Church History

Church History of the Lord’s Body

When the Church was established by the apostles on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), the church began to flourish.  Under them, as well as the apostle Paul and many other faithful individuals, the church grew and grew.  But, with this growth came troubles.  In Acts 20:28-30, the Church was warned of dangers ahead.  Also, persecutions came.  Jewish persecution attempted to corrupt the Church by their traditions and doctrines.  Roman persecution came by the hands of Nero (65-68), Domitian (89-96), Trajan (who called Christianity a superstition) and Marcius Aurelius (161-180) who persecuted Christians like Polycarp because they put their faith in God and not Rome (Second Century Christianity by Robert M. Grant).  And as a result, many Christians hid in places like the Derinkuyu Underground City (Turkey by Lynn A. Levine) which could house thousands of people and today we have found around 200 of these cities, who while not always large, but used to avoid persecutions and raids and to continue the Church that the apostle’s established under the direction of Christ (Matt. 16:16-18).

Now, with the passing of the apostolic age, some Christians gradually drifted into a state of apostasy.  People along the same thinking as Diotrophes (3 John 9), who wanted the pre-eminence, began to be seen.  In the New Testament, we find the words elders, bishops, overseers, presbyters, pastors and shepherds which were title without distinction to rank or office.  While people such as Polycarp (69-155), Justin Martyr (103-165), Quadratus of Athens (120), Theophilus of Antioch (180) desired to either be Christians or elders in the church, Ignatius of Antioch (1st century) and Zephyrinus (199-217) desired to have a “Bishop” office over the elders (Epistle to the Smyrnaeans: section 8).  So, while the church was to be a united body during the 2nd century, we find this standing office of president within the eldership which also was given to Dionysius of Alexandria (2nd century) and Gregory Thaumaturgus (213-270) and were given the name of “The Bishop” (General History of the Christian Religion and Church by Augustus Neander).  Despite this being contrary to 2 Peter 1:3; Galatians 1:6-9 and Jude 1:3, this Bishop was given his own authority and function (Irenaeus supported it), to do what he thought was best and was given a territory to rule over, called a diocese.  Hippolyptus of Rome was against such councils (The Eternal Kingdom by J.W. Mattox).

Now, during these same times, the theologians such as Tatian (120-180) who forbid marriage and meats, Tertullian who later became a Montanist (160-220) and Clement of Alexandria who began Gnosticism, all brought troubles to the Church (The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia by Phillip Schaff).  Then, the clergy were also exalted and gave themselves titles such as Reverend or Father and taught that people could only have access to God through them (The Great Apostasy by James Talmage).  Also, through these men, strange doctrines were introduced: Holy Water (120), Penance (157) infant baptism (175) infant sin (248), purgatory (220) (History of the Church by Robert Brumback) and millenialism or a physical Kingdom of God on earth (2nd century) (The Eternal Kingdom by F. W. Mattox).  And so, the church, much like that of the Corinthians had several problems to overcome.

With many things that needed to be overcome, it seems that the Church was split into two sections: those who want to follow under the Bishops and those who wanted to continue to keep the purity of the Gospel.  Unfortunately, the head Bishop over the congregation, with his territory, soon found his job too big.  New groups were made: Country Bishops (for surrounding areas) and City Bishops called Presbyters (A Dictionary of Religion and Ethics by Shailer Matthews).  By the end of the 2nd century, we find traces of Synods and Councils.  And, this increased their dominion and authority and other doctrines such as Asceticism and Ebionism which began to be taught in the church (History of the Christian Church by Philip Schaff).

Now, in 260 A.D. while Gallineus persecuted Christians, Christianity was legalized and persecutions stopped around 292 A.D.  During the 3rd century, Christians began building large buildings and became rich while its members were worldly and contentious (The story of the Christian Church by Jesse L. Hurlbut).  There also arose further contention between Bishops and Presbyters over the doctrines: Arius and Athanasius (History of the Christian Church by Philip Schaff).   Bishops finally wanted supreme power and so they no longer counseled with the Presbyters.  The Bishops assumed more authority until 325 AD when Constantine called the first General Council.  Although not a Christian, but was the emperor of Rome, he nominated himself as Bishop of bishops and presided over this meeting.  He invited all people from the churches of the Christian World, including those who were once hidden underground.  It was this meeting that made an official creed that Christ was eternal with the Father.  This creed formed a doctrine for the church instead of following the Word of God.

