REVELATION  2:8-15

Smyrna (modern Izmir) was destroyed in about 500 BC and rebuilt, on a lower site in 70 BC.  The old acropolis overlooked the new city, and was called the “crown of Smyrna”.

In New Testament times, Smyrna was a major and prosperous city.  The Christian church was well established, but subject to conflict with the Jewish community and the Graeco-Roman authorities.  The church father Polycarp was martyred there.

John commends their faith, but forecasts persecution, though this will not last for a long time.

Many commentators* seem to read the reference to “the synagogue of Satan” in a way directly opposite to its surface meaning.  John refers to “those who pretend to be Jews and are not”.  It is perhaps unreasonable to jump to the conclusion that John is in fact talking about Jews.  Perhaps he is writing from the point of view of a conservative Jewish Christian, who is unconvinced that Gentiles can be Christians since they are not Jews.  Certainly “the nations” are invariably portrayed as evil in the rest of the Book.  On this reading, the “pretenders” would be Gentiles who adopted Jewish practices on becoming Christians, a practice that Paul opposed, in the face of opposition from “people sent by James”.  The “synagogue of Satan” would actually be part of the Gentile Christian community………

·          For example:  http://www.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?1518&cuTopic_topicID=815&cuItem_itemID=28248