faithful they would receive a crown of life. ...We quote from the church historian:
"The Roman jurist, Julius Paulus, cites the following as one of the ruling principles of civil law in the Roman state: 'Whoever introduces new religions, whose tendency and character are unknown, whereby the minds of men might be disturbed, were, if belonging to the higher ranks, to be banished; if to the lower, punished with death.' "

The Christians preached the spiritual king­dom of Christ, which could in no way be modi­fied or altered to suit the Roman religion. The Romans argued that the Christians could wor­ship Christ just as much as they wished to, but they must also offer incense to Caesar and say, "I swear by the genius of Caesar."

One illustration will suffice: When the old bishop of Smyrna, Polycarp, was asked to swear by the genius of Caesar, and revile Christ, he an­swered, "Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me wrong; and how can I now blaspheme my King that has saved me?"' Being resolute in his opposition to the emperor, he was burned at the stake about 180 A. D.

Here was the real cause for the struggle be­tween Christianity and Roman imperialism.
*Two kings were at war to the bitter end,—King Jesus, with His spiritual kingdom made up of the newborn from all nations, and the Roman emperor, with his state united to the pagan religion.

The fires of persecution served to winnow the chaff from the

wheat, for during the days of tribulation a large number of nominal members. of the church apostatized, and were called lapsi.

These, when the persecution was over, wanted to rejoin the church. Some of the ante-Nicene Fathers died as martyrs.
For instance,
--Igna­tius, bishop of Antioch, was thrown to the beasts in the Roman Amphitheater;
--Justin Martyr died a martyr,
--and there is strong evidence that Irenus, bishop of Lyons, died in the massacre instituted by the emperor Severus.

Persecution followed persecution in different parts of the empire.

Christians fled from one part of the realm to the other, seek­ing a haven of rest. They were hunted like beasts in the fields.
The Decian persecution, in the middle of the third century, lasting for nearly ten years, was one of the most severe in the empire. About fifty years after that, the last and the most terrible persecution broke out under Diocletian, lasting ten years, or from 303-313, in fulfillment of Revelation 2:10-Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

About two hundred fifty heretical sects broke out from the

Apostolic Church between 34 and 314 A. D. Some of these sects, such as the Montanists, had many martyrs for the cause of God and shared in the persecutions of the Apos­tolic Church. There is no denying the fact that there was a gradual apostasy of the dominant church, yet the historian has this to say con­cerning the godly people in the church:
"Some, indeed,
--most certainly and truly cast out demons, so that frequently those persons themselves that were cleansed from wicked spirits, believed and were received into the church.
--Others have the knowledge of things to come, as also visions and prophetic commu­nications;
--others heal the sick by the imposi­tion of hands, and restore them to health.
--And, moreover, as we said above, even the dead have been raised and continued with us many years."'
N. J. WALDORF