Now there were three main bishops back then: Rome, Alexandria and Antioch (Church History for Busy People by George Klingman).  Two other councils were added later from Jerusalem and Constantinople.  These councils loved the pre-eminence and always tried to show their superiority.  Take for instance, the Word of God.  As early as the days of the apostle Paul, the New Testament letters were being distributed.  But while there was nothing wrong with it, these councils in 397 A.D., in Carthage, made a name for themselves and closed the New Testament canon, which at that time, every Christian knew which was Scripture and which was not.  And so, there was definitely a separation in the church: you had the Bishops (later called the Patriarch or Chief Father), the Presbyters (who were similar but lost all power) and the members who were confused as to what to do with these two groups (Church History for Busy People by George Klingman).  Many wanted to go by the teachings of Christ and the apostles.

But, these Patriarchs were trying to control everything.  Well, it got so bad that in 588 A.D., John the Faster assumed the title of “Universal Bishop of the Church” which made Gregory the Great upset (Church History for Busy People by George Klingman).  Many letters were exchanged, accusations were thrown and the title was stripped from John.  In 606 A.D, Boniface III gave himself this which introduced papal supremacy and he became the head of the church (The Catholic Encyclopedia by Robert Appleton).  This date marks the beginning of the Roman Catholic Church.  This conflict between Roman bishops and Constantinople bishops would ultimately lead to the Great Schism of 1054 A.D, but by that time, there was Latin mass (394), Extreme unction (588), Purgatory (593), Kissing the Pope’s toe (709), Transubstantiation (1000) and Celibacy (1015) introduced which made the Church unrecognizable to any Christian or Christ.  No longer was Christ the head of the Church.  Since the 3rd century, the bishops had control.

Now, some say that the Greek Orthodox is the original Church which is why they broke away from Catholicism.  However, by 1054, neither group could be called the church.  In fact, The Greek Orthodox practices infant baptism, marked the body for the Holy Spirit, priest were able to forgive sins, a special priesthood was set apart from the church and many of their traditions stem from Catholicism, not from Christ or His apostles (A Journey of Fear and Joy by Oswin Craton).  But, if this was not the Church the Lord established, where did it go?

Well, some say that we do not know.  Others state that it disappeared after the first century and then returned under Alexander Campbell.  But, it is recorded in history of Christians who were neither Catholic nor Orthodox, but were individual who went by the Bible as Alexander Campbell claimed to do and as the Church of Christ claims.  So let’s look at some history.

In 469 A.D, when the Saxons invaded Britain overthrowing Christianity, they killed the king Arthur the Great who was said to be a Christian and known for only go by the Bible (The World of King Arthur by Christopher Snyder).  During the Catholic Crusades of 1073, to gain Jerusalem back from Mohammad and the Muslims, Christians such as Gundulphus 1025, Berengar of Tours 1088, Pierre de Bruys 1110 and Henry of Toulouse 1150 were being persecuted by the Catholic Church because they taught baptism for accountable people, that the bread and grape juice is not the real body and blood of Christ and taught much that was in harmony with God’s Word (History of the Church by Robert Brumback).  In 1115, more than 100,000 of the Albigenses were put to death for teaching only from the Bible and rejecting the church of Rome (History of the church by Robert Brumback).  In 1170, the Waldenses were branded as heretics and savagely persecuted because they pleaded for a purified Christianity and first century teachings (History of the church by Robert Brumback).  In 1179, all of Southern France was excommunicated and punished for being heretics of the Catholic Church (History of the Christian Church by William Blackburn).  In 1229, the Bible was denied to all laymen and only priest or higher officials were permitted to read it.  So, all the handwritten copies of the Bible were sought out and destroyed because the Catholic church knew that “their teachings were often different from the Bible and oftener still contrary to it” (National Library in Paris, Folio No. 1068, Vol. 2).  Also during this time, there were Christians who were being persecuted by Muslims who hid in underground cities in Turkey.

Now in 1166, Christians were seen persuading Henry II and teaching autonomous congregations, practicing baptism for the remission of sins (which no other church did) and calling themselves the true church of Christ (A Student’s History of England from the Earliest Times to 1885 by Samuel R. Gardiner).  This church as well as the Church of Christ in Oxford 1157, the Hill Cliffe Church of 1357, the Wales church of Christ in 1417 and many others were established outside of Catholicism and before Martin Luther in the late 1490’s, John Calvin 1500’s, the continental Anabaptist movement of 1525, before the reformation of 1517, and before the English separation from the Catholic church in 1596 (Fox’s Book of Martyr by John Foxe).  Also a Catholic priest Abraham 1428, Thomas Begley 1431 from London, Richard Wick 1439, Brabram 1499  were all charged with heresy for preaching the whole council of God and burned alive by the Catholic church (Fox’s Book of Martyr by John Foxe).

Now more recent in history is John Wycliffe (1324-1384) who opposed the Catholic Church and after death, his body was exhumed and burned to ash (The Church, The Falling Away and the Restoration by J. W. Shepherd).  John Huss (1369-1415) exalted the Scriptures above tradition and dogmas and was burned to death by the Council of Constance.  Jerome Savonarola (1452-1498) denied the authority of the Pope and the Catholic Church and was burned to death in the square at Florence Italy in front of the church where he had preached for many years (Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature by McClintock and Strong).  Year after year, people began to dislike the ideas of the Pope which lead to Martin Luther Martin Luther (1483-1546).

In 1517, he nailed 95 errors of the Catholic Church onto the doors of the church in Wittenburg, Germany.  He was excommunicated, but sadly taught justification by “faith only” and led many astray because of it.  John Calvin (1509-1564) began to reform the Catholic Church as did John Knox (1505-1572) who created the Presbyterian Church, but all attempts failed.  Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) attacked the Catholic Church by abolishing all that could not be proven by the Scriptures (History of the Reformation vol. 3 by J. H. Merle D’Aubigne).  In fact, he said, “I will never cease to restore the primitive unity of the church of Christ” (Ulrich Zwingli, Ego Veterem Christi Ecclesiae unitatem instaurare non disian, Vol. 3).

Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) sought religious harmony based on the Bible, but found himself sentenced to life imprisonment when he taught against Calvinist (On the Truth of the Christian Religion 1627).  John Drury (1595-1680) spent 50 years stressing the oneness of the church and to get back to the Bible.  Henry Denne was a preacher for the Church of Christ in the mid 1600’s (http://churches-of-christ.ws/denne.htm).  In 1669, in the furness district of Lancashire, in Northwest England, there existed 8 congregations calling themselves the Churches of Christ practicing baptism by immersion, celebrating the Lord’s Supper each Lord’s Day, and had elders and deacons (Dr. Robinson, principal of Overdale College, Birmingham, England).  In 1691, a book was written entitled, ‘Believers Baptism from Heaven and of Divine Institution’ by Hercules Collins, a minister of a church of Christ in Wapping (Hayden Roger, ed., The Records of a Church of Christ in Bristol, 1640–1687.  Bristol: Bristol Record Society, 1974), England who stated that the church of Christ had been practicing baptism for the remission sins for the past two centuries which was before the Catholic Church labeled the Anabaptist who rebelled against the church because of their differences in baptism.

In 1701 a picture is seen labeled the church of Christ in Monksthorpe (http://www.traces-of-the-kingdom.org/).  Other Churches of Christ have been found at Loughton (1663) and the Wall End church of Christ 1662 who still worships there today (http://churches-of-christ.ws/Tottlebank.htm).

Now, all of these churches mentioned is documented in believing that: the body of Christ is the universal church, that it was founded by Christ and must wear a name that honors him, Christ is the only creed and that the Bible is sufficient to govern the church, went by the organization as stated in the Bible, each congregation is autonomous and partake in the 5 commands of worship, no clergy or laity was allowed and that Gospel preachers do not wear religious titles.  They further taught that water baptism was the final act of the new birth of water and spirit, faithful local churches encourage members to live godly lives upholding biblical standards for morals and pleaded for complete obedience to Christ, seeking unity based upon the apostles teachings including stopping religious error from flourishing.  This description is exactly the teachings of many Churches of Christ today.

Now as to Alexander Campbell, sure he did a lot to restore New Testament Christianity.  But the church did not start back up with him.  In fact, in 1735, John Davis, in the Fife District of Scotland, was preaching New Testament Christianity 25 years before Thomas Campbell (Alexander’s father) was even born” (Dr. Robinson, Principla of Overdale College Birmingham, England).  In 1755, Robert Sandeman began to restore NT Christianity and by 1763, he established the Lord’s church in Boston, Massachusetts, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Danbury, Connecticut (The Search for the Ancient Order by Earl West).  There was also a church of Christ in Dungannon, Ireland in 1804 and in Allington, Dengigshire.

So, as the 18th closed and the 19th century began, men appeared and in the name of religion, they began to make pleas to return to the old paths (Jeremiah 6:16).  It was this plea that recognizes Christ as the supreme authority in religion and the New Testament as the only rule of faith and practice, no creed books, who has a proper distinction between Old and New Testaments who recognizes the New Testament pattern of the church and has autonomy of the local church and the unity of all Christians.  Now, Churches of Christ have always traced their origin to the first century.  And, while the restoration movement does owe credit to the fervor and leadership of men like Alexander Campbell, Barton Stone and others, before Alexander Campbelll came to America, in 1800, we find the Church of Christ performed marriages (The Disciples in Kentucky by Alonzo W. Fortune), William Rogers, on his grave marker stated that he united with the churches of Christ at Cane Ridge in 1807.  We also find men such as James O’Kelly (1735-1826), Abner Jones (1772-1841), Elias Smith (1769-1846) and others who sought to restore the New Testament order.  The Old Philadelphia church of Christ in Mississippi began in 1804.  In Arkansas, there are state records for Davidsonville County which have registered a church of Christ in 1806 as well as another church of Christ in Randolph county.  They all pleaded that, “We speak where the Bible speaks and we are silent where the Bible is silent.”

So no, the Church of Christ did not end in the first century and begin again with Alexander Campbell.  In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  The Church has always been here, perhaps, not as bright and bold as it is today.  Nevertheless, it has been proven in several documents, photos, church records and many other writing throughout history that the church, while at times, extremely small, has always been here.

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The Unseen Universe

The Unseen Universe

God has made a vast universe.

God has made a vast universe.

Have you ever thought about why God made galaxies which even today remain unknown and invisible to mankind? For thousands of years, the distant stars and galaxies existed, but until the development in recent years of more powerful telescopes, no one knew they were even there. Why did He make them? There are likely many reasons, yet each of them declares His glorious existence. Recently, while reading the Psalms, I discovered an additional reason which I had overlooked as to why He made them.

Why He Made the Earth

The Bible clearly states the reason He created the earth. We think about that first home, the Garden of Eden, as being made so Adam and Eve would have a place to live. However, the picture is far greater than this.  Isaiah described the creation of the earth, and then says that “God formed it to be inhabited” (Isa. 45:18). Jeremiah, speaking for God, said, “I have made the earth . . . by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed proper to Me” (Jer. 27:5).

It is obvious why He created the earth, but why did He create galaxies which are invisible to man? It is estimated that are 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (100 octillion) stars. Why so many, when they cannot be seen?

Why He Made the Universe

The immediate answer is so that mankind, as they learned more about our universe, would understand how the heavens declare His glory (Psa. 19:1). But, there are more answers. Consider the one found in Psalm 115.

Read the second phrase in verse sixteen. The psalmist said, “But the earth He has given to the children of men” (Psa. 115:16). Now look at an implication found in the first phrase. “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s.” Do you see the contrast? Our God has given the earth to us as our abode, but the heaven of heavens, the universe, is His! He made that invisible universe, which we are just beginning to be able to see, for Himself. Those unseen galaxies (no one knows how many more are yet to be found), show His glory, but God revealed they were made for Him.

A childish view of this—for how could even the wisest man fathom such profound truths—could imagine the joy a child has of going to Disney and every day visiting a new park. Each one surpasses all that he has seen. That child might then think of God going from galaxy to galaxy to see those remarkable sites throughout His created universe. Each venue surpassing all that had been seen in grandeur. Mankind may someday go to some nearby galaxy, but God sees them all every day. O the marvels of His unfathomable wisdom in His creation!

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Athenian Attitude

Athenian Attitude

One of the characteristics of the people at Athens was that they were always interested in hearing about something new. Luke records this attitude for us in Acts 17:31 where he writes, “For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.”

How is your attitude displayed?

How is your attitude displayed?

The nation in which we live today is not unlike those Athenians in that we delight to hear of “new” things. We glue our ears to the radio to listen to the next blurb spoken by the next popular commentator. We sit transfixed in front of the television set each evening at 5:30 to find out what is going on in the world. We can even surf the internet to get our news sooner than 5:30. We desire fresh information�things which we have not heard. The latest football, basketball, baseball or hockey score must be ours. The latest political quip must be on our lips. The latest election results must be broadcast even before all of the polls close. We just can’t wait for the next update, sound bite, news worthy item! And when someone comes to us with a piece of information that is not up to date we say rather oxymoronically, “That’s old news.”

Then, Sunday morning rolls around. “It’s time to go to worship, to do the same old things every week. To listen to the same old message that we have heard time and time again. Everyone’s heard it all of their life. Why should we go and listen once more?” Let’s note a few good reasons’ why.

First, while the gospel message may be old news, it is still good news! That is sure to be something that you don’t find in the dominant media today, good news. Oh there may be a story or two that is more or less positive in application, but the majority of the news today is going to be centered around death, war, fighting, tumults, disagreements, and political wrangling. While such news may be “fresh” it is certainly not good. The gospel contains THE GOOD NEWS! That’s basically what the word gospel means. It is the basic message that God sent His Son Jesus to this world to die on the cross so that man could have hope to live with God in heaven. That may be old news, but that is always good news! Paul wrote in Romans 10:15b, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” Yes, we, along with Paul should rejoice in the good news of the gospel!

Second, while we may have heard the message before, we need to hear it again. Missing one meal out of a day may not hurt us, but it will weaken us. Such is also true with spiritual food. We need to be feed regularly from God’s word so that we continue to grow stronger in the Lord. Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:12 “Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.” He wanted them to remember the truths of the gospel, even though they knew them and were established in them. Spiritual growth requires spiritual nourishment and if we are not growing, then we are dying. Let’s feast on those good ol’ gospel meals at every opportunity!

Third, while we may have heard the message earlier in our life, we hopefully have grown and the message has new application for us. All Christians are expected to grow in the Lord. Peter writes, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). Unlike the human body, as Christians we constantly grow throughout our lifetime. In each phase of our life, the message of the gospel may be applied so that old truths have fresh significance for us. There is no end to the things that we may learn from the Bible. No one person can ever say that they have mastered the depths of its pages. Each of us has the responsibility to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

We may hear the same truths preached each week that we have heard all our life, but let’s rejoice in God’s good news! Let’s feast upon the bread of life! Let’s grow as we encounter life! God’s truth is timeless; our lives are temporary. Let’s not develop an Athenian Attitude toward the gospel.

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Government

Don’t Leave It To Washington

Is the salvation of the world up to the government?

Is the salvation of the world up to the government?

Civil government has been a part of human activity for so long that most never even think to question its very existence. The first biblical reference to government goes back to the days of Noah. One of Noah’s sons, Ham had a grandson named Nimrod. In Genesis 10:8-10 we discover: “Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, ‘Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.’ And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar” (emp. added). Several key points should be made regarding this new civil government. First, it was formed by a descendant of Ham who had been cursed for seeing the nakedness of Noah (Genesis 9:22-25). Second, Babel was the site in which God punished the people, scattering them and confusing their language (Genesis 11:5-9). Additionally, it was on this site that the mighty empire of Babylon would one day rise up and would take over Judea. This is not exactly a picture perfect “model” for civil government.

This reference to the first civil government comes 1500 years after Creation. Thus, one should wonder exactly what was going on before this, and what was God’s original plan. Could it be that civil government was not a part of the original plan, but was rather a rebellious act of man not submitting to God? In the opening chapters of Genesis we find God making direct commands (e.g., Genesis 2:10), the indication being that God Himself intended to govern mankind.  In addition, the Patriarchal Age demonstrates more of a “family” governance. David Lipscomb pointed this out in 1913 in his book Civil Government. Commenting on Nimrod’s actions Lipscomb observed, “Undoubtedly the government instituted by God – the family government – existed. He changed this by subjugating a number of families and tribes into one government under himself.”

By the time Jesus Christ walked the streets of Jerusalem the existence of civil governments was well established. The Bible speaks clearly of kings and rulers and distinct nations like the Assyrians and Romans. In fact, the Pharisees tried to trick Jesus regarding paying taxes to the Roman government. “But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, ‘Why do you test Me?Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?’ They answered and said, ‘Caesar’s.’ And He said to them, ‘Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’  (Luke 20:23-25). Paul further clarified the role of a Christian in regards to government  when he wrote “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves” (Romans 13:1-2).

One key distinction that is missing throughout history is using the government to convert the lost. This has never been a part of God’s plan. All of the conversions found in the book of Acts were based on preaching Christ crucified, personal relationships where the Truth was taught, and one-on-one interactions. Could it be that modern-day Christians are relying too heavily upon the government to do our job? Are we electing officials who we hope will enact laws favorable to “Christians” so that we don’t have to let our voices be heard? Are we hopeful that legislation will be passed so that we don’t have to confront our neighbors and coworkers who are lost in sin? While legislative laws may try to correct the moral compass of our nation, they cannot change the very real fact that all men have sinned and need the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. Have we unwittingly turned over the great commission to politicians in Washington D.C.?

While I do hope that America will pull back towards a moral footing that is aligned with God’s Word, I must understand that it is not the job of politicians to save the lost. As a born-again, New Testament Christian who has been washed by the blood of Jesus Christ that is my job! And it must be my job no matter what type of government I live under. No matter what party rules Congress, no matter who sits in the oval office—I have a job that cannot be delegated to Washington D.C. While God has allowed civil governments to arise, that must not change our allegiance to Him and His commands—the original Lawgiver.

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Remaining Faithful

What it Means to Remain Faithful

Revelation 2:10, “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”

Will You Remain Faithful?

Will You Remain Faithful?

Those were the words of Jesus as recorded by John, the last living Apostle of Christ on earth.  He was writing to a severely persecuted group of Christians in the city of Smyrna which in the first century was a city in Asia Minor.  If you were to look on the map and try and pinpoint Smyrna, you would want to look for Izmir in the country of Turkey just east of the gulf of Izmir.  It reaches about 40 miles inland and in the first century was ideally located as a distribution point for a large portion of the region.

One of the things that made this area of the world significant enough that Jesus chose to point them out by inspiration is the degree of Pagan worship that existed in Smyrna at the time.  Smyrna had temples built to Zeus, (Jupiter to the Romans), Athena (Daughter of Jupiter) and Cybele, (Magna Mater or Earth mother to the Romans).  In 23 AD a temple was built in honor of Tiberius, the Roman Emperor between 14 AD and 37 AD.

Now what makes this fact the most significant to this study is that worship to Zeus, Athena, Cybele and others was voluntary, however, worship to Tiberius was not.  There was an organization of people in the Roman Empire who were tasked with the setting up of temples to the Emperors and promoting the worship of them.  This was a propaganda measure aimed at bolstering the popularity of the emperor within the Roman society.   This organization was known in history as the imperial cults, sometimes referred to as the “Concilia”.  They had the authority from the emperor to force people to worship the emperor by whatever means they could contrive.  Those who refused to worship the emperor were often times severely punished.  The punishment for refusing to worship the emperor came in several forms.   A few of the means by which Christians were punished were persecution, imprisonment, seizure of property by the authorities and the denial of the ability to work a job or buy and sell goods and food.  The Christians in Smyrna were poverty stricken and were considered the lowest class in the society.

The non-Christian Roman society thought nothing at all of worshipping many pagan gods so when the imperial cult showed up and said “Hey, worship the emperor or suffer the consequences” they simply complied and went on about their business.  To them worshipping an emperor was no different than any of the other supposed gods of their society.

But to a Christian, offering any kind of worship to any god other than Jehovah was strictly forbidden and doing so carried the consequence of loss of fellowship with God.  The Christians knew this and as a result, were imprisoned and severely persecuted for it.  Smyrna had a temple built to Tiberius, emperor of Rome.  And Christians living in Smyrna at that time would have been targets of the imperial cult.

The time this letter was written was somewhere between 70AD and the turn of the second century.  Christianity was made illegal in Rome after 64 AD when emperor Nero blamed the burning of Rome on the Christians in order to spin the blame away from himself on to someone else.  So at the time this letter was received and read, it was illegal in Rome to even be a Christian.

It was no accident that Jesus had a message for Smyrna about worshipping false gods.  Now with a little back ground information let’s read our opening text again starting in Revelation 2:9 and then 10…”I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”

Jesus said, I know you are working hard, and that your tribulation is bad and that you are living in poverty.  But don’t fear, worse times are coming for you.  Be brave, be courageous.   Jesus says the Devil is going to cast some of you into prison.  Christianity is illegal so you are going to be thrown into prison.  You are going to be tried in court and you are going to suffer for your faith.  You are going to suffer tribulation for an undisclosed period of time sufficient to complete God’s purpose.  Be faithful even to the point of your death and I will give you a crown of life.  Some of the Christians reading this letter were going to be put to death for their faith.  And history records that Christians living in the Roman empire did.  Many of them died, some of them suffering horrific deaths.  Our brothers, our sisters, our brethren died in Smyrna because they were Christians and they refused to bow down and worship the emperor.

In Verse 11 Jesus went on to say some words that when understood in their proper historical context should make every single Christian who ever lived hang their heads in remorse for the Christian souls living in Smyrna and facing what was soon coming their way.    And from these words, we today are going to make some applications to our own Christian walk.   Jesus said in V11,

Revelation 2:11
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”
KJV

“He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death”   The second death….   Hebrews 9:27 reads, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”   There’s the first death.  That is a physical death and we are all facing that some day, unless the Lord comes while we are yet living.  The second death is eternal condemnation and can be avoided for those living in Smyrna who were able to overcome the tribulations they faced and remain faithful.   Within those words contain what we call the logical opposite.  If those who overcome do not face the second death, then those who do not overcome will face the second death.

God expected the Christians in Smyrna, who were already living under some of the worst persecution and oppression in the history of Christianity to overcome, to remain faithful, to not give up, when it got worse, even to the point of death.  Failure to do so resulted in facing the second death, or eternal condemnation.

It was important to those Christians living in Smyrna that they remain faithful and they were told that and they understood that.  History records that Christians of the day endured horrific torture and persecution at the hands of their oppressors and many went to their deaths doing it.

Here’s a question for us today; let’s fast forward to the 21st century; Same God, Same Jesus, same gospel, same cross, same faith as the Christians living in Smyrna…

We today live in a free society, with our right to worship God unmolested and freely as we choose guaranteed by our Constitution.  Our abilities to work and earn comfortable livings for ourselves and our families, free from religious persecution is written in to our national laws.  We don’t have to worry about a government agency bursting through our doors and dragging us away to prison for being Christians.  We don’t have to worry about being unable to feed our families because we’re setting in jail for being a Christian or refusing to worship the leader of our earthly country of residence.

Before we look at the question that by now everyone here has already figured out is coming, let’s pause for a minute and look at Luke 12:48…   Jesus is speaking here of servants who knew what was expected of them but refused to obey…  Well, we have the word of God and we know what is expected.  So with that in mind, let’s read Luke 12:48, “But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”

Jesus says more is expected from those who have been given more.  Jesus expected the horribly oppressed Christians in Smyrna to remain faithful, even to the point of death or suffer eternal condemnation.  They didn’t have what we enjoy in our society today did they?  Christians living today in the 21st Century, in the United States of America have got it a lot better than the Christians living in Smyrna in the 1st century.

Here’s the question we all know is coming…   How much more so are God’s expectations for us today to remain faithful than they were for the Christians living in Smyrna?  He didn’t cut them any slack. He said be faithful or be condemned, no matter what.  What about us today?  Does it not make sense that we today are at the very least expected to remain as faithful as they were then?  Even to the point of death.  I can guarantee you that Christians living today who may be lying in a bed surrounded by friends and family at their deaths are expected to be just as faithful at the moment of death as Christians living in Smyrna who were expected to be faithful even when doing so meant their death.

James wrote to Christians as recorded in James 5:19-20, “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins”.
KJV..    The death James is referring to in that passage is the second death Jesus mentioned in Revelation 2:10.  A soul cannot die a physical death.  James is talking about a spiritual death which in 2 Thessalonians 1:9 is described as “eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord.”  Jesus paints a very vivid picture of Hell in Mark 9 where he referred to as the fire that shall never be quenched and the worm that never dies.  The worm eats the flesh of the dead.  The idea expressed here is that there will never be a point at which there will be nothing for the eaters of the dead to feed upon.   The worms never die because that which they feed upon will never be consumed.  The fire of Hell will never end and the condemned who are doomed to suffer in eternal fire will never reach a point where they are no longer food for the maggots.  The worm never ever dies.

John paints another picture of Hell in Revelation.  Hell is depicted as a “lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Rev 19:20).  Brimstone is combustible sulphur which gives off choking suffocating fumes when it burns.  Those who are condemned for worshipping false gods “…shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night…“, (Revelation 14:10-11).

Hell is an indescribably horrible place of never ending pain, misery, suffering and despair.  It’s the eternal home of all the angels who sinned and all the thieves, murderers, rapists and other evil people who ever lived.  It’s dark, it’s burning, the company is bad and it’s eternal.  It’s a place where we will suffer the agony of death forever but never die.  We don’t want to go there, we don’t want to be there, we don’t want to live there.

The Hebrew writer had much to say about remaining faithful.  In Hebrews 3:12-14, we read, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.  13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end“.

And then again in Hebrews 10:38-39, “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.  v39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; [a place of utter and eternal condemnation], but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”

And then again in Hebrews 12:25, “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven”

The Hebrew writer warned his Christian brethren not to draw back, not depart from or draw back from God.  If it were not necessary to remain faithful then we would not be warned against it with the promise of eternal condemnation.  God isn’t going to threaten anyone with something that isn’t real.  He’s not going to warn us to remain faithful or face eternal and complete destruction if it’s not possible for a Christian to suffer it.

Peter also gave Christians a very graphic and vivid picture of what awaits a child of God succumbs to false teachers and fails to remain faithful in

2 Peter 2:20-22,  “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”

The Christians in Smyrna were expected to remain faithful to the point of death no matter the circumstances.  If Christians living in the first century under the the worst persecution imaginable were told to remain faithful or suffer eternal condemnation, then we can be assured that all Christians in the 21st century must remain faithful too.

Thankfully, those who may have fallen away and become entangled in the pollutions of the world have a remedy.  All is not lost.  Even though the future is hopeless for those children of God who have turned from the way of righteousness, like the prodigal son, they can repent and return and regain their fellowship with God in Christ.

In our study of the introductory text in Revelation 2:10 we learned that 1st century Christians were expected to remain faithful, even to the point of death.  Jesus had no words of condemnation for the Christians in Smyrna but He did for most of the other churches he wrote to in the first three chapters of Revelation.

The Christians in Ephesus had left their first love.  Well that’s a picture of Christ as the bridegroom of the church.  They were guilty of leaving Christ as the authority, or the head of their church.  Jesus told them to repent or lose their fellowship with God.  (Revelation 2:1-7)

The Christians in Pergamos were tolerating false teachers within their midst.  They were told to repent and overcome or be judged by the word of God.  (Revelation 2:12-17)

The Christians in Thyatira was condemned for allowing and participating in sexual uncleanness in their midst.  They were told to repent and overcome or face condemnation.  (Revelation 2:18-29)

The Christians in Sardis were condemned for incomplete or imperfect works.  They were to told repent and overcome or face condemnation. (Revelation 3:1-6)

The Christians in Laodicea were accused of being lukewarm in their faith,  They were told to repent and overcome or face condemnation.  (Revelation 3:14-22)

To the Christians in Smyrna, Jesus simply said remain faithful until death.  He warned them not to mess up no matter what happened.  Those Christians got words of encouragement because they were facing some greater problems yet to come.  Five of the other six churches Jesus wrote to had already messed up and were not as faithful as Jesus expected.  They all got the same exhortation.

The were all told to Repent…  which is a sorrow of heart which leads to a turning away from sinful behavior.  In short, they had to stop doing those things they were forbidden to do and start doing the things they were supposed to do.

And finally, they were all told to overcome those things which were standing between them and Christ.  Overcomers master, conquer, defeat and prevail over the obstacles that lie between them and God.   And every single one of these groups of Christians were promised a home in heaven with God if they were successful.

If repenting and overcoming worked for those Christians living in the 1st century, it’ll work for Christians living in the 21st century just as well.  There was still hope for them and there is hope for us today if we need it.

It’s a bad thing for a Christian to fall away from God’s righteousness and lose their home in heaven.  But it’s a far worse thing for a Christian to die in a fallen state.  While we yet have breath in us, if we have fallen away, we, like the prodigal son can return home.  We can say we are sorry, we can repent of the things that caused us to lose our home with God and we can overcome.  Nobody can go back and change their beginnings.  But each and every one of us, if we need, can stop right we are, change directions and change our ending.

1 John 1:7-9
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
KJV

